Who hasn't fantasied about going to the Oscars? The red-carpet glamour. The (famous) people-watching. The acceptance speeches scribbled down on scrap paper. Ever since the late ’90s – OK, the year Titanic won 11 awards to be precise – it’s been on my bucket list. 24 years on, the call finally came: an all-access ticket to the Oscars – for the watch industry.
For the 22nd time, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) – held in “the G-spot of the watch world” – brought together the weird and wonderful watchmaking fraternity. There was a buzzing red carpet with the Ryan Seacrest of horology seeking out all the biggest fits of the night. Among talk of who’s gyrotourbillons were more bonkers, which complications were more complicated, and who had the most bling sapphire-set bezels, the glam squad were out and about with tuxedos here and khaki desert jackets there, and among the non-descript black derby shoes, some Gucci loafers, Adidas Stan Smiths and black patent Louie-Bs stood out for those looking out.
Inside Geneva’s answer to LA’s Dolby Theatre, the auditorium was a vision of red, black and gold. There were spotlights, there was a voiceover announcing nominations backed by suspense-building ambience music. There was drama, there were surprise winners, and at the heart of it all, Switzerland’s answer to Ricky Gervais Edouard Baer cracking watch jokes and interrupting any overly-arduous speeches.
While the likes of Patek and Rolex don't tend to partake in the festivities, there’s plenty of high-end key players in the mix, with TAG Heuer, Tudor, Breitling, IWC, Audemars Piguet, Bulgari, Zenith, Hermès and Grand Seiko all nominated for some of the top awards. Brands put themselves forward to be shortlisted for categories, then a jury comprising a merry band watch know-it-alls led by the most eloquent man in the industry, Nick Foulkes, make the big calls on who wins what. “It's nice to see that every year people are getting more and more excited about the GPHG,” says Foulkes, rocking a lovely Huntsman Savile Row Double-breasted suit and vintage Gucci tie.
There were lots of ‘thanks to the Academy’, to loved ones and partners, as well as a mention of being “guardians of time” a fair amount of dedications – and we even got some tears, though not to quite Gwyneth P levels. The vibe throughout was one of an industry pulling together in solidarity. Every victory was celebrated, whooped and applauded in equal measure.
Onto the bragging rights. Twelve months ago, Louis Vuitton announced its watchmaking credentials as legit – shoutout to Michel Navas for his wizardry – when it took home not only the Best Diver’s watch (the Tambour Street Diver rocks), but also the Audacity prize for its Tambour Carpe Diem. But this year, Tudor showed why diving remains its bread and butter with the Pelagos FXD (the watch David Beckham likes so much he leaked it early) taking the top spot ahead of Breitling’s much fancied new Superocean, TAG Heuer’s Aquaracer 1000 Superdiver, crowd favourite Doxa’s Army Limited Edition and Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive 5 Days.
The icons-only category comprised of Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Jumbo extra-thin openworked, Breitling’s Navitimer B01 Chronograph, Girard Perragaux’s Matrix-like Casquette 2.0, IWC’s Big Pilot’s watch and Zenith’s Defy Revival. But it was TAG Heuer’s banging Monaco x Gulf – the Steve McQueen-inspired favourite of Jacob Elordi – the won. CEO Fredric Arnault was on hand to accept an award that’s richly deserved as TAG Heuer continues to prosper under his youthful direction.
Channelling peak Joel and Ethan Coen circa 2003 (when they took home a couple of Oscars for No Country of Old Men), the Gronefeld brothers were a popular winner for best chronograph. They were one of a few surprises as a host of Indie brands – Akrivia, H Moser & Cie, Ferdinand Berthoud – showed some of the biggest brands that major marketing budgets and worldwide recognition don’t guarantee you a GPHG golden hand trophy and the jury’s vote.
This was best demonstrated for the ‘Petit Aiguille’ and ‘Men’s’ awards. The first saw small watchmaker Trilobe beating out the likes of Breitling, Grand Seiko and Zenith – think Adrien Brody in 2003 being called to the stage while Daniel Day-Lewis, Michael Caine and Jack Nicholson looked on. While there was no Halle Berry kissing moment, the message from Trilobe’s self-named “ugly ducking” creatives was clear: sketches on the back of napkin lead to wonderful creations. The latter saw Atelier Akrivia come out on top of Bulgari, Zenith and Parmigiani Fleurier, with founder Rexhep Rexhepi saying “I’m a dreamer and this prize helps me continue to dream.”
Though its ‘satellite in the sky’ Arceau Le Temps Voyageur pieces were conceived not in terms of gender, rather just as different diameters, Hermés were nevertheless pleasantly surprised to be recipients of both the Men’s and Women’s Complications. In the audacity stakes, Bulgari was kind of a no-brainer. When it was released earlier in the year, the Octo Finissimo Ultra 10th Anniversary was the thinnest watch ever made – and it had a functioning QR code on the dial. But the biggest prize of the night – the best picture equivalent – went to MB&F for its bonkers Legacy Machine Sequential Evo.
Time-related jokes, clichés and horological references were unsurprisingly present throughout but in retrospect the last laugh to be had was most telling – despite Baer’s best attempts, the awards ran over time. In an auditorium full of watchmakers who pride themselves on counting the hours with exact precision, who’ve spent their lives abiding by the importance of punctuality, it was further proof that the watch industry can let its hair down and have fun. And when it does, everyone’s a winner.
Here is the full list of Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève winners:
“Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix: MB&F, Legacy Machine Sequential Evo
Ladies’ Watch Prize: Parmigiani Fleurier, Tonda PF Automatic
Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize: Hermès, Arceau Le temps voyageur
Men’s Watch Prize: Akrivia, Chronomètre Contemporain II
Men’s Complication Watch Prize: Hermès, Arceau Le temps voyageur
Iconic Watch Prize: TAG Heuer, Monaco X Gulf
Tourbillon Watch Prize: H. Moser & Cie, Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize: Krayon, Anywhere
Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Ferdinand Berthoud, FB 2RSM.2-1
Chronograph Watch Prize: Grönefeld, 1941 Grönograaf Tantalum
Diver’s Watch Prize: Tudor, Pelagos FXD
Jewellery Watch Prize: Bulgari, Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery
Artistic Crafts Watch Prize: Voutilainen, Ji-Ku
“Petite Aiguille” Prize: Trilobe, Nuit Fantastique Dune Edition
Challenge Watch Prize: M.A.D. Editions, M.A.D.1 Red
Mechanical Clock Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels, Fontaine Aux Oiseaux automaton
Innovation Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisier watch
Audacity Prize: Bulgari, Octo Finissimo Ultra 10th Anniversary
Chronometry Prize: Grand Seiko, Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon
“Horological Revelation” Prize: Sylvain Pinaud, Origine
Special Jury Prize: François Junod, automaton-maker and sculptor
