This Friday the 2018 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, also known as GPHG, showed once again that mechanical watchmaking is more alive than ever. The GPHG is often referred to as the Oscars of the watchmaking industry, where an international jury of experts choose the winners out of an earlier pre-selection.
Vacheron Constantin took home the prize for best revival watch with their stunning Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942, but it was also surprising to see that a lot of the prizes went to non-Swiss participants. Nomos Glashütte won the prize in the heavily contested Challenge-category, while the Austrian brand Habring2 and Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin won in their categories. Furthermore Seiko secured the coveted prize for best sports watch with their Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-creation.
The awards also have an orange tint, as the prize for best ladies complication watch went to Van Cleef & Arpels with their Lady Arpels Planetarium, which is fitted with a complicated movement of the Dutch watch manufacture Christiaan van der Klaauw.
A special jury prize was awarded to Jean-Claude Biver, who is best known for reviving Blancpain and Hublot. With this prize the jury wanted to honor his achievements in the watch industry.
