A clear understanding of the "GPHG," the Academy Awards of the watch industry! Report from Switzerland by Masamasa Hirota

The Geneva Grand Prix Watchmaking (GPHG), often referred to as the Oscars of the watch industry, is a phenomenon. It may be difficult to see this event as a representation of the watch industry's consensus, as it does not include the Richemont Group, most of the Swatch Group, Rolex, or Patek Philippe. However, given its scale and influence, it is unparalleled in the industry. Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan and webChronos, participated in the event for the first time as an Academy member and will be reporting from the event.

What is GPHG, the “Oscar” of the watch industry?

　The Grand Prix de Watchmaking de Genève (GPHG) was founded in 2001 and has been a public interest organization since 2011. The foundation is overseen by the Swiss Canton and City of Geneva, both of which are involved in the GPHG event through the foundation's Board of Directors. The GPHG's purpose is "to annually recognize and award the most outstanding contemporary watchmaking and promote the art of watchmaking on a global scale" (according to the GPHG official website). The GPHG awards ceremony, held every November, brings together a wide range of watchmakers and individuals, where approximately 20 awards, including the Aiguille d'Or (Golden Hand Award), are presented to various manufacturers and individuals. Japanese watch enthusiasts will likely remember Grand Seiko's "KODO" and "Shirakaba" watches as award winners.

　Originally a niche event, since 2020 the GPHG has established an Academy and significantly expanded the scope of judges (which is why someone like me was able to become a judge). Additionally, by increasing the number of participating brands, the GPHG has been increasing its presence year by year. While there have been criticisms that the quality of the judges varies and that there are too many awards, the undeniable truth is that there is no alternative. It's no surprise, then, that the GPHG secretariat states, "Often referred to as the 'Oscars' of the watch industry, the GPHG is an essential event on the watch industry's annual calendar and one of the most prominent media showcases in the field."

　Every autumn, the bigwigs at every manufacturer start to get excited about the GPHG. People like Bulgari designer Fabrizio Bonamassa Stigliani, who can brush it off by saying, "It'd be great if we could win an award at GPHG," are the exception to the rule, because Bulgari has swept the awards at GPHG. Since winning an award can mean a big difference in recognition, both major manufacturers and micro-maisons alike are desperate to win one. In fact, Kari Voutilainen, a former winner of the Golden Needle award at GPHG, told me, "After we won the Golden Needle award at GPHG, we started getting a flood of orders."

　The 2025 GPHG will have a big difference from previous years. The results will not be made public in advance. The truth is unknown, but that is how it is officially announced. In the past, the results were known the day before the announcement, but starting this year, they will not be made public at all. This just goes to show how powerful the influence of the GPHG has become.

Hirota gives an easy-to-understand explanation of the winning works of each award, taking into account the atmosphere of the venue.

　The venue for 2025 was Geneva's Bâtiment des Forces Mortis. People in the watch industry began to gather in a former power station, now a theater. There were so many different types of people that it seemed as if you could throw a stone and hit a CEO of each manufacturer. Even Breguet's new CEO, Gregory Kisling, was there alone. After a long absence from GPHG, Breguet returned this year with the Classique Subscription 2025.

　Passing through the large entrance, there was another medium-sized room. There were tables set up, and people involved were chatting and drinking. An interview with each manufacturer was playing on the screen. The interviewer was Wei Ge, founder of Revolution magazine and a face in the watch industry. Everyone looked glamorous. Hosoda Taketo, editor of Chronos Japan, photographer Yoshie Masamichi, and Hirota all seemed out of place.

　Further up the stairs is the GPHG awards ceremony. It seats approximately 800. Only those with special tickets are allowed in, meaning only high-ranking officials from each manufacturer and prominent journalists are allowed in. I happened to get a ticket, so I was able to pop into the ceremony. Sitting next to me were the teams from Seiko and Tokyo Watch Precision, and in the front seats were the Audemars Piguet gang. Grinning was Lucas Raggi, head of development for complicated watches. Next to him was the big man, Giulio Papi, and next to him was Vice President Olivier Audemars. Interviewing him would likely be efficient, but it would be rather unrefined, so I decided against it.

