GPHG 2022 Awards – My Winners

Every year, the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) champions the achievements from the past year – in this case from between May 2021 and October 2022 – within the watch industry, culminating in its annual award ceremony. Prizes are awarded recognising the watches (and now with the welcome and overdue addition of mechanical clocks), determined to be the winners by members of the GPHG Academy and Jury.

The GPHG Academy comprises over 670 individuals within the watch industry, and these people each submit timepieces for consideration, from which the Academy selects the nominated watches. Brands can also submit their watches for consideration.

For the first round of votes, the Academy members will pick their top 6 in order from each category, with points scored for each position – 6 points for a top pick, 5 points for a second pick etc. This process selects the top 6 entries for each of the 15 categories.

In the second round, the GPHG Jury (which comprises 30 members of the Academy) will meet in Geneva and pick their order of the 6 entries in each category. This time, it is 10 points for a top pick, 6 points for second, 4 points for third, 3 points for fourth, 2 points for fifth and 1 point for sixth.

These votes are compliments by votes from the wider Academy, although it is weighted such that the Jury votes count for two thirds of the weighting, and the wider Academy counting for one third.

The winner of each category, along with some other special categories, is presented with a GPHG Award at the ceremony in Geneva, which this year takes place on 10^th November.

This week saw the announcement of the shortlisted watches for this year’s GPHG Awards – I have listed out each category and the shortlist for these below, including the official GPHG description for each award, and then picked my winner from the category… and we can see how my eye compares with that of the GPHG Jury and Academy later this year (last year I only got 3 out of 14, so it’s a low bar to beat)!

GPHG Awards 2022 – Shortlists and My Picks for Winners

Ladies’ Award

Officially described as “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”

My winner: Arnold & Son, Perpetual Moon Eclipse. Moon phase watches from Arnold & Son are amongst my absolute favourites, the moon phase complication is made into a significant feature on the dial as opposed to something smaller which is more commonly seen, and I think it works wonderfully. This 38mm size is gem set with a multitude of precious stones, a beautiful aventurine dial, and a stunning graduated mother of pearl disc for the moon phase with ruthenium crystal moon. This stands out for me amongst the others in the category, so is my pick for the GPHG Ladies’ Award for 2022.

Ladies’ Complication Award

Officially described as “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”

My winner: Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Arpels Heuers Florales Cerisier watch. Something completely different from the other entries in this category, and something I haven’t seen before. The three-dimensional dial of this watch tells the hours by opening and closing 12 ‘corollas’, with flowers opening and closing every hour. To achieve this, there are 166 moving parts of the dial! For the minutes, there is a separate minutes indicator viewable through a sapphire window on the side of the watch. I can’t look past this dial concept and that is why, for me, it would win this year’s GPHG Ladies’ Complication award.

Men’s Award

Officially described as “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”

My winner: Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain II. There is so much to love and appreciate about this watch, that for me there is no other winner. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really strong candidates in this category, but Rexhep Rexhepi’s RRCCII is next level in just about every sense. If this watch doesn’t win this year’s GPHG Men’s award, I will be quite surprised!

Men’s Complication Award

Officially described as “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”

My winner: Armin Strom, Orbit Manufacture Edition. This is a really tough call for me, and it is between two worthy winners – Armin Strom and Parmigiani. Both have created an innovative complication, using features from chronographs to create an “on/off” concept for either the date, or a second time-zone respectively. I could have easily given this to either watch, but I am going to go with Armin Strom as it is the one that was released first (just!). However, either watch in my opinion is a worthy winner of the GHPG Men’s Complication award.

Iconic Award

Officially described as “watches from an emblematic collection that has been exercising a lasting influence on watchmaking history and the watch market for more than 20 years”

My winner: Girard-Perregaux, Casquette 2.0. Whilst the Royal Oak is of course one of the few watches where the term “iconic” genuinely applies, for me it is Girard-Perregaux’s Casquette 2.0 that stands out as the winner of this category. Harking back to the original Casquette of the 1970s, I think it’s great to see such a cool and different looking piece reissued! Hence it would be my pick for the GPHG Iconic award.

Tourbillon Award

Officially described as “men’s mechanical watches comprising at least one tourbillon. Additional indications and/or complications are admissible”

My winner: Grand Seiko, Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon. I always like to see when brands do something innovative. That is why, given this watch represents the first time that a constant force mechanism has been combined with a tourbillon, Grand Seiko gets my choice for the GPHG Tourbillon award. This category is exceptionally strong this year, and you could easily make a strong case for any of the entries, especially for me with Greubel Forsey or Theo Auffret.

Calendar and Astronomy Award

Officially described as “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”

My winner: Krayon, Anywhere. Whilst the concept of a “Life Reserve” indicator from DRT is interesting, I’m not entirely sure I like the idea of having my life expectancy displayed on the dial, even if I appreciate the sentiment that it is intended to convey! So, my pick for the winner of the Calendar and Astronomy category award, is the Krayon Anywhere. I love the idea of this watch, with the watchmakers being able to configure the movement such that it will show the sunrise and sunset times for anywhere (hence the name) in the world. I think it looks fantastic, and is a progression from the previous Everywhere which took the GPHG Innovation Award in 2018, and now makes this complication more personal for the customer.

