Girard-Perregaux, a long-established Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, has won the top prize, the "L'Aiguille d'Or," at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix for its 2013 new model, the "Constant Escapement L.M." Now in its 13th year, the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix is a year-end competition in the watch industry, where the world's leading watchmakers compete. Awards are decided by a jury comprised of watch specialists from around the world, including watch journalists, collectors, sculptors, architects, and curators. The ceremony, held on the evening of November 15th at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Geneva's opera house, was attended by Swiss Confederation President Ueli Maurer. The Constant Escapement L.M. features an industry-first movement made of cutting-edge silicon blades measuring just 14 microns (sixth the thickness of a human hair). It took five years to develop. Despite its steep price tag of ¥12.6 million, the watch has already received pre-orders from around the world, including several orders from Japanese collectors. The company plans to commercialize the "Constant Force" technology used in this watch and develop new models in the future. Girard-Perregaux, founded in 1791, is known as the first manufacturer to mass-produce wristwatches and one of the few manufacturers to handle everything from planning to manufacturing, including assembling the watch's heart. Sowind Group SA is part of the Kering Group, which also owns Gucci and Saint Laurent.