Learn about the award-winning model with Hirota's commentary

　The first to be announced was the "Challenge Award." The winner was Dennison's "ALD Natural Stone Tiger's Eye." Perhaps it was due to its modest price and the use of a natural stone dial. The case is plated, but the texture is excellent. Chrono Tokyo also nominated their "2025 Jubilee Sensu EOL 'White Blue'," but unfortunately did not win. In this category, Christopher Ward's "C1 Celestial Moonphase x Mr Jones Watches" also caught my eye.

　The next winner of the Small Needle Award was MB&F's Mad Edition MAD2 Green. The MAD collection, which has made MB&F so popular, is a limited edition with a unique design and a relatively modest price. Considering that the MAD1 Red won the same award in 2021, this year's win is understandable, but personally I would have preferred it to go to Otsuka Lowtec's No. 5 Kai.

　The "Sports" category was a crowded field of strong competitors. Among the crowd of masterpieces like Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Offshore, Grand Seiko's Tokyo Lion Tentagraph, and Laurent Ferrier's Sport Auto 79, the winner was Chopard's Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF. With its ceramized titanium exterior and enhanced movement beating at 57,200 vph, this watch was certainly a standout sports watch. On stage, co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele calmly thanked the company for the award. However, it was no coincidence that he appeared to be suppressing his joy.

　The unexpected winner was the Chronograph Award. The winner was Angelus's Chronograph Telemeter. I had predicted it would be Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date. It was surprising to see such a modest, hand-wound, two-counter chronograph chosen among such a lineup of masterpieces. Incidentally, this watch's movement is truly impressive. It was designed by the famous François-Paul Journe. He created this movement while working at THA, and the rights were later transferred to his own movement company, TIM, and then to La Joux-Perret, a subsidiary of Citizen. Looking at the movement, it's no surprise it won, but I never expected it to be this model. Personally, I'd go with Andersen Genève's Split-Seconds Chronograph World Time. This unique piece, featuring the old Venus 185, unfortunately didn't win any awards, but it's sure to be a hit with any watch lover. And then there's Louis Moinet's "1816." It's a modest but good watch, I think. The bracelet has also been improved.

　Next up, the Mechanical Exception Award went to Greubel Forsey's Nano Foudroyante. There are tourbillons, chronographs, and complications, so how can this be an award for mechanical excellence? Looking at the nominated watches, it's true that they don't fit into any particular genre. My personal picks are Louis Vuitton's Escale aux Pont-Neufs and Luca Soprana's Derek Pratt Remontoir d'Egalité. Perhaps the reason it was chosen is because of Greubel Forsey's Foudroyante movement, which reduces resistance to 1/1800. The finish is impressive, and the mechanism is likely fascinating, but it's a watch with many experimental elements.

The winner of the Iconic Award was Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Perpetual. With its iconic design and a mechanism that allows all calendar settings to be individually adjusted using just the crown, this watch certainly deserves the award. The Audemars Piguet team, seated in the front row, erupted in excitement the moment their name was read out. Even the stern and uptight Lucas Raggi erupted in joy, so it must have been quite a big deal. My personal guess is Breguet. However, perhaps the reason it didn't win is because its shape is too new (or perhaps too old) to be recognized as an icon. Piaget's Piaget Andy Warhol has an iconic shape, but it's still relatively new since its release. It's likely that it will be recognized as an icon in the watch industry in a few years. It's a shame for Piaget that the Denison, with its similar design, won the award.

　The winner of the Women's Award, which was a field of impressive masterpieces, was Gérald Genta's Gentissima Ursin Fire Opal. Among the watches from Audemars Piguet, Louis Vuitton (whose Convergence is a masterpiece, I think), Piaget, Tiffany, and Voutilainen, this sea urchin-themed piece certainly stood out as unique. However, winning the award was a real surprise. Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton delivered congratulatory speeches on stage.

The winner of the "Ladies' Complications Award" was Chopard's "Imperiale Four Seasons." This is a luxurious model with a twist that isn't "Bring-Bring." Personally, I thought either Hermès' "Hermès Cut Teintspondue" or Jacob & Co.'s "The Mystery Tourbillon 44mm" would win, but the winner was a jewelry watch equipped with a LUC movement. Perhaps the rotating disc, which rotates once every 65 days, evokes the gentle cycle of the seasons, and the painted mother-of-pearl and marquetry were highly praised. Co-president Caroline Scheufele and, for some reason, her brother Karl Friedrich, also gave speeches on stage.

