Table of Contents

Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève

by Stephen Foskett (Grail Watch)

Registered trademark (click to enlarge!)
Registered trademark
© Grand Prix d'Horlogerie

The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix) is the name of an annual watchmaking prize as well as the organization that awards it.

History

Awarded in November of each year since 2001, the GPHG includes prizes in important categories, including men's/women's, sport watch, technical innovation, and complication. There is also a prize for the best watch maker and a special jury prize. Originally given by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), the GPHG became a registered public interest organization in 2011.

The organization consists of

With the exception of a special audience prize, only a selected jury of watch professionals are allowed to vote, and price is one consideration. GPHG has become one of the most important prizes in the world of watches, awarded annually at a banquet in November. One can compare it with the Academy Awards (“Oscars”) of the U.S. film industry. An Asian Edition was also held. The winner of the Aiguille d'Or (Golden Pointer) automatically gets a seat in the jury in the following year.

The number of prizes awarded has expanded dramatically since 2013. The original ceremony, held in 2001, gave just 7 trophies. Until 2012, the number was roughly steady between 9 and 11 awards. From 2019 through 2021, 19 trophies have been awarded each year, and 21 trophies were awarded in 2022. This was reduced to 19 trophies in 2023, with no Men's Watch or Mechanical Exception Watch Prize awarded.

Win Statistics

Frequent Winners

Although not all brands submit a watch for competition, those that are selected for a prize often celebrate the win. Audemars Piguet is the big winner historically, with Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Vacheron Constantin close behind. Some brands, notably Swatch and Glashütte Original have never entered the competition, and Rolex and Patek Philippe have not entered in over a decade. TAG Heuer, Zenith, Maurice Lacroix, Bovet 1822, and Chopard have the poorest record of wins per nominated watches.

As of 2023, the following companies have won five or more prizes.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle RD4 (click to enlarge!)
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle RD4
© Audemars Piguet

Rank Winner Wins
1 Audemars Piguet 16
2 Piaget 14
3 Van Cleef & Arpels 12
4 Vacheron Constantin 11
5 Bulgari 10
5 TAG Heuer 10
5 Voutilainen 10
8 Tudor 9
9 Chopard 8
9 MB&F 8
9 Zenith 8
12 F.P. Journe 7
12 Greubel Forsey 7
14 A. Lange & Söhne 6
14 Breguet 6
14 Chanel 6
14 Hermés 6
14 Patek Philippe 6
19 Cartier 5
19 Ferdinand Berthoud 5
19 Girard-Perregaux 5
19 Hublot 5
19 Jaeger-LeCoultre 5
19 Seiko 5

Between 2013 and 2015, a single brand was limited to one prize, with the exception of the revival and public prizes. This was modified in 2016 to allow a single brand to win three prizes, with preference given to the Aiguille d'Or and discretionary prizes. These rules likely affected the number of prizes per brand and group.

Winning Manufacturers

Because the watch industry is so consolidated, it is not surprising that the luxury watch groups are well-represented at the event. Richemont has claimed the most prizes by far, over twice as many as LVMH and 3.5 times as many as Swatch Group. But this reflects the differing number of entries as well: Richemont has entered four times as many watches as Swatch, but not many more than LVMH. This showing by the watchmaking groups makes the strong performance of independent brands like Audemars Piguet, Chopard, and Greubel Forsey as well as independents represented by the AHCI like Voutilainen and F.P. Journe all the more impressive. Groups like Rolex and Seiko Group are under-represented since they have not entered many watches in competition.

As of 2023, the following manufacturers have won five or more prizes.

Rank Manufacturer Wins
1 Richemont 56
2 AHCI 34
3 LVMH 24
4 Audemars Piguet 16
5 Swatch Group 14
6 Chopard 13
7 MB&F 9
7 Rolex 9
9 Kering 8
10 Bulgari 7
10 Greubel Forsey 7
10 Seiko Group 7
13 Chanel 6
13 Hermés 6
13 Patek Philippe 6
16 Hublot 5
16 MELB 5

Multiple Winners

The following watches won more than one prize at the same GPHG ceremony:

As of 2013, any watch winning the Aiguille d'Or, or the discretionary Innovation, Audacity, or Horological Revelation prize is no longer eligible in the original category, so it is unlikely that there will be many multiple prize winners.

