Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Awards: 6 Watches for Men in the Iconic Category

GPHG awards 2022: 6 Iconic Watches For Men.

Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Awards Are Celebrating The Most Beautiful Contemporary Watch Creations

These timepieces are in the running for one of the 20 prizes, including the prestigious “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix which will be bestowed on November 10 in Geneva during the 22nd GPHG awards ceremony. The winners will be presented in New York for a final exhibition. The watches nominated by the GPHG Academy will travel to Geneva where they will be exhibited at the Musée Rath from 2 to 20 November.

After a stopover in New Delhi, the watches nominated by the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Academy were admired at the Villa Roosevelt in Casablanca.

This exhibition was inaugurated in a ceremony notably attended by Othman Benjelloun, President of BANK OF AFRICA, Raymond Loretan, President of the GPHG Foundation, Carine Maillard, Director of the GPHG Foundation, Quentin Epiney, Founder and CEO of FGP SWISS & ALPS as well as His Excellency Guillaume Scheurer, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kingdom of Morocco.

“The GPHG is extremely happy and grateful to be able to organise this exceptional exhibition in Morocco, the first on the African continent, in partnership with BANK OF AFRICA. This is a unique opportunity for watch lovers to admire live – thanks to an original scenography – the most beautiful contemporary watch creations from more than 50 different brands and to appreciate the expertise, creativity and innovation behind the emotions they convey. We hope that our presence in Morocco will nurture the interest of aficionados and a new generation of watch lovers.” Carine Maillard, Director of the GPHG Foundation.

The GPHG Jury with its rich variety of skills and perspectives is half composed of GPHG academicians drawn by lot and half of members chosen by mutual agreement between the Jury President and the GPHG. The list can be found at gphg.org.

The Jury will meet behind closed doors in Geneva a few days before the ceremony to physically evaluate the nominated timepieces and proceed to a secret ballot under notarial supervision. The entire Academy will also take part in selecting the award winners via a vote on the dedicated digital platform.

As a reminder: At the start of September, the international Academy of the GPHG – comprising more than 650 significant players from the main sectors of the watchmaking industry – nominated the 84 watches and 6 clocks (divided into 15 categories) in the running to win one of the 20 prizes that will be awarded to the year’s finest watchmaking creations, including the prestigious Aiguille d’Or “Grand Prix” best-in-show award.

The winners will be announced on Thursday 10 November during the 2022 awards ceremony, which will take place at the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva. This unifying and strategic event dedicated to the promotion of contemporary watchmaking creations will be broadcast live on Gphg.org, Euronews.com, by our media partners around the world, as well as in deferred transmission mode by the Léman Bleu and Hantang Culture channels.

These are the six watches competing in the ICONIC category for 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Awards:

AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK “JUMBO” EXTRA-THIN OPENWORKED

Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet introduced a brand new generation of Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked (ref. 16204) on the occasion of the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary. Available in either stainless steel or 18-carat pink gold, this watch houses the Manufacture’s new dedicated selfwinding extra-thin openworked movement, Calibre 7124, as well as the Royal Oak’s “50-years” anniversary oscillating weight visible through the sapphire caseback. The watch’s highly contemporary design reflects the Manufacture’s ever-more creative reinterpretation of age-old techniques attuned to the Royal Oak’s uncompromising spirit.

GIRARD-PERREGAUX CASQUETTE 2.0 watch

The original Girard-Perregaux Casquette watch was produced from 1976 to 1978. During that period, Girard-Perregaux made 8200 examples of this innovative quartz watch. Over the years, it has become much sought after by watch aficionados and style conscious wearers. Now, the Casquette is back! Named the Casquette 2.0, this new model upholds the design language of the original but is now encased in ceramic and Grade 5 titanium. Moreover, it features a new quartz movement with additional functionality. Lastly, with its ergonomic case, the model’s size and design make it suitable for all.

BREITLING NAVITIMER B01 CHRONOGRAPH 43

As Breitling’s legendary timepiece turned 70, the luxury brand unveiled a redesigned collection that is all about bold color, enhanced styling—and incredible journeys.

For 70 years, Breitling’s original pilot ’s watch has been beloved by aviators and tastemakers in equal measure. Worn by an astronaut in space and the biggest stars on Earth, it is Breitling’s most iconic timepiece. In 2022, Breitling honors the legend with the introduction of a new Navitimer that captures its most classic features, while enhancing them with modern refinements.