Mechanical Exception Award

Officially described as “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 featuring another original and/or exceptional horological concept”

My winner: Bulgari, Octo Finissimo Ultra 10^th Anniversary. I know that aesthetically, this watch might not be for everyone – I mean a huge QR code taking up almost a quarter of the dial is a little bizarre. And I know that it is also no longer the world’s thinnest watch, having been trumped by Richard Mille earlier this year. However, ultra-thin watchmaking in recent years has been a real showcase of exceptional micro-engineering, searching for even one tenth of a millimetre. And so, my pick for the GPHG Mechanical Exception Award is Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra, which was briefly the world’s thinnest watch at just 1.80mm thick.

Chronograph Award

Officially described as “mechanical watches comprising at least one chronograph indication. Additional indications and/or complications are admissible”

My winner: MB&F, Legacy Machine Sequential Evo. A particularly strong category for me, but even so, there is a standout winner. Conceived by Stephen McDonnell for MB&F, the Sequential Evo is a chronograph like no other, with two separate chronographs which can be started, stopped and reset completely independently. However, thanks to a genius “Twinverter” switch, the movement can also be configured to control both at the same time. I was fortunate to have a demo of this watch when I visited Geneva earlier this year, and it is utterly mind-blowing, which is why it is my pick for the GPHG Chronograph Award.

Diver’s Award

Officially described as “watches linked to the world of diving, whose functions, materials and design are suited to this activity”

My winner: Tudor, Pelagos FXD. This was another category for which there were two candidates for winning entries for me, choosing between ArtyA and Tudor. However, given the Pelagos FXD was designed and developed in collaboration with the French Marine Nationale combat divers, it really is the epitome of what a dive watch needs to be, and so it gets my pick for the Diver’s Award. I was able to get hands on with this a few months ago, and it really is awesome!

Jewellery Award

Officially described as “watches demonstrating exceptional mastery of the art of jewellery and gemsetting, and also distinguished by the choice of stones”

My winner: Bulgari, Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery. I’m not really one for jewellery, and it isn’t something I know a massive amount about if I am honest. I have chosen the Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi for the Jewellery Award because I like the concept of the watch being a ‘secret’ watch, and one which can be removed from the high-jewellery bracelet body of the serpent. Not to mention that this tiny watch contains the BVL calibre 100 – at just 12.3mm in diameter and 2.50mm thick, it is one of the smallest mechanical watch movements to date!

Artistic Crafts Award

Officially described as “watches demonstrating exceptional mastery of one or several artistic techniques such as enamelling, lacquering, engraving, guilloché (engine-turning), skeleton-working, etc”

My winner: Voutilainen, Ji-Ku. This is a watch which really catches my eye and is a simply stunning piece unique. The dial is created by Japanese lacquer artist Tatsuo Kitamura, taking many months to complete. Combining the craftsmanship of Kitamura with the watchmaking brilliance of Voutilainen is, for me, a winning combination worthy of the Artistic Crafts Award.

GPHG 2022 “Petite Aiguille” Award

Officially described as “watches with a retail price between CHF 3,500 and CHF 10,000. Smartwatches are admissible in this category”

My winner: Trilobe, Nuit Fantastique Dune Edition. I think Trilobe is a brand which you will be hearing an awful lot more about in the coming years. Their innovative approach to telling the time involves three rotating discs on the dial and no hands, and yet is entirely intuitive. I was able to have a look at a few Trilobe pieces during my visit to Geneva this year and was very impressed, and so for me that is why I would award the GPHG 2022 “Petite Aiguille” to Trilobe.

Challenge Award

Officially described as “watches with a retail price equal to or under CHF 3,500. Smartwatches are admissible in this category”

My winner: M.A.D. Editions, M.A.D. 1 Red. This is a watch which really has captured the imagination of the watch world – the original M.A.D. 1 watch was released to ‘friends and family’ pf the MB&F brand, with a follow-up in red made available to the public in 2022. These were allocated on a raffle basis, and there were so many entries that in the end there were 50 entries for every watch! The M.A.D. Editions watches are an accessible way for collectors to own a piece which is the brainchild of Max Büsser, with an inverted Miyota movement and spinning tungsten rotor front and centre on the dial – it has proven to be a roaring success! An easy pick for me for the GPHG 2022 Challenge Award.

Mechanical Clock Award

New for this year, and officially described as “mechanical time-measuring instruments, such as longcase clocks or table clocks. Wristwatches are not allowed in this category”

My winner: Van Cleef & Arpels, Fontaine Aux Oiseaux automaton. Simply put, this blew me away. Automatons are something I have always particularly enjoyed, but the attention to detail on this is beyond anything I’ve seen before. The water ripples, the lillies float up and down, the dragonflies turn and flap their wings, the birds turn their heads, chirp, blink, and fan their tail feathers – it is just majestic, and my words do it no justice at all. Have a look at the video below and you’ll see why this has my pick for the first ever Mechanical Clock GPHG Award:

In Summary

And there we are, a quick tour through the GPHG Shortlist for 2022, and my picks for the GPHG Award 2022 winners. Hopefully this year I will be a bit more accurate with my predictions, and we shall find out on November 10^th!

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You might also be interested in:

• GPHG 2021 Awards – My Winners
• GPHG Awards 2021
• Spotlight: Tudor Pelagos FXD
• Watch Stationery and Gift Ideas
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