INTERNATIONAL YACHT & AVIATION AWARDS 2019

Hosted by leading interior design magazine design et al and leading yacht and aviation design magazine Luxe et al, The International Yacht & Aviation Awards reward the best in design from across the globe. Now in their 10th year and established as a key event in the calendar, they are the only design-focused awards for the industry.

The International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2019 were hosted at The Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice, Italy on Friday 24th May 2019, this renowned setting was a perfect location for such a prestigious event. With projects submitted from all over the globe, the night boasted a heady cocktail of prestigious names in the international design community and was truly a sparkling networking event to the advantage for all involved.

Back in 2018, the already established creative synergy between Thomas Mercer and Linley reached a new zenith with the Aquilo timekeeper, launched at the Monaco Yacht Show and then showcased at Harrods London. Meaning North in Latin, named after one of the stars which, through astronomy, underpin and link timekeeping and navigation, it claimed, among other complications, both equation of time and perpetual calendar.  Evoking the sea, with wave-proof gimbals, actually shaped like the bow of a super yacht, the multi-complicated astronomical movement could be admired through an all-around view of the case and an elegant open-work dial magnifying its intricacies and embellished by the hands, blued-steel and hand-made.  The ultimate addition to the interior of yachts.

London interior designer David Linley: “The Aquilo Marine Chronometer is an extraordinary one-off objet d’art that fuses the two universes of time keeping and cabinet-making. Hand made pieces have a character that is utterly individual and bespoke furniture comes alive by connecting their owners to the hand and soul of the maker.”

The classic team was brought together again when along with design partner Linley, headed by Viscount Linley, the Thomas Mercer Aquilo was shortlisted for the 2019 IYAA awards in the bespoke cabinetry category.

Thankfully, at the very first time of asking, we were delighted to be honoured with The International Yacht & Aviation Awards Bespoke Cabinetry/Installation prize. From left to right, Alejandro Hahn (Linley’s Sales Director), Wendy Tytherleigh (Designer of the Aquilo Chronometer) and Alessandro Quintavalle (Thomas Mercer’s CEO).