Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève award will reward watches in specific categories such as “Tourbillon”,“Chronograph,” “Calendar,” “Ladies High-Mech,” “Jewellery,” and so on. The “Petite Aiguille” category awards watches with a retail price of under CHF 8,000. GPHG’s most prestigious accolade is Aiguille d’Or.
The 2016 list of prize-winners will be announced at the 16th prize-giving ceremony of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, which will take place at the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva on Thursday November 10, 2016.
Created in 2001 as an annual salute to the excellence of international horological creations, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève contributes to spreading the reputation of this art and its values around the world.
The GPHG 2016 is giving a feminine twist to his team of experts. This year’s 27-members Jury includes Tina Zegg and Kim-Eva Wempe famous watch industry retailers, Heekyung Jung, Korean editor and watch journalist as well as Chantal Thomass, fashion creator and purveyor of design experience. The Board of the Foundation of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie De Genève appoints an official, international, multidisciplinary Jury each year, after consultation with various watch industry representatives.
The watches pre-selected for 2016 Petite Aiguille accolade:
- Vulcain
50s Presidents’ Watch Tradition watch
On the occasion of Baselworld 2016, new models in the 50s Presidents’ Watch collection were presented.
They perfectly matched the brand’s graphic design codes, subtly combining understatement and elegance. The distinctive design of the two offset hands quickly drew the attention of discerning eyes. Given that alarm models to date had all featured four central hands (hours, minutes, seconds and alarm), how was this new layout accomplished? The heart of these timepieces clearly had to be modified and its famous Cricket calibre improved.
- Zenith Watches
Pilot Ton-Up watch
The Heritage Pilot Ton-Up is inspired by the ‘Café Racer’ bikers movement born in England in the 1920s. Its young, rebellious fans wanted a motorcycle that was both fast (up to 160km/h) and customised, enabling them to ride from café to café on the British motorways. They therefore stripped their bikes of anything they deemed superfluous and prepared the engine to reach maximum power. Their one-seaters with their low-slung handlebars took on a rough and ready, pared-down and utilitarian appearance. The new Zenith creation evokes these bikes and their strong character symbolising speed, originality and freedom. Its imposing aged steel case and its original pilot’s watch attributes – large oversized luminescent Arabic numerals and a wide fluted screw-lock crown – take on a vintage character. The slate grey dial with a grained motif is punctuated by two counters and topped by a domed sapphire crystal. The facetted hands and numerals with their beige luminescent coating stand out clearly against the dial background, while the solid titanium back of the case, water-resistant to 100 metres, is engraved with the inscription “Pilot Ton-Up”.
- Hermès Watches
Hermès Slim d’Hermès
Hermès debuted the collection in 2015 with a Slim d’Herme`s Manufacture driven by an ultra-thin H1950 movement and a Slim d’Herme`s Perpetual Calendar – both measuring 39.5 mm in diameter – as well as 32 mm and 25 mm ladies’ models.Ladies are now also treated to a Slim d’Herme`s Manufacture 39.5 mm version, equipped with an ultra-thin movement and enlivened by alligator straps in vibrant colours – sapphire blue, elephant grey, geranium, cassis or simply black – while featuring versions set with white diamonds. An opaline silvered dial lights up the Slim d’Hermes Manfuacture dedicated to women. In the gem set version, 66 white diamonds delicately frame its circumference.
For men, the model is enhanced by new shades with a slate grey dial and matching elephant grey alligator strap; while a matt indigo strap complements the hue of the Slim d’Hermes midnight blue. Crafted in the Hermes’ leather workshops, these straps stem directly from the saddlery and leather-making expertise cultivated by the Maison.
- Seiko
Seiko Presage Automatic Chronograph Enamel Dial watch
The Presage Automatic Chronograph Enamel Dial Limited Edition draws its inspiration from Seiko’s and Japan’s first ever wrist watch, the Laurel, which was released in 1913. Both its overall design and its enamel dial echo this famous original. It uses the 8R48 chronograph caliber, which has both vertical clutch and column wheel systems, and incorporates Seiko’s unique three-pointed hammer to ensure the perfect synchronization of the hands’ return-to-zero. It is offered in an edition of 1,000 in celebration of Seiko’s 60 years of automatic watch making.The beauty, depth and subtle texture of the enamel dial is self-evident, but what makes this model so special is the fact that each dial is made by skilled craftsmen, led by Mitsuru Yokozawa who ensures that the color of the enamel will last for decades, just as the dial on the 1913 Laurel has done.
- Tiffany & Co
Tiffany East West Automatic watch
With its audacious design, Tiffany East West literally turns the rules of watchmaking on their side. The new Tiffany East West® Automatic features a self-winding mechanical movement of the finest Swiss pedigree, housed in a rectangular watch case (46.5 x 27.5 mm) that is set horizontally, following the rectangular lines of the 1940s travel clock that inspired the collection.This Tiffany East West® Automatic timepiece has a stainless steel case and features a dial with white radial guilloché finishing and gold poudre numerals, a black alligator strap and sapphire crystal glass (on both sides of the timepiece – front and back).
- Tudor
Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze watch 2016 Heritage Black Bay Bronze inherits the general lines, as well as the dial and domed crystal, from the very first TUDOR diving watches. It features the particularly prominent winding crown from the famous 7924 reference of 1958, known as Big Crown.It borrows the characteristic angular hands, known as snowflake, from the watches delivered in large quantities to the French National Navy in the 1970s. The drilled holes on the side of the lugs and their particularly pronounced chamfering can be added to the list of notable historic design elements adopted in this new model.
Take a look at the 2015 GPHG PRIZE LIST:
- “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix: Greubel Forsey, Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision watch;
- Ladies’ Watch Prize: Hublot, Big Bang Broderie watch;
- Ladies’ High-Mech Watch Prize: Fabergé, Lady Compliquée Peacoc watch;
- Men’s Watch Prize: Voutilainen, Voutilainen GMR watch;
- Chronograph Watch Prize: Piaget, Altiplano Chrono watch;
- Tourbillon Watch Prize: Ulysse Nardin, Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon watch;
- Calendar Watch Prize: Hermès, Slim d’Hermès QP watch;
- Striking Watch Prize: Girard-Perregaux, Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges watch;
- Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Jaquet Droz, The Charming Bird watch.
