trailboss99 997 Posted April 19, 2011 Cofounder of Antiquorum, the first auction house dedicated to the watchmaking world, also cofounder in 1979 of La Tribune des Arts, the first publication on watches for a general audience published by the daily paper La Tribune de Genève, originator of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, a intimate epicurean as well as a passionate journalist in a world where he became a key figure, Gabriel Tortella died on Sunday April the 17th in Spain following a double heart attack. The watchmaking community mourns today a man Jean-Claude Biver paid tribute to at the thirtieth anniversary of “La Tribune des Artsâ€, referring to the archangel Gabriel, "the right hand of God, both father, brother, son, friend, advisor and partner" of all the managers who came in-crowd to celebrate this tireless field man. As such, Gabriel Tortella has never considered retirement as a peace haven. On the contrary, two years ago, at the height of the last watchmaking crisis, he decided to extend its contract with his publisher to stay alongside those who became his family and friends over the years. This passion has led him to stay at the forefront till the end. In these difficult times, we present our sincere condolences to his family and his entourage. ■ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites