The Winners Of The GPHG 2018

The 2018-edition of the Grand Prix D’Horlogerie De Geneve (GPHG), also known as the Oscar’s of the watch world, took place last Friday evening, during a special Gala event. The line-up was imposing, and each of the winners represents without a doubt the best of their category.

Van Cleef & Arpels brought home the prize for the best complicated ladies watch. The Lady Arpels Planetarium features an aventurine dial, highlighted by a diamond set case, on which several heavenly bodies move around. The complicated mechanical movement that makes this possible is developed and crafted by the Dutch watchmaking manufacture Christiaan van der Klaauw.

Top prize with the men’s complicated watches was for Laurent Ferrier with its stunning Galet Annual Calendar School Piece. This watch is exemplary for the industry, not only in the technical sense but also in an aesthetically as form and function merge in a unique way into a tantalizing creation.

With the DB25 Starry Varius Chronomètre Tourbillon did De Bethune secure a win in the chronometry category. While technically advanced did the brand also not neglect the good looks of the watch, and the combination of those two was probably enough to convince many jurors of their vote.

The more than ten years that it took Greubel Forsey to develop their Grande Sonnerie was also well spend, as they took home the prize for Mechanical Exception. During this time they went over every detail to ensure that sound, precision and the way you operate the watch all meet the highest standards, and then some more. At the end, it resulted in a masterpiece that consists out of an imposing 935 parts.

While other winners included Vacheron Constantin, Seiko, and Chanel, the jury also awarded a special prize to Jean-Claude Biver. As an industry icon, Jean-Claude Biver has made a massive contribution to the world of fine watchmaking. It was him who saved Blancpain from oblivion, turned Hublot from niche-player into one of the most recognized luxury brands in the world, as well as pushed for innovation at Zenith and TAG-Heuer. A well-deserved tribute for these major achievements!