Reacting to the 2025 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Results
I posted my predictions and picks for the 2025 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) just before the jury announced the winners. My picks did not do as well as I hoped, and I have some questions on some. But as always the awards gave me the opportunity to examine and consider many fabulous new watches. Let’s consider the results!
Breguet took home the top prize for their Classique Souscription 20252025 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Results
Well that was fun! As always, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève ceremony was a joy to watch. It’s incredible seeing this concentration of talent and fame in one place, and to see everyone come together to celebrate this industry, the crafts-people behind it, and these marvelous products.
Now that the results are in, I admit that my predictions flew far from the mark. Of the 14 fixed categories in which I made a pick, I was able to predict 4. Neither of my picks won the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix, and my “definite” pick for the Audacity Prize did not win.
The following table includes my picks, my predicted winners, the final winner, and the total number of wins for each brand. That last bit is quite interesting when evaluating the results! I bolded the few that I was able to predict.
My PickMy PredictionGPHG WinnerTotalWinsLadies’ WatchTiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock Legacy TanzaniteAudemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold QuartzGérald Genta Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal1Ladies’ Complication WatchAudemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying TourbillonFranck Muller Round Triple MysteryChopard Imperiale Four Seasons12Jewellery WatchBulgari Serpenti AeternaBulgari Serpenti AeternaDior Montres La D de Dior Buisson Couture2Artistic Crafts WatchPiaget Altiplano SkeletonPiaget Altiplano SkeletonVoutilainen 28GML SOUYOU12Time Only WatchMing Project 21Ming Project 21Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold2Men’s WatchGrand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A.Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135Urban Jürgensen UJ-2: Double wheel natural escapement2Iconic WatchAndersen Genève Communication 45Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual CalendarAudemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar17Sports WatchRessence GMT Sport-Chic Watch Type 7Tokyo Lion TentagraphChopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF12ChronographH. Moser & Cie Streamliner Alpine Drivers EditionH. Moser & Cie Streamliner Alpine Drivers EditionAngelus Chronographe Télémètre Yellow Gold1Men’s Complication WatchChopard L.U.C Lunar OneAudemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “150th Anniversary” OpenworkedBovet 1822 Récital 306TourbillonBulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra TourbillonBulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra TourbillonBulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon11Mechanical ExceptionArmin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance Manufacture EditionGreubel Forsey Nano FoudroyanteGreubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante8Challenge WatchAtelier Wen Millésime 2024 睦 (MÙ)Christopher Ward C1 Celestial Moonphase x Mr JonesDennison Natural Stone Tiger Eye In Gold1“Petite Aiguille” WatchH. Moser & Cie Streamliner Alpine Mechanics EditionM.A.D.2 GreenM.A.D.2 Green2Aiguille d’Or Grand PrixBulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra TourbillonAudemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual CalendarBreguet Classique Souscription 20257Audacity PrizeBvlgari x MB&F SerpentiBvlgari x MB&F SerpentiFam Al Hut Möbius1Horological Revelation PrizeNoneNoneAnton Suhanov St. Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock1Eco-Innovation PrizeNoneNoneNoneChronometry PrizeArmin Strom Dual Time GMT ResonanceNoneZenith G.F.J. Calibre 1359Mechanical Clock PrizeN/AN/AAlbatross L’Epée 1839 X MB&F2
Bragging Rights
Before I dive in too deep, it’s worth taking a victory lap about the wins I was able to predict.
Although I felt that the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar or Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon would take the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix, that prize went to the Breguet Classique Souscription 2025. But those watches did hold their respective categories, the Iconic Watch and Tourbillon prizes. I gave the Breguet some love in my predictions but didn’t have it taking the top prize. Although I didn’t nail the top prize, I’ll take a bow for picking the winners in these two categories. It’s worth noting that these three brands are among the most-frequent winners at the GPHG ceremony, with Breguet winning 7 times, Bulgary 11 times, and Audemars Piguet taking home a whopping 17 trophies, the most of any brand.
Another prize I predicted was the Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante, winner of the Mechanical Exception award. Greubel Forsey is another frequent winner at the awards, with this being their eighth trophy. With 15 watches reaching the final vote over the last two decades, they’ve won more often than lost! And I dare say that every one of these prizes was well-deserved. That’s how good Greubel Forsey is.
My final victory was the selection of the M.A.D.2 Green for the Petite Aiguille prize. I said they were “clear favorites” to win this prize, and don’t you know I was right? I do wonder what the jury thought of the Moser Mechanics Edition, and am somewhat sad that brand didn’t deliver a one-two punch with this pair of watches, but the M.A.D. watches are a special thing in the industry and they deserve the win.
First-Time Winners
There were lots of first-time winners this year, and this is always a revelation. It’s shocking that Gérald Genta took home their first trophy, Angelus finally made the cut, and we’ve got a few newcomers who have earned notice.
Gérald Genta won the Ladies’ Watch prize on only their second qualifying watch; the only other was way back in 2008 with the Arena Perpetual Calendar GMT. It’s astonishing that this celebrated brand (and famous name) hasn’t appeared more often at the GPHG, but these are the facts. This is a quirk of the ceremony: Brands need to enter (and pay a fee) to be considered, and Gérald Genta simply did not compete very often. This year’s winner, the Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal, was certainly eye-catching and deserving of the award. But I stand by my choice of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
The re-born Angelus took home their first trophy on their third time reaching the final vote. This is an excellent watch, but I overlooked it in favor of my crush from H. Moser & Cie. Now that it took the Chronograph prize I’ve looked closer and come away impressed: It’s remarkably compact (which I prefer), and uses a new in-house monopusher movement that recalls the brand’s history in design. It’s a gorgeous watch, too, with the right combination of historic design cues without clutter. I’m pleased to see Angelus take this award.
