Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève

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Template:File 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:

  • The Republic and Canton of Geneva
  • The City of Geneva
  • The Musée International de l’Horlogerie/International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds
  • The Geneva Laboratory of Horology and Microengineering (Timelab)
  • The Edipresse group

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. In 2013 the prizes were expanded to 15, then 17, and 18. As of 2019, 19 trophies were given.

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 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 2020, the following companies have won five or more prizes.

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

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, nearly twice as much 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, Voutilainen, Greubel Forsey, 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 2020, the following manufacturers have won five or more prizes.

Rank Manufacturer Wins
1 Richemont 49
2 LVMH 25
3 Audemars Piguet 14
3 Swatch Group 14
5 Chopard 10
6 Kering 8
6 Voutilainen 8
8 F.P.Journe 7
8 Greubel Forsey 7
10 Chanel 6
10 Patek Philippe 6
10 Rolex 6
13 MB&F 5
13 Seiko Group 5

Multiple Winners

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

Entry Fees

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.

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

Template:File Template:File

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, but the threshold was reduced to CHF 3,500 in 2021.

Challenge Watch Prize

Since 2018, a new lower-priced category was introduced below the "Petite Aiguille", with a maximum price of CHF 4,000. This was reduced to CHF 3,500 in 2021. 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."

Diver's Watch Prize

Template:File A new category was introduced in 2019 for dive watches, replacing the previous Sports Watch Prize, which had existed since 2003 for watches "designed for the measurement or practice of sport" including water and shock resistance.

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

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File:Audemars Piguet Millenary Date Pianoforte.jpg
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.

Complicated Watch Prize

Template:File Template:File 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

File:Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Equation of Time RGs.jpg
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.

Chronometry 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

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".

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.

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

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."

Smartwatch Prize

The Electronic Watch Prize existed only for one year, 2006. Today, smartwatches are eligible only under the Challenge Watch Prize. There is also an optional Smartwatch Prize, at the discretion of the jury.

Special Jury Prize

File:A Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Pour le Merite.jpg
A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph "Pour le Mérite"

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.

Retired Prizes

The following categories are no longer included as of 2020.

Best Watchmaker Prize

Template:File 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

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"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.

  • 29 November, 2001
  • 28 November, 2002
  • 20 November, 2003
  • 11 November, 2004
  • 10 November, 2005
  • 9 November, 2006
  • 14 November, 2007
  • 13 November, 2008
  • 14 November, 2009
  • 18 November, 2010
  • 19 November, 2011
  • 31 October, 2012
  • 31 October, 2013
  • 22 October, 2014
  • 26 October, 2015
  • 2 November, 2016
  • 31 October, 2017
  • 31 October, 2018
  • 1 November, 2019
  • 12 November, 2020
  • 4 November, 2021
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