The Artistic Crafts Award featured a selection of models that represented the prestige of each company. Honestly, any of the six nominees could have been chosen. The winner, Kari Voutilainen's 28GML Souyou, was a masterpiece, incorporating a GMT mechanism into the 28 and displaying a second time zone on a central 24-hour rotating disc. It features a dial crafted over 1000 hours by Kitamura Kobo in Ishikawa Prefecture. Incidentally, the same workshop was devastated by the Noto Peninsula earthquake and recently relocated to Kanazawa City. With Noto lacquerware being hit hard, I hope this award will help encourage the local people. While all the nominees were masterpieces, my personal pick is Tiffany's Flying Tourbillon.

The "Jewelry Award" was even more sparkling than the Artistic Crafts Watch Award. Honestly, any of the awards could have been won, but the winner was Dior's "La Dé de Dior Buisson Couture." The dial, featuring a floral motif made of rubies, pink sapphires, and diamonds, combined with tsavorite, is reminiscent of a garden filled with roses. In terms of visual impact, it's certainly easy to see why it won. My personal favorite in this category was Piaget.

The finalist for the Time Only Award was Daniel Roth's Extra Plat Rose Gold. Personally, my favorite was the FACE OF TASAKI, but the Daniel Roth, with its thin two-hand design, won the award. Even though it's a return to classics, perhaps it's the times that have made such an understated watch (I personally like it, but it's undeniable that it's quite understated) win the award. Speeches on stage were given by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Incidentally, it seems that when this model was completed, the two showed it to Daniel Roth himself. Roth must have been delighted with the award.

　The "Men's Award" is the equivalent of the Best Actor award at the GPHG. The nominees included Chopard, Garlic, Grand Seiko, Laurent Ferrier's resurrected Urban Jurgensen, and Zenith. The winner was Urban Jurgensen's "UJ-2," featuring a natural escapement. Seiko, the favorite, missed out, likely because it didn't achieve the ±20-second annual accuracy required and because its design resembled birch too much. Bulgari's Bonamassa commented on the UFA, saying, "It's a good watch, but it was a shame it was deemed simply a different dial." If I were to be nominated again, I'd like it to be with a different dial.

　While the onlookers might have found themselves bored, the nominating manufacturers' representatives were intently watching the stage. The winner of the Men's Complication Award went to the Bovet 1822 worldtimer, the Récital 30. Considering the trend toward understated watches, Parmigiani Fleurier's Toric Perpetual Calendar would likely be the clear favorite, but considering its features, the Récital 30 seems a reasonable choice. This super worldtimer supports UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), AST (US Daylight Time), EAS (European Summer Time), and EWT (European Winter Time) with a 30-minute time offset. Audemars Piguet's highly user-friendly perpetual calendar model was also nominated in this category, but it has already won the Iconic Award. So perhaps the winner went to Bovet.

The Grand Prix for the Tourbillon Award went to Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon. With the world's thinnest case and a tourbillon, it was no surprise it won. Of course, the other nominated models were attractive, but they were no match for Bulgari's tourbillon. When I later congratulated designer Bonamassa, he replied with aplomb, "Well, I guess I did win." Incidentally, the increase in central tourbillon models in recent years is apparently due to the expiration of Omega's patent. The FAM AL HUT's two-axis tourbillon is very interesting, and it's possible it uses a peacock ébauche. After all, it only costs 26,620 Swiss francs.

The Mechanical Clock Award went to the Albatross, a collaboration between L'Epée 1839 and MB&F. L'Epée CEO Arnaud Nicolas took to the stage. After expressing his gratitude, he invited Max Büsser onto the stage to share his joy. While the Trilobe and Fiona Kruger clocks were also extremely attractive, perhaps the Albatross was praised for its fascinating movement.

The Young Student Award winner was watchmaker Edward Li. I don't know who he is, but congratulations anyway.