Newcomer Dennison takes the Challenge prize with their Tiger Eye. I really didn’t even consider Dennison in this category, with excellent offerings from Christopher Ward and Atelier Wen catching my eye instead. I will have to look closer at this brand. At a glance, this is a retro 1970s Swiss design with an incongruous classic American-Anglo name. While certainly a good value at 660 CHF, I just don’t see the appeal of this trendy gold-plated quartz watch. And the history on the website leaves much to be desired, skimping Dennison’s place as the originator of watch manufacturing in America in favor of some dubious claims about the importance of the company as a case manufacturer. I would have liked the Tiger Eye with any other brand name, though I still would not have picked it for the win.
I’m thrilled to see Fam Al Hut‘s Möbius take home the Audacity Prize. It’s a fabulous watch with a great story, and really stands out in the market. It really reminds me of the fabulous innovation in haute horology in the early 2000s, and I’m happy to see these incredible artisans and designers rewarded by the jury. I certainly considered it when making my predictions, but I still would have voted for the incredible Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti. It’s one of the most audacious watches I’ve seen, and I’m sure the jury agreed that it was also worth a prize.
Big Surprises
As always, some of the jury’s picks confound me. Let’s take a look at some of the watches the jury picked, and think about why I didn’t.
I love Chopard, but I’m still puzzled that the Imperiale Four Seasons won the Ladies’ Complication Watch prize. It’s beautiful and the annual display of leaves is stunning, but it’s not much of a complication: It’s simply an annual disc that rotates to expose differently-colored segments throughout the year. Contrast this with my pick, the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon, or my prediction, Franck Muller’s Round Triple Mystery, and maybe you’ll see why I didn’t pick the lovely Chopard.
The Montres La D de Dior Buisson Couture is an incredible expression of the Jewellery Watch theme, but it’s surprising to see it win for a simple reason: Dior is usually overlooked by the jury. They’re not exactly Chaumet (who have never won despite making the vote 16 times), but Chopard, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, and especially Bulgari offered strong competition. I do love the Bulgari Serpenti Aeterna, but if the jury says Dior deserves the win, who am I to object? Perhaps it looks better in person!
I love what’s happening at the resurgent Urban Jürgensen. Now back in Danish hands, the company is working to honor this incredibly innovative and important watchmaker. And the UJ-2 with its double-wheel natural escapement is an awesome modern expression of this desire. The watch is great looking too! But this is the Men’s Watch prize, and I expected the award to go to something a little less exotic. I suppose that the promotion of my prediction, Zenith’s G.F.J. Calibre 135, to the Chronometry category this was a natural next-choice here.
I love world time watches, as they celebrate so much of what makes timekeeping interesting in terms of design, mechanical innovation, and the politics of selecting each location. And the Bovet 1822 Récital 30, which adjusts to daylight saving time in the various locations around the globe, is truly innovative. But the watch itself just looks goofy to me. Contrast it with the Chopard L.U.C Lunar One, not to mention Audemars Piguet’s “last blast” Cal. 5135 Royal Oak, and I don’t see this as the Men’s Complication Watch winner. Again, maybe it looks nicer in person.
Did I really think the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph (which I described as “weird and ugly”) would win the Sports Watch prize? No. I thought Ressence would bring home only their second trophy after the first-ever “horological revelation” in 2013. But the jury had their eyes on the excellent Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised: Chopard is a perennial favorite of the jury and the Alpine Eagle is a fantastic watch. If I was going to buy a luxury sports watch, the Alpine Eagle would be high on my list. But I don’t love the “murdered out” look of this beast.
This leaves one more surprise I want to discuss: The jury gave the TIme Only Watch prize to the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold. This is a really lovely watch, and the exclusive movement (with free-sprung balance) is very nice. But it doesn’t really stand out like my pick, the Ming Project 21 with its classic Frédéric Piguet movement. I’ve got two Ming watches and love the way they combine modern design with novelty and mechanical excellence in the Project line. This Daniel Roth looks like something from another era to me. But I still wouldn’t have given it the Iconic prize.
What the GPHG Means to Me
Personally, the annual nomination and award process helps me keep up with the latest developments. The jury helps me to recognize important brands and products I overlooked. And my annual process of picking my favorites and predicting the results is an opportunity to look deeper into all of the entries, finalists (90 this year!), and winners.
In retrospect, I’m happy with most of the winners this year. Breguet deserves a win for the Classique Souscription 2025, Zenith’s G.F.J. Calibre 135 deserves the Chronometry win, it’s great seeing Fam Al Hut and Angelus take home an award, and I really should have given Urban Jürgensen a chance. But I am less satisfied with the awards to Daniel Roth, Chopard (though I love them!), and especially Dennison. I definitely need to re-think my positions on these watches.
I’m also a bit of a data geek, so I’ve been tracking all of this in a spreadsheet for many years. Although my data set is incomplete, it has helped me to see patterns in the industry and with the award itself. For example, Richemont not only has the most GPHG trophies (61) but also the highest rate of winning when pre-selected or nominated by the Jury (31%). Conversely, Chaumet and Andersen Genève are the most-snubbed brands at the ceremony, never taking home an award despite making the final vote a dozen or more times. I’ll be writing more detail on this analysis in a future post.
#aaronDennison #audemarsPiguet #bovet #breguet #bulgari #chopard #danielRoth #dennison #dior #famAlHut #geraldGenta2 #gphg #urbanJurgensen #zenith