Entry Process

To be considered for the GPHG award, watches must be submitted by their manufacturers to one of the specific categories for that year and an entry fee be paid. The fee was CHF 500 from at least 2012 through 2020 but was increased to CHF 700 in 2021 and CHF 800 in 2023. If a watch is nominated, an additional fee is assessed for each watch. This was CHF 5,000 as of 2014 and increased to CHF 5,500 in 2018, CHF 6,000 in 2021, and CHF 7,000 (or 4,000 for clocks) in 2023.

Submitted watches must be nominated by the jury for consideration, typically reducing the field to 6 watches per category. Discretionary prizes are awarded based on the nominated watches only, and a win in a discretionary category eliminates that watch from the nominated category.

List of Prizes

Overall Prizes

These awards are for the best watch overall, or in a specific price band, and are the highest awards given at the ceremony.

Aiguille d'Or Grand Prix

Patek Philippe Sky Moon Ref. 5102 (click to enlarge!)
Patek Philippe Sky Moon Ref. 5102
© Patek Philippe

Richard Mille RM 012 (click to enlarge!)
Richard Mille RM 012
© Richard Mille

The grand prize from the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève for “the best overall watch among all categories”. The winner is included in the jury for the next year's voting.

"Petite Aiguille" Prize

“Petite aiguille” is French for “small (hour) hand”, and this award is for watches with a retail price under CHF 7,500 (2012-2013) or 8,000 (2014-2017). From 2018 through 2020, this prize is for a watch priced between CHF 4,000 and 10,000, with watches priced under this in the new Challenge category. This was reduced to CHF 3,500 in 2021 and CHF 2,000 to 8,000 in 2023.

Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto (click to enlarge!)
Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto
© Christopher Ward

Challenge Watch Prize

Since 2018, a new lower-priced category was introduced below the “Petite Aiguille”, with a maximum price of CHF 4,000 until 2020, CHF 3,500 for 2021 and 2022, and CHF 2,000 for 2023. Smartwatches are also eligible here.

Category Prizes

Artistic Crafts Watch Prize

“Watches demonstrating exceptional mastery of one or several artistic techniques, such as enamelling, lacquering, engraving, guilloché (engine-turning), openworking (skeleton-working), etc.”

Piaget Altiplano Métiers d'Art - Undulata (click to enlarge!)
Piaget Altiplano Métiers d'Art - Undulata
© Piaget

Iconic Watch Prize

This new category was created for 2019 and goes “to the best watch from an emblematic collection that has been exercising a lasting influence on watchmaking history and the watch market for more than 25 years.” This replaced the Revival Watch Prize which existed since 2013 for watches that are “a contemporary reinterpretation or reissue of an iconic old model.”

Jewellery Watch Prize

Hublot One Million $ Black Caviar Bang (click to enlarge!)
Hublot One Million $ Black Caviar Bang
© Hublot

Audemars Piguet Millenary "Pianoforte", Ref. 15325BC.OO.D102CR.01 (click to enlarge!)
Audemars Piguet Millenary “Pianoforte”, Ref. 15325BC.OO.D102CR.01

“Watches demonstrating exceptional mastery of the art of jewellery making and gemsetting”

Ladies' Watch Prize

Women's watches with no or basic complications and simple gemsetting

Men's Watch Prize

Men's watches with basic complications and simple gemsetting. Complicated watches were split out in 2013 and 2014. No Men's Watch Prize was awarded in 2023.

Complicated Watch Prize

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 Rückseite (click to enlarge!)
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 Rückseite
© Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 1 (click to enlarge!)
Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 1
© Jaeger-LeCoultre

Watches with at least one major complication (full calendar, perpetual calendar, striking mechanism, tourbillon, split-seconds chronograph). This prize category was split into various specialties in 2013 and retired.

Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize

Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Equation of Time, Ref. 26003OR.OO.D002CR.01 (click to enlarge!)
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Equation of Time, Ref. 26003OR.OO.D002CR.01

Originally Calendar Watch Prize, this category was retired in 2018 but returned as Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize in 2019.

Chronograph Watch Prize

Created in 2014, this prize is for watches with a chronograph function.

