The global watchmaking community turned its eyes to Geneva as the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) wrapped up its highly anticipated 2026 awards ceremony. Widely regarded as the Oscars of the watch industry, the annual event celebrates the finest innovations, craftsmanship, and technical achievements from master watchmakers across the globe. This year’s ceremony delivered major surprises, celebrated milestone anniversaries, and spotlighted the brilliant work of both independent phenoms and historic maisons.
The evening culminated in the presentation of the industry’s most coveted distinction, the "Aiguille d’Or" Grand Prix, which was awarded to independent watchmaking star Rexhep Rexhepi for his stunning RRCHF Chronograph Flyback.
Marking a fresh chapter for the prestigious institution, the ceremony served as the first outing under the leadership of newly appointed GPHG jury president Wei Koh. In a move designed to broaden the event’s global reach and appeal directly to an international audience, the proceedings were conducted primarily in English for the first time. Co-hosted by Stéphane Bern and Arianne Alcorta, the evening doled out honors across a wide array of categories, acknowledging exceptional accomplishments achieved over the past year as well as enduring milestones throughout the industry’s storied history.
It proved to be a banner night for several major corporate groups and independent powerhouses alike. Chopard dominated the winner’s circle, securing four prizes in total—including two claimed by its high-horology stablemate Ferdinand Berthoud. Meanwhile, Audemars Piguet walked away with two major accolades, highlighted by the Iconic Watch Prize for its groundbreaking Royal Oak RD 5. Brands housed under LVMH’s La Fabrique du Temps umbrella, including Daniel Roth, also made a strong showing, capturing multiple awards.
Category Winners
‘Aiguille d’Or’ Grand Prix
Winner: Rexhep Rexhepi RRCHF Chronograph Flyback
For the grand prize and ultimate distinction of the evening—effectively representing the "watch of the year" among all entered timepieces—the international jury chose the RRCHF Chronograph Flyback by Rexhep Rexhepi. The watch generated immense excitement throughout the industry when it was first unveiled, celebrated for its sublime execution and mechanical purity. Accepting the award, the young watchmaking phenom admitted that while he hoped for category recognition, taking home the top prize was an entirely unexpected dream.
"This watch really represents the passion that I have for watchmaking," Rexhepi told the audience during his acceptance speech. "I just wanted to do a chronograph, something thin and that I could wear," he added, highlighting the deeply personal philosophy behind the design.
Time Only
Winner: Chopard L.U.C. 1860
Chopard claimed the victory in the fiercely contested "Time Only" category with the refined L.U.C. 1860. Taking the stage to accept the honor, Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele noted the special timing of the award, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the maison’s dedicated manufacture in Fleurier. The elegant timepiece managed to edge out formidable competition, including Bulgari’s striking new Octo Finissimo and Naoya Hida’s minimalist NH Type 8A.
Essential
Winner: Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton
The "Essential" category saw Daniel Roth triumph with its exquisite Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton, navigating past stiff rivalry from Audemars Piguet’s Neo Frame and MB&F’s SP One Platinum. Master watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, co-founders of LVMH’s La Fabrique du Temps, stepped up to accept the award. In a poignant moment during their acceptance speech, Barbasini paused to express solidarity with their colleagues at fellow LVMH brand Zenith, who are currently facing potentially significant workforce layoffs.
Complication
Winner: Cleguer Inspiration One
Considered one of the evening’s delightful surprises, independent watchmaker Mathieu Cleguer secured the award for "Complication" with his self-titled Inspiration One. The timepiece earned praise primarily due to its innovative, proprietary escapement developed by Cleguer, an alumnus of Rexhep Rexhepi’s renowned workshop, Akrivia. Cleguer’s victory was particularly impressive given the caliber of his competitors, which included Czapek’s popular Time Jumper alongside intricate creations from Vianney Halter, Urwerk, and Ulysse Nardin.
Mechanical Exception
Winner: Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie
Blancpain captured the "Mechanical Exception" prize with its awe-inspiring Grande Double Sonnerie. Representing the pinnacle of high horology, the masterwork is an extraordinary minute repeater carrying a price tag to match its breathtaking complexity. The award serves as a powerful reminder that Blancpain remains fully capable of producing supreme complications that successfully rival the finest independent ateliers in the world.
Gemset
Winner: Piaget Swinging Pebble
The glamorous "Gemset" category was presented by Hodinkee Senior Editor Mark Kauzlarich, who charmed the audience by sharing a personal anecdote about how his own passion for horology was sparked by his grandfather’s pocket watch, emphasizing the emotional resonance of sharing a love for timepieces. Piaget took home the prize for the mesmerizing Swinging Pebble, with CEO Benjamin Comar expressing his gratitude to the jury and event organizers—jokingly thanking them for moving the ceremony to a Saturday night so he could finally get out of the house.
Tourbillon
Winner: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB 2TV
Continuing Chopard’s winning streak, the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB 2TV triumphed in the "Tourbillon" category. Equipped with a flying one-minute tourbillon and a traditional chain-and-fusée transmission, the chronometer easily captivated the jury amid a field of exceptionally stiff competition.
Chronograph
Winner: Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Mystérieux
The "Chronograph" category was widely viewed as one of the most competitive fields of the entire evening. Parmigiani Fleurier emerged victorious with the surprising and elegant Tonda PF Mystérieux. The watch maintains the clean, minimalist appearance of a classic three-hander until the chronograph mechanism is activated, at which point hidden hands smoothly sweep across the dial to track elapsed seconds and minutes. Accepting the award, Parmigiani CEO Guido Terreni thanked his team, including brand founder Michel Parmigiani, and quipped that the Tonda Mystérieux is likely the very first watch that prompts owners to eagerly ask guests, "Do you want to try my chronograph?" before adding, "This one you will."