The winner of the Horological Revelation Award was the genius Anton Sukhanov's "St. Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock." This award is given to watches produced by young brands that have released their first commercial model less than 10 years ago. It is only awarded when there is a good reason for it. This model is a clock with a tourbillon at the top of a case made of enamel layered over silver. The case itself is shaped like a raised fist, and it is interesting that it can stand upright even if it falls over. It is no surprise that this piece was awarded, given its high level of completion and uniqueness.

　The Audacity Award, a discretionary prize given to daring watchmaking, is the same as the Horological Revelation. The award, which aims to promote creative boldness, was awarded to FAM AL HUT's Moebius. This compact, two-axis tourbillon watch is modestly priced, highly refined, and unique.

　Next up was the Special Jury Prize, which went to Alain-Dominique Perrin of the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art. Appointed president of Cartier in 1975 and serving in that position until 1998, he is considered the founder of Cartier's revival. He also served as CEO of the Richemont Group from 2001 to 2003. Given Perrin's career, it was fitting that he received the award. However, due to his busy schedule, his representative expressed his gratitude.

Finally, the Chronometry Award and the Golden Hand Award!

　Each GPHG award is presented according to the foundation's hierarchy. This means that the Chronometry Award, announced before the Golden Hand Award, is likely to be extremely valuable. The emphasis on precision, rather than luxury or tourbillon, is a fitting recognition of the Geneva watch event. This award is also discretionary and is only awarded if a watch is truly worthy. The 2025 winner is Zenith's GFJ. Given that the watch must be officially certified according to the ISO 3159 standard by testing organizations such as COSC, TIMELAB, and the Besançon Observatory, there are few watches that are truly worthy of the award. Still, it's no surprise that this watch, equipped with the Caliber 135 movement that once swept observatory competitions, would win.

　And finally, the Golden Hand Award. This award, which selects the best watch from all categories, is the "most prestigious award," and the winning watch is "considered to be the most iconic work in the entire watch industry." The winner was Breguet's Subscription 2025. The traditional perception in the watch industry is that the Golden Hand Award is reserved for ultra-complicated watches. In fact, the awards have been spectacular, with a string of blockbusters including Piaget's Altiplano Concept in 2020, Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Perpetual in 2021, MB&F's Legacy Machine Sequential Evo in 2022, Audemars Piguet's Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra Complication Universelle RD#4 in 2023, and IWC's Portugieser Eternal Calendar in 2024. However, this year's award is a stark contrast, with the winner going to a very simple watch. Considering the high level of completion, it's no surprise that it won the award, but I never expected it to be selected for the Golden Needle Award.

The significance of GPHG, with its impressive lineup of members

　After the awards ceremony was over, the winners gathered for a commemorative photo. When the photo was taken, a space appeared behind the stage. It seems that dinner will be held there. It's like something out of a spy movie.

　The dinner was packed with CEOs and directors from each company, retail executives, and prominent journalists. I sat at Seiko's table, and found myself seated next to Peter Cheung, founder of Foudroyante. The IWC team was at the next table, and the Breguet team was at the other. Sitting smiling in the middle were Jean Arnault and Wei Ke, and next to them was Michael Tay. Ostensibly, it was a farewell party, but the real purpose of the dinner seemed to be to exchange information. In fact, as the meal progressed, everyone began to leave their seats one by one to converse with various people.

　I also spoke with a variety of people. One of them was Breguet CEO Gregory Kisling. I won't go into what they talked about, but he was exploding with joy. Incidentally, the table to the left of Seiko was occupied by the Capek gang. Xavier de Roquemaurel showed off his watch, and sitting next to him was the familiar CCFan. And in front of him was someone from MPS, a bearing manufacturer. It was a very mysterious table, but perhaps that's why it was such a great opportunity to exchange information.

　So, the 2025 GPHG has come to an end with a whirlwind of excitement. There are mixed opinions, but looking at the lineup, it's certainly the Oscars of the watch industry. And I'm personally happy to see that Japan is increasing its presence among them. Incidentally, even if you can't attend the presentation, the exhibition of the nominated watches held in Geneva is worth seeing. After all, you can see the watches in person, not behind glass. It's worth going to Geneva just to see this.

Admire the nominated works at the Geneva Museum of Art and History