On November 10, 2022, the Geneva Watch Grand Prix 2022 awards ceremony, also known as the "Academy Awards of the watch world," was held in Geneva, Switzerland, and Grand Seiko's first complication model, the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon SLGT003, won the special award, the Chronometry Award.
To commemorate this occasion, and as a witness to the revival and development of Grand Seiko mechanical models, I would like to reflect on the significance and value of this award.
(Article published on October 9, 2022)
The entry was in the "Tourbillon category"...
Watch brands enter their newest creations. From there, watch professionals from around the world, including watch brand CEOs, watchmakers, watch designers, supplier representatives, watch schools, and watch journalists, participate in the judging process to narrow down the candidates from the entered models, and a selection committee then conducts a final review to select the "best watch." Founded in 2001, the Geneva Watch Grand Prix (GRAND PRIX D'HORLOGERIE DE GENÈVE, abbreviated GPHG) is the most prestigious "Oscars of the watch world" in the watch industry.
On November 10th, the 2022 awards ceremony and announcement of the winners was held at the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva, Switzerland. Grand Seiko's first complication model, the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon SLGT003 (hereinafter referred to as Kodo), which was announced at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2022 (W&WG2022) this spring and entered in the Tourbillon category, won the Chronometry Award, which is given to watches that achieve outstanding precision.
Kodo was one of the final nominees in the Tourbillon category. Twenty models were entered, including Kodo, and were voted for by watchmaking professionals from around the world. Six models made it to the finals: Kodo, Audemars Piguet, Greubel Forsey, H. Moser & Cie., Parmigiani Fleurier, and Théo Offrey (an independent French watchmaker). The winning model in the Tourbillon category this year was H. Moser & Cie.'s "Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton," which uses a cylindrical balance spring.
The Chronometry Award is more appropriate than the Tourbillon Award.
Some people might think, "Oh, it's just a special award. So it didn't win the more prestigious Tourbillon Award?" However, I think the Chronometry Award is more appropriate than the Tourbillon Award. I think that's fine.
The Chronometry Award was established in 2001 by the GPHG, which was then governed by the Canton and City of Geneva in 2011.
The first Chronométrie Award was presented in 2018 to De Bethune's DB25 Starry Varias Chronomètre Tourbillon, which featured a unique titanium balance and the company's patented flat terminal curved balance spring. In 2019 and 2020, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud's FB 1R.6-1 and FB 2RE.2 won consecutive awards. Both models feature a constant-force mechanism and a remontoire mechanism. Last year, in 2021, no award was given. All three models thoroughly pursue timekeeping precision, befitting the award's name, "isochronism."
The Kodo is also a model equipped with a tourbillon, but the reason for combining the constant-force mechanism coaxially with the tourbillon is to "pursue the ultimate precision in a mechanical watch." Considering that the concept of the first Grand Seiko was also "a practical watch with the world's highest level of precision," I believe this award is rather appropriate.