Calendar and Astronomy
Winner: Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage
In another exceptionally tight race, the "Calendar and Astronomy" prize was awarded to Audemars Piguet for the 150 Heritage. Widely discussed among collectors as a contender for the most complicated watch ever created, the timepiece represents a masterclass in micro-engineering. Accepting the accolade, AP CEO Ilaria Resta explained that her core challenge to the design team was translating the intricate soul of a historic pocket watch into a modern, wearable format. "We didn’t want it to be a nostalgic watch. It is a piece that should live in everyday life," she noted.
Sports
Winner: Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver
The "Sports" category—defined broadly by the GPHG as timepieces linked to physical activity with dedicated functional designs and materials—went to Grand Seiko for its Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver. Offering a more compact professional diver profile for the brand, the watch generated considerable buzz when it debuted earlier in the year. To secure the victory, Grand Seiko fended off robust competition from Laurent Ferrier, Hermès, IWC, and H. Moser. In his acceptance speech, Seiko President Akio Naito expressed his deep appreciation for everyone who continues to support Grand Seiko with unwavering passion.
Jewellery
Winner: Chopard Mystery Nut
The "Jewellery" category showcased an array of flamboyant and breathtaking artistic expressions, with Chopard ultimately taking top honors for its whimsical and striking "Mystery Nut." Accepting the award, Caroline Scheufele revealed that she frequently draws inspiration directly from nature when conceptualizing Chopard’s high jewelry pieces, noting that she had literally been picking nuts in her garden that very morning, hoping they would bring her good luck.
Artistic Crafts
Winner: Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Arty Automata
The "Artistic Crafts" category highlighted masters of decorative disciplines, spanning enameling, lacquering, engraving, guilloché, marquetry, and skeletonization. Louis Vuitton claimed the prize for the mesmerizing Tambour Taiko Arty Automata. Jean Arnault, director of watches for Louis Vuitton and the LVMH watch division, highlighted the sheer audacity of the creation during his acceptance speech, pointing out meticulous, whimsical details such as the tiny eyelashes that gently flutter on the dial.
Petite Aiguille
Winner: Otsuka Lotec No. 8
Reserved for watches priced between CHF 4,500 and CHF 10,000, the "Petite Aiguille" category represents one of the most fiercely contested brackets of the competition. Japanese independent brand Otsuka Lotec claimed top honors with its industrial-inspired No. 8, a timepiece that has rapidly cultivated a dedicated following among forward-thinking collectors for its unconventional aesthetic.
Challenge
Winner: Baltic x Space One Seconde Majeur
Open to independent creations priced below CHF 4,500, the "Challenge" category was awarded to the Baltic x Space One Seconde Majeur. Developed in collaboration between Guillaume Laidet and independent watchmaker Théophile Auffret of Auffret Paris, the win stands as a powerful testament to the growing resurgence and global arrival of contemporary French watchmaking.
Mechanical Clock
Winner: La Vallée Cosmo
For enthusiasts of stationary horology, the "Mechanical Clock" category featured exceptionally ambitious objects d’art. The top prize was awarded to Italian firm La Vallée for the Cosmo, an extraordinary mechanical creation crafted near Lake Como. The Cosmo successfully outperformed a slate of elite competitors, including a high-profile collaborative clock produced by De Bethune and Louis Vuitton.
Special Jury Prizes
Horological Revelation
Winner: Dominique Renaud: Pulse60 Titanium Block
The jury recognized independent visionary Dominique Renaud with the Horological Revelation prize for the Pulse60 Titanium Block. Operating at a deliberate 1-hertz frequency, the innovative watch features a massive balance wheel, an unconventional escapement architecture, and a surprisingly accessible price point coming from one half of the legendary Renaud and Papi complications powerhouse.
Iconic Watch Prize
Winner: Audemars Piguet RD5
Given its immense technical ambition, Audemars Piguet’s RD5 was widely considered a potential contender for the overarching Aiguille d’Or. It came as little surprise to industry insiders when the extreme, highly advanced evolution of AP’s most iconic silhouette secured the Iconic Watch Prize, cementing its status as a monumental achievement in modern horological engineering.
Audacity Prize
Winner: Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing Mystery
Konstantin Chaykin’s astonishingly thin ThinKing prototype previously earned a nomination in the mechanical exception category, making its recognition with the Audemars Piguet-backed or general jury’s Audacity Prize a fitting tribute to the Russian watchmaker’s relentless, boundary-pushing experimentation with ultra-thin architecture.
Chronometry Prize
Winner: Ferdinand Berthoud Naissance d’une Montre 3
Chopard celebrated yet another triumph as Ferdinand Berthoud’s contribution to the Naissance d’une Montre 3 project—an educational and heritage-preserving initiative organized by the Time Æon Foundation—was awarded the Chronometry Prize for its exceptional precision engineering.
Special Jury Prize
Winner: Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition
The evening concluded with a well-deserved special accolade honoring Patek Philippe’s ambitious traveling Watch Art Exhibition. Following the triumphant conclusion of its latest edition in Milan, long-time Patek executive Jasmina Steele accepted the award on behalf of the legendary family-owned brand, company president Thierry Stern, and the memory of his late father, Philippe Stern, who passed away earlier in the year.
The 2026 GPHG ceremony concluded smoothly, avoiding the technical hurdles that had occasionally impacted past editions and earning widespread praise for a tight, well-paced production. For horology enthusiasts eager to experience the winning creations firsthand, the entire collection of victorious timepieces will head to London later in the month. They will be publicly exhibited at Watches of Switzerland’s Knightsbridge location from November 19 through November 23.
