Which Watches Do You Think Merit Contention in the 2024 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)?
by Ian Skellern
While the red carpet GPHG prize giving ceremony isn’t until the 13th of November 2024, GPHG Academy members (I’m honored to be one of them), have until the 26 of April to submit suggestions for watches for consideration.
All of the prize winners at the 2023 GPHG
I’m interested to hear your thoughts on which watches warrant contention and what you think about the category changes.
The 2024 GPHG is open to watches commercialized (going on sale) after May 2023 and at the latest by the end of October 2024.
The 2024 category rules haven’t been published yet, so I’ve used the 2023 rules below. For 2024, Academy members can nominate six watches in each of the following categories:
Ladies: women’s watches comprising the following indications only – hours, minutes, seconds, simple date (day of the month), power reserve, classic moon phases – and potentially adorned with a maximum 9-carat gemsetting.
* Note that simple two or three handed watches might enter in the ‘Time Only’ category at the bottom.
Ladies Complication: women’s watches that are remarkable in terms of their mechanical creativity and complexity. These watches may feature all kinds of classic and/or innovative complications and indications (e.g. annual calendar, perpetual calendar, equation of time, complex moon phases, tourbillon, digital or retrograde time display, world time, dual time or other types of model) and do not fit the definition of the Ladies’ and Mechanical Exception categories.
Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro Rotor No Date – Mens’ watch or Time Only category?
Men’s: men’s watches comprising the following indications only – hours, minutes, seconds, simple date (day of the month), power reserve, classic moon phases – and potentially adorned with a maximum 9-carat gemsetting.
* Note that simple two or three handed watches might enter in the ‘Time Only’ category at the bottom.
Czapek Promenade Goutte d’Eau – Mens’ watch or Time Only category?
Men’s Complication: men’s watches that are remarkable in terms of their mechanical creativity and complexity. These watches may feature all kinds of classic and/or innovative complications and indications (e.g. world time, dual time or other types of model) and do not fit the definition of the Men’s and Mechanical Exception categories.
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Iconic: watches stemming from an emblematic collection or model that has been exercising a lasting influence on watchmaking history and the watch market for more than 20 years.
Tourbillon: men’s mechanical watches comprising at least one tourbillon. Additional indications and/or complications are admissible.
Comment: why only men’s watches with tourbillon qualify here? I hope this is changed for the 2024 rules.
Calendar and Astronomy: men’s mechanical watches comprising at least one calendar and/or astronomical complication (e.g., date, annual calendar, perpetual calendar, equation of time, complex moon phases display, etc.). Additional indications and/or complications are admissible.
Comment: (as above) why only men’s watches qualify here? I hope this is changed for the 2024 rules.
De Bethune DB Kind of Two Grande Complication – Mechanical Exception, Mens’ Complication, or Calendar and Astronomy category?
Mechanical Exception: watches featuring a special mechanism, such as an innovative or sophisticated display, an automaton, a striking or any other acoustic function, a special escapement, a belt-driven movement or comprising another original and/or exceptional horological concept.
Chronograph: mechanical watches comprising at least one chronograph indication. Additional indications and/or complications are admissible.
Singer Reimagined Divetrack – Sports watch or chronograph?
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Sports: watches linked to the world of sport, whose functions, materials and design are suited to physical exercise.
Jewellery: watches demonstrating exceptional mastery of the art of jewellery and gemsetting, and also distinguished by the choice of stones.
Louis Moinet ‘Around the World in Eight Days’ collection – does a unique piece collection quality or Artist Crafts, or just one of the watches?
Artistic Crafts: watches demonstrating exceptional mastery of one or several artistic techniques such as enamelling, lacquering, engraving, guilloché (engine-turning), skeleton-working, etc.
M.A.D.Editions ✕ Jean Charles de Castelbajac ‘Time to Love’ is surely a contender for the Challenge category
Petite Aiguille: for watches (including Smartwatches) retailing between CHF 3,000 and CHF 10,000 (approximately the same in USD)
The Ball Watch Engineer II Moon Phase Chronometer offers a lot for $2,399
Challenge: for watches (including Smartwatches) retailing under CHF 3,000
Time Only: For classic timepieces with two or three hands and no complications
Here are a couple of questions I have:
1. Should the Singer Divetrack(a diver’s watch chronograph) be in the Chronograph or Sports Watch categories.
2. Do all classic two and three handed Men’s and Ladies’watches automatically go to the Time Only category? If so, then watches in the Men’s and Ladies’ categories must have either a date, or power reserve or moonphase indications, or gemsetting. What do you think
Which watches have you seen over the last 12 months that you think deserve consideration and in which category. Let us know in the comments below.
You might also enjoy:
10 Highlights from Watches and Wonders Week 2024
Singer Reimagined Divetrack: The World’s Best Mechanical Divers’ Watch – Bar None!
Fleming Series 1: A Superb New ‘Six-Eater’
M.A.D.Editions ✕ Jean Charles de Castelbajac ‘Time to Love’
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Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!
I would be happy to share my thoughts but there are a two key questions…
The categories and rules change slightly year by year… which makes it tricky to make suggestions without knowing the current ones…
Also–what release/announcement dates make watches qualify? This is crucial when making the selection… the article says “past 12 months” but it’s not past 12 months from today, is it?
The question of time-only vs mens/womens is indeed tricky too…
Thanks.
The 2024 GPHG is open to watches commercialized (going on sale) after May 2023 and at the latest by the end of October 2024.
The rules in the majority of categories do not tend to change much.
Regards, Ian
The Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon should definitely see a nomination, in my humble opinion. Renaud & Texier also deserve a nomination and award for their new watch.
Agreed on both those suggestions Martin.
Regards, Ian
Only 100% handmade watches and bracelets, straps shall be selected.
Done.
Any of those I’d appreciate.
That would be a very small list!