Tourbillon Watch Prize

Originally created in 2014 as the Tourbillon Watch Prize for watches featuring a tourbillon, renamed Chronometry in 2018 to include other special timekeeping features, and became Tourbillon once again in 2021, and Chronometry became a discretionary prize the following year.

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit (click to enlarge!)
Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit
© Laurent Ferrier

Ladies' Complication Watch Prize

Women's watches with “mechanical creativity and complexity.” Originally called Ladies' High-Mech Watch Prize but renamed Ladies Complication in 2018.

Mechanical Exception Watch Prize

Watches with “a special mechanism, such as an innovative or sophisticated display, an automaton, a striking or any other acoustic function, a belt-driven movement or any other original and/or exceptional horological concept”. No Mechanical Exception Watch Prize was awarded in 2023.

Men's Complication Watch Prize

This prize was given in 2013 as Men's Complications and returned in 2018 along with the Ladies' Complication prize.

Sports Watch Prize

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph (click to enlarge!)
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph
© Jaeger-LeCoultre

The Sports Watch Prize was introduced in 2003 for watches “designed for the measurement or practice of sport” including water and shock resistance. This category was renamed 'Diver's Watch Prize' in 2019 and returned to its original name in 2023.

Mechanical Clock Prize

A new prize category added in 2022, the Mechanical Clock Prize celebrates “mechanical time-measuring instruments, such as longcase clocks or table clocks. Wristwatches are not allowed in this category.”

Discretionary Prizes

The following categories may or may not be awarded at the discretion of the jury.

Audacity Prize

The Audacity Prize rewards the best watch featuring a non-conformist, offbeat approach to watchmaking. It is discretionary whether the jury selects a winner or not and was introduced in 2018.

Horological Revelation Prize

Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans (click to enlarge!)
Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans
© Simon Brette

This prize rewards a watch created by a young brand or talent less than 10 years from first introducing a watch. It is discretionary and was awarded in 2013, 2015, and 2019.

Innovation Prize

This discretionary prize is only awarded if the jury feels a watch reflects “the most innovative research on a conceptual level” (originally) or “innovative vision of time measurement (in terms of technique, design, materials, etc.) and opens up new development pathways for the watchmaking art.”

Chronometry Prize

Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC (click to enlarge!)
Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC
© Ferdinand Berthoud

The Tourbillon Prize was renamed “Chronometry” in 2018 but returned to the original name in 2022 as a new discretionary prize took the name. It rewards “the best competing timepiece that stands out for its remarkable precision timekeeping performance (special escapement or distinctive regulating device) and which is officially certified (ISO 3159 standards) by an inspection authority such as the COSC, TIMELAB, Besançon Observatory, etc.”

Special Jury Prize

Since 2008, this prize is for “a personality, institution or initiative that has played a fundamental role in promoting high-quality watchmaking” rather than a watch or brand.

A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph "Pour le Mérite" (click to enlarge!)
A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph “Pour le Mérite”

Retired Prizes

The following categories are no longer included as of 2021.

Electronic Watch and Smartwatch Prizes

The Electronic Watch Prize existed only for one year, 2006. Today, smartwatches are eligible only under the Challenge Watch Prize. There was also an optional Smartwatch Prize, at the discretion of the jury, in 2020 but this was not awarded.

Best Watchmaker Prize

Vianney Halter Antiqua (click to enlarge!)
Vianney Halter Antiqua
© Vianney Halter

Another category, just for watchmakers, existed between 2008 and 2012.

Design Watch Prize

The Design Watch Prize was awarded between 2002 and 2011.

"Extra-Plate" Watch Prize

“Extra-plate” is French for “ultra-thin”, and this award existed from 2002 through 2006.

Geneva Hallmark

Middle East Public Prize

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d'Art "Hommage an die Großen Entdecker": Christoph Columbus (click to enlarge!)
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d'Art “Hommage an die Großen Entdecker”: Christoph Columbus
© Vacheron Constantin

"Pendulette" Prize

“Pendulette” is French for “pendulum”

Public Prize

The Public Prize was retired in 2016.

Striking Watch Prize

Watches with a striking indication (repeater, striking, musical, etc) were given in 2014 and 2015.

Travel Time Watch Prize

Watches displaying several time zones (world time, dual-time, etc) were awarded in 2016 and 2017.

Prize Ceremonies

The prizes are awarded at an annual ceremony in Geneva with a press conference.