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Celebrating Women Shaping the Future of Watchmaking and Luxury


International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate progress, acknowledge the women who shape our industries, and look ahead to a future that continues to open new doors.

At Sparkling PR, this day holds a special meaning. We are proud to be an all-women communications agency operating in the world of luxury and high watchmaking. A field that has historically been largely male-dominated. Over the years, we have witnessed a meaningful evolution: more women stepping into leadership roles, founding brands, shaping creative direction, and influencing the future of the industry.

It is inspiring to see this transformation unfold.

From visionary CEOs and entrepreneurs to designers, watchmakers, and journalists, women are increasingly present at every level of the watchmaking ecosystem. Leaders such as Ilaria Resta, CEO of Audemars Piguet, alongside founders and creatives like Christine Hutter, founder of Moritz Grossmann, represent a generation of women who are redefining what leadership and creativity look like in horology.

Across the industry, remarkable women continue to contribute to this evolution. Leaders such as Catherine Rénier, CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels and former CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Caroline Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard, have played pivotal roles in shaping the strategic and creative direction of some of the most respected maisons in luxury.

At the same time, the media landscape that brings these stories to life is enriched by influential voices in watch journalism. Journalists such as Barbara Palumbo, Roberta Naas, Dodi Giussani, and Malaika Crawford, alongside new-generation platforms like Brynn Wallner’s Dimepiece, continue to expand the conversation around watches, collectors, and the evolving culture of horology.

At Sparkling PR, we believe that our feminine perspective is one of our greatest strengths. The world of public relations, especially in luxury, relies on nuance, emotional intelligence, aesthetic sensitivity, and the ability to build meaningful relationships. Presenting a timepiece or a creation is not simply about sharing technical specifications; it is about telling a story, understanding the people behind the craft, and creating genuine connections with journalists, collectors, and enthusiasts.

These are qualities that many women bring naturally to the table.

Our daily work revolves around presenting our clients’ creations with elegance, building trusted relationships with international media, and shaping narratives that honor heritage while inspiring the future. In many ways, these skills echo the very essence of watchmaking itself: patience, attention to detail, and a deep appreciation for craftsmanship.

Seeing more women entering and thriving within this industry, whether as executives, founders, designers, journalists, or communicators is both encouraging and energizing.

Today, we celebrate not only the remarkable women who have paved the way, but also the growing community of women who are shaping the future of watchmaking and luxury.

At Sparkling PR, we are proud to contribute  through communication, storytelling, and relationships, to this vibrant community of women helping shape the future of the industry.

Happy International Women’s Day.

The Sparkling PR Team

News

Sparkling PR at the Grande Prémio de Relojoaria


Marina Coelho joins jury
for the Grande Prémio de Relojoaria

Fernando Correia de Oliveira, editor-in-chief of the Anuário de Relógios & Canetas invites Sparkling PR’s founder, Marina Coelho to be part of the jury for this year’s edition
of the “Grande Prémio de Relojoaria”


founder


Marina Coelho has been an active member of the international watchmaking industry for more than 14 years. Her professional career started in the Richemont Group in Miami, where she joined the teams of Baume & Mercier and Montblanc, and then ultimately led the Officine Panerai’s Marketing & Communications department for Central & South America.

She later moved back to Portugal where she joined the Marketing team of one of the most important retailers in the industry, Boutique dos Relógios. She then moved to Madrid and Geneva, where she worked as Marketing Manager, International Public Relations Manager and International Media Officer for brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre, de GRISOGONO, Chopard and Frédérique Constant.

Marina made the personal decision to move back to Lisbon in March 2018, to be closer to home and open her own agency, Sparkling PR, designed to internationally promote Portuguese brands through personalized communication services: Strategic Communication, Press & Public Relations, Influencer Marketing, Events & Partnerships Management.

Her international experience in the watchmaking industry will undoubtedly be one of the determining factors that will help her select the candidates for the various categories of the “Grande Prémio de Relojoaria”.

It is a great honor to be considered let alone chosen to integrate such a restricted group of watchmaking connoisseurs. I’d like to thank Fernando Correia de Oliveira for this incredible opportunity!

Marina Coelho, Founder of Sparkling PR

Grande Prémio de Relojoaria

The “Grande Prémio” is an event, unique in its kind in Portugal. It annually distinguishes the best timepieces in different categories. With this initiative, The Anuário de Relógios & Canetas aims to promote the watch industry, its brands and representatives in Portugal, thus recognizing its important contribution to the evolution of the service sector in the country and,
especially to the luxury industry.

Anuário Relógios & Canetas will host the third edition of the “Grande Prémio de Relojoaria”. The shortlist of the “Grande Prémio” nominees will be announced, for the first time at Portojoia 2019 on 27 September, thus reinforcing a partnership that has been flourishing for years.

The “Grande Prémio” distinguishes models sold in the Portuguese market and launched within the year. Thus in its third edition, watches released in the national market in 2019
will be taken into account.

The “Grande Prémio” has the following categories: Watch of the Year (Grande Prémio), Best Complication, Best Men’s Watch, Best Ladies’ Watch, Best Sport’s Watch, Best Design, Best “Daily” Watch, Public’s Choice Award, Special Jury Award.

The winners of the 2019 “Grande Prémio de Relojoaria” will be announced in November,
at an event to be held at the Tivoli Palácio dos Seteais Hotel, in Sintra.

Announcing the Grande Prémio de Relojoaria nominees at Portojoia

News

Our new Podcast, Luxury Talks!


We are pleased to announce the official launch
of our podcast channel: “Luxury Talks” by Sparkling PR

Our founder, Marina Coelho will be hosting several sessions with very special guests.

Where we’ll discuss different themes, whether it’s about luxury, sustainability, industry insights,
new trends, personal inspirations, new projects coming up,  among others.

We want these podcasts to be a platform where, through a very informal conversation,
our guests can tell their story.

These podcasts will be either in English or Portuguese, and of course for those in Portuguese
we’ll always include a brief English transcript of the session on our website
so our English-speaking listeners can enjoy them.

The podcasts are available through:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Overcast
Breaker
Castbox
RadioPublic
PocketCasts
Stitcher
TuneIn

Below you’ll find our latest episode!

I hope you’ll enjoy these talks as much as we’ve enjoyed taping them!


Check back really soon for our first session featuring RUEFFA,
a very talented Portuguese neo pop art artist. 

Marina got to see her exhibition here in Lisbon and she fell in love with her and her work right away. Besides being a kick-ass artist, she is a complete sweetheart, so we had a lot of fun taping this session, it was a very chilled talk about her life and her work!

We hope you enjoy it!

Send us your feedback below,
we’d love to know what you think.

And if you’re in Lisbon, don’t forget to check out her work
at Paróquia de São Mamede until September 16th.


Sparkling PR

Sparkling PR is an “Out of the Box” communications agency based in Lisbon Portugal, aiming to promote luxury, sustainable and lifestyle brands through sales-driven communication strategies.

We work to connect our clients to the modern concept of luxury where “less is more”, where the notion of luxury is linked to a sustainable consciousness, to an outstanding personal service, to the closeness of personal relations and an unmeasurable experience. 


If you want to be featured on our next podcast, drop us a line below!