Watchmaking for All

The Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) celebrated its 20th anniversary on 26 June during a press conference held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Geneva.

To honour the FHH’s founding members, Ilaria Resta, Chief Executive Officer of Audemars Piguet, Patrick Pruniaux, Chairman & CEO of Girard-Perregaux, and Cyrille Vigneron, Chairman of Culture and Philanthropy at Cartier, representing Richemont, were among the dignitaries in attendance. In addition to the foundation current vice presidents, Pascal Ravessoud and Aurélie Streit.

The FHH was the vision of watch industry luminary Franco Cologni. Twenty years ago, Dr Cologni’s passion for passing on the traditions of watchmaking and securing its future drove him to persuade Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux and Richemont to collaborate around a foundation that would transmit and promote watchmaking culture, protecting and conserving it for future generations. His motto: A Legacy For Tomorrow.

Two decades on, Dr Cologni’s vision is alive and well and many of the foundation’s original ambitions have been realised. Today, the foundation fulfils a pivotal role in the watch industry through events and educational programmes such as Watches and Culture, the FHH Forum and the FHH Academy, which has now trained more than 40,000 people and issued more than 15,000 certificates to students since it was founded in 2014. The FHH’s portfolio of activities has helped secure watchmaking’s future, making it a pillar of the watchmaking community, recognised around the world.

Now, the time has come to launch the FHH into a new phase of expansion as it looks to build bridges beyond the industry to watch consumers. With it, a new motto: Watchmaking Knowledge For All. 

In its 20th anniversary year, the FHH’s founders have reaffirmed their long-term commitment to its purpose and programme of activities. The foundation’s future will be built around a promise of inclusivity; the continuing celebration of watchmaking craftsmanship and savoir-faire; and a renewed vision for watchmaking culture as a shared and universal heritage. Yesterday was about transmission. Today is about openness. Tomorrow is about inspiration.