“We don’t throw the term ‘icon’ around lightly,” says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling.“The Navitimer is one of the most recognizable watches ever made. It ’s on collectors’ lists of the greatest watches of all time. What began as a tool for pilots has gone on to mean something profound to every single person who has had this timepiece along on their personal journey.”

To create the new Navitimer, Breitling preserved the most recognizable aspects of the icon’s design code. From a distance, this is unmistakably a Navitimer, with its circular slide rule, baton indexes, trio of chronograph counters, and notched bezel for easy grip. Up close, however, its modern refinements come through loud and clear.

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN BIG PILOT’S WATCH 43

Easy-to-read dial in the characteristic instrument design, striking conical crown and bold presence on the wrist: the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 is a Big Pilot through and through – in an ergonomic and easily wearable case diameter of 43 millimetres.

The dial with three hands has no additional elements and therefore appears exceptionally clear and uncluttered. This model features a stainless steel case, a “racing green” dial and rhodium-plated hands. Luminescence on the dial and hands ensures an optimum legibility even at night.

The IWC-manufactured 82100 calibre can be viewed through the sapphire glass case back. Equipped with components made of virtually wear-free ceramic, the automatic Pellaton winding system reliably builds up a power reserve of 60 hours. The watch is fitted on a green rubber strap with four rivets. The integrated EasX-CHANGE allows to change the strap easily and at the touch of a button.

Combined with the 10 bar water-resistant case, this flexibility makes the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 a fully versatile sports watch.

TAG HEUER MONACO X GULF

In Spring, the Swiss Luxury Watch Manufacturer Tag Heuer released a new edition of its iconic TAG Heuer Monaco made with the partner Gulf. The co-creation wears the legendary colours and design of the Gulf brand and is equipped with the in-house movement Heuer 02 – a premiere for the Monaco Gulf edition. Eagerly awaited by watches collectors, the new TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf is a Special Edition timepiece.

The Monaco Gulf’s story begins with the passion for top-tier of motorsport. The Gulf brand, became iconic in the world of racing thanks to its defining livery of vibrant blue and vivid orange which adorned the teams that it sponsored. In the golden era of racing spanning the 1960s and 1970s their main partner would be JW Automotive Engineering, a name that has left an indelible mark on the history of endurance racing.

For the 2022 edition, TAG Heuer strikes once again with an even more stunning version of the Monaco Gulf Edition. More refined, with a beautiful design and the in-house Heuer 02 movement that is housed in the fine brushed and polished steel case, the TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition is a true eye-catcher.

Of course, the design continues to be based on the three iconic colors of Gulf but this time in a more contemporary colour combinations: the special dark blue, turquoise, and orange. With these new elements and a little twist, this new TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf version becomes all the more unique and features more refined Gulf touches.

Focusing on the watch’s dial, the sleek Gulf touches are mixed with the refined aesthetic of the Monaco. The Gulf accents have also been featured in an elegant way and for the first time, the three colors are present on the minute sub-counters at 3 o’clock, too. Also a premiere in the Monaco Gulf watch editions, the Gulf logo on the dial is totally white.

To emphasize the elegance of the watch, the opaline sunray brushed dial brings to the watch an interesting aesthetic duality. And last but not least, the 12 o’clock index is replaced by the number “60” – polished and rhodium plated – as a nod to the racing number on the Porsche Gulf racing cars.

On the back of the TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition, the TAG Heuer designers worked on a personalised version of the oscillating mass and column wheel with a special engraving coloured to match the Gulf orange pantone.

ZENITH DEFY REVIVAL A3642 (Limited Edition of 250 pieces)

Zenith Defy Revival A3642 timepiece is a faithful reproduction of the very first DEFY wristwatch model from 1969. Crafted in a robust octagonal stainless steel case with 14-sided bezel and paired with a gradient brown dial and steel ladder bracelet. Powered by the ELITE 670 automatic manufacture movement.

Reproduced as a limited edition of 250 pieces in stunningly accurate detail using the original production plans from 1969, Zenith DEFY Revival A3642 watch brings back all the details and singular design elements that made the original so outstanding in its era and how it established the codes that continues to inspire modern DEFY references. This includes an octagonal case paired with a fourteen-sided bezel, a warm grey-brown dial with a striking gradient effect that darkens towards the edges, unusual applied square hour markers feature horizontal grooves, and the now-iconic Gay Frères steel “ladder” bracelet.