News and Media

Published: Oct 19, 2011

HONG KONG - SCAD, the university for creative careers, and world-renowned luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet have partnered to capture the creativity of art and design talent in Hong Kong by organizing the photography competition and exhibition, The Art of Timeless Precision, which was on display to the public from Oct. 5-9 at Harbour City in Tsimshatsui.

Audemars Piguet invited SCAD Hong Kong students to capture their best image representing the theme of The Art of Timeless Precision to celebrate the company's launch of the new Jules Audemars 2011 collection. Ten photographs from SCAD students were selected as finalists, with an image by undergraduate student Skene Milne chosen as the top image. All finalists' images were on display at Harbour City, with Milne awarded the opportunity to visit the Audemars Piguet headquarters in Switzerland to apply his photography skills to the company's latest advertising campaign.

"I am so honored to be recognized by Audemars Piguet in this way," said Milne. "This competition has provided me with a truly unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience working with one of the world's leading luxury goods companies. Gaining this kind of industry experience as a student makes me that much more confident in my ability to develop a successful photography career after graduation."

The competition's judging panel included four distinguished guest judges: Audemars Piguet Chief Artistic Officer Octavio Garcia, Managing Director of Shriro Hong Kong Ltd. Egon Heldner and master photographers Carsten Schael and Yu Yuntian.

The project was supported by high-end Swedish professional camera-maker Hasselblad, who loaned their professional cameras to SCAD Hong Kong students for the competition. The Beijing Film Academy also participated in a parallel photography competition and exhibition with Audemars Piguet.

"We are very excited about this project," noted David von Gunten, CEO of Audemars Piguet Hong Kong and Mainland China. "Through this photography competition, Audemars Piguet has demonstrated a strong commitment to educate the next generation by providing a platform for students while at the same time encouraging them to use their strengths and abilities to transform their ideas into masterpieces."

SCAD is dedicated to providing an active learning environment that is engaging and collaborative. Because of this commitment, SCAD has a strong legacy of facilitating renowned industry collaborative learning opportunities for students, professors and external partners. These opportunities allow students to gain hands-on experience inside and outside of the classroom with real-world projects that result in tangible outcomes. In addition to Audemars Piguet, SCAD Hong Kong has partnered on collaborative learning projects with a number of local businesses and organizations, including Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, G.O.D., Hong Kong Tourism Bureau, VTech and Shaw Studios, among others.

About Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet). Since 1875, the company has written some of the finest chapters in the history of haute horlogerie, including a number of world firsts. In the Vallée de Joux, at the heart of the Swiss Jura, numerous masterpieces are created in limited series embodying a remarkable degree of horological perfection, including daring sporty models, classic and traditional timepieces, splendid ladies' jewellery-watches, as well as one-of-a-kind creations.