2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Roundup And How Well Our Predictions Went: Spoiler Alert, We Did Pretty Well

The last couple of GPHGs were hit by COVID, but the 2022 GPHG was finally again an event and a party as it should be! Tout le monde was in Geneva, celebrating watchmaking at its finest. Here are our thoughts on the winners and how well we did at predicting them.

Our Predictions In The Mechanical Clock Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Near Unanimity Of The Automaton

Finally! After years of discussion that clocks should have a place, and some instances of clocks being included in categories that made little sense in 2021, the GPHG has created a category just for mechanical clocks. And, boy, what a complete smorgasbord of mechanical ingenuity! But what to choose?

Van Cleef & Arpels Fontaine Aux Oiseaux Automaton: A Magical Way To Pass Time (Plus Video)

On activation, the water starts to ripple as if touched by the wind on the Van Cleef & Arpels Fontaine aux Oiseaux. The birds engage in an intricate mating ritual so real that it feels as if each bird has a character of its own. The dragonfly zips across the water as the waterlily opens to reveal an inner life set with precious stones. And that’s not all!

Our Predictions In The Artistic Crafts Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): We Have A Majority Winner

The 2022 GPHG Artistic Crafts finalists include some unique pieces, some small series pieces, and one comparatively large-volume piece (of 100 examples) by a bigger producer. All are beautiful and rare in their decorations, which include guilloche, engraving, enamel work, miniature painting, wood marquetry, gem setting, and Japanese lacquer work. So how did our peanut gallery vote?

Our Predictions In The Jewellery Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): A Sparkling Division

We finally arrive at the 2022 GPHG Jewellery category, which is often the most varied in opinion as there is such wide room for taste. Seen among the competing watches are a couple familiar faces, a few bold choices, and even a wild card that might have gotten lost while carrying a pouch full of diamonds through a particle accelerator. What does our peanut gallery think? It’s divided.

Our Predictions In The Ladies Complication Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Is A Tourbillon Really A Complication?

The best thing about these six GPHG 2022 Ladies’ Complication watches is the variety of complications. Yes, we still have two traditional tourbillons, but the other four complications are anything but traditional. But, our panel asks, why are the tourbillons for ladies not competing in the main tourbillon category?

Our Predictions In The Ladies Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Little Consensus, 4 Picks To Win

Quill & Pad’s peanut gallery round tables kick off with six very different watches that have been shortlisted in the Ladies’ category of the 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisier: A Perpetually Blooming Microcosm Of Floral Gears

The Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures Florales is first and foremost about being a piece of mechanical art, reminiscent of MB&F, only entirely realized for lovers of nature, precious stones, and poetry. Telling the time is secondary, but that doesn’t make it any less horologically stupendous.

Our Predictions In The Jewellery Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panelists Have A Favorite But Miss The Human Touch

The rules for the GPHG’s Jewellery category state that the watches must demonstrate exceptional mastery of the art of jewelry and gem setting and are also distinguished by the choice of stones featured in them. Once again our panel has a favorite, but there’s no consensus.

Van Cleef & Arpels Marguerite secret watch closed and open

5 Flower Watches By Van Cleef & Arpels: How They Compare To Their Botanical Muses? – Reprise

Elizabeth Doerr takes a look at five of Van Cleef & Arpels’s artful SIHH 2018 introductions from the Le Jardin (“Garden”) collection and compares them with their natural namesake blooms.