Here Are the Winners of the 2023 GPHG Watch Awards

The annual Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) awards ceremony took place in Geneva last night, where final winners across a variety of categories were announced and crowned. As the Oscars equivalent to the watchmaking world, the awarded timepieces and awardees have all been carefully considered by a jury of 30 respected industry professionals from collectors, journalists, and watchmakers to specialists. Read on to see the list of this year’s winners.

Aiguille d’Or – Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Universelle RD #4

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Audemars Piguet

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Audemars Piguet

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Audemars Piguet

Taking home the highly coveted Aiguille d’Or prize this year is Audemars Piguet with its Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD #4. The Aiguille d’Or is the watchmaking equivalent of the Academy Award for Best Pictures and has been one of the most difficult prizes to predict throughout the years. Including this year, AP makes a record of 16 wins in total, making it the Maison with the most awards in GPHG history.

This particular variant of Code 11.59 pays homage to AP’s legacy of high-end complications as it showcases the Maison’s savoir-faire in engineering and Haute Horlogerie. The RD #4 took over 7 years to bring to life and is geared with 40 functions and 23 complications, all packed into a singular 42mm-sized case. Among its complications include a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, a Grande Sonnerie Supersonnerie, a flying tourbillon, and a split-second flyback chronograph.

Men’s Complication – Voutilainen World Timer TMZ CSW

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Voutilainen

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Voutilainen

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Voutilainen

The awarded timepiece for the Men’s Complication category goes to Voutilainen’s World Timer, often referred to as CSW (Cushion Shaped Worldtimer). At first, the focus seems to be set on its refreshing silhouette, or its stunning anthracite dial that showcases the watchmaker’s iconic hand guilloché. But, let’s not forget it’s in fact the user-friendliness in its world-timer function that ensured it stood out from its fellow nominees. On top of that, a vibrant, one-off iteration of the World Timer was also crafted as Voutilainen’s participating piece for this year’s Only Watch auction, which has since been postponed.

Iconic – Ulysse Nardin Freak One

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Ulysse Nardin

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Ulysse Nardin

A deserving win for the Iconic Watch Prize category, Ulysse Nardin’s Freak series first made its premiere in 2001 as a revolutionary timepiece with no dial, and no handset, and also majorly contributed to pioneering silicon usage in watchmaking. To be eligible for this category, the timepiece must derive from an emblematic collection with at least 20 years of history. In addition to that, the piece needs to meet the requirement of also contributing a lasting influence on the history of watchmaking.

Tourbillon – Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon

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Laurent Ferrier

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Laurent Ferrier

Although Laurent Ferrier’s Grand Sport Tourbillon was introduced back in 2019, its subtle elegance was first recognized back in 2010 for its Galet Classic Tourbillon. Unlike most tourbillon time-tellers where the complication has almost always been showcased on the front of the dial, Laurent Ferrier’s motor-racing-inspired models equip its tourbillons on the casebacks. The winning salmon pink timepiece is geared with the hand-wound LF619.01 caliber, known for its precision and superior performance, complete with an 80-hour power reserve.

Chronograph – Petermann Bédat Chronograph Rattrapante

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Petermann Bédat

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Petermann Bédat

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Petermann Bédat

This year’s Chronograph prize goes to the young, independent brand, Petermann Bédat, namely for its stunning Chronograph Rettrapante Ref. 2941. Measuring 38.6mm in width, the timepiece arrives in a platinum build, complete with a tonal and symmetrical platinum dial. Geared with a jumping hour counter, the monopusher split-seconds chronograph is a highly intricate mechanical complication even for experienced watchmakers. So for the young makers at Petermann Bédat, the award truly comes as a recognition for their skilled craftsmanship.

Sports – Tudor Pelagos 39

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Tudor

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Tudor

This year, GPHG revived its Sports category, which has been replaced by the Diver’s Watch Prize since 2019. Taking the throne of the re-inaugurated category is the new Tudor Pelagos 39 model, which was pit against the likes of IWC’s Ingenieur, Chopard’s Alpine Eagle, and TAG Heuer’s Monza Flyback Chronometer. Capable of withstanding up to 200 meters underwater, the watch arrives in a comfortable 39mm case size featuring a lightweight and durable titanium build from bracelet to case.

Petite Aiguille – Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto

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Christopher Ward

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Christopher Ward

The Petite Aiguille prize saw a list of exceptional nominees within the price range of 2,000 – 8,000 CHF (approximately $2,215 – $8,860 USD). With the only limitation being the price point, the shortlist was filled with an eclectic mix of prestigious names, alongside independent and unexpected contenders that are up-and-coming. The prize went to a limited-edition iteration of Christopher Ward’s C1 Bel Canto that was released at the end of 2022. Since its debut, the timepiece has unveiled a few limited color variants, all equipped with the Sonnerie au Passage (Passing Chime) complication — often only found in exclusive Haute Horlogerie timepieces.

Challenge – Raymond Weil Millésime Automatic

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Raymond Weil

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Raymond Weil

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Raymond Weil

While the Petite Aiguille Prize had a price limit of up to 8,000 CHF, the Challenge category focuses on spotlighting timepieces that retail for less than 2,000 CHF (approximately $2,215 USD). In the end and much to many’s surprise, Raymond Weil’s Millésime Automatic took the award from its fellow nominees NOMOS, Seiko, Kurono Tokyo, Studio Underd0g, and Timeless. Exuding classical elegance, the new Millésime draws inspiration from the rich heritage of watchmaking and amalgamates traditional standards of aesthetics with modern-day practicality.

Artistic Craft – Piaget Altiplano Métiers d’Art – Undulata

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Piaget

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Piaget

Piaget bagged two awards this year, one for the Artistic Crafts, and the other for the Ladies category. Although the luxury Maison has been a frequent winner at GPHG, this is the second time it has won the Artistic Crafts watch prize — with the first time being its “Secrets & Lights” Protocole XXL back in 2016. Evident in the Undulata’s beautiful dial starring a river of precious stones and metals in mystical hues, the timepiece not only demonstrates an exceptional mastery of artistic techniques but also Piaget’s engineering excellence with a watch case that is less than 8mm thick.

Chronometry – Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC

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Ferdinand Berthoud

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Ferdinand Berthoud

The Chronometry prize was officially introduced as a new discretionary prize last year, dedicated to standout timepieces with incredible precision and timekeeping performance. To qualify for this category, the competing watch must be certified under the ISO 3159 standards. Ferdinand Berthoud’s Chronomètre FB 3SPC is powered by its namesake caliber known for its novel construction featuring the only COSC-approved, chronometer-certified cylindrical balance-spring.

Horological Revelation – Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans

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Simon Brette

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Simon Brette

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Simon Brette

The Horological Revelation Prize has always been awarded to young talents, especially emerging and independent names that have a history of less than a decade. Simon Brette only made his official horological debut in springtime with the Chronomètre Artisans. The piece, which was described as “an ode to artisanal watchmaking,” was met with incredible reception as it was sold out almost immediately during its launch. Read more about the timepiece here.

Innovation – Hautlence Sphere Series 1

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Hautlence

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Hautlence

Designed to encapsulate its makers’ ethos of reimagining the portrayal of time, Hautlence’s Sphere Series 1 feels as if it was crafted with the Innovation Prize’s requirement in mind. The reference is presented in a rather large, but iconic yet playful TV-shaped case. When it comes to reading the time, the watch does it with as much excitement — the sphere spins with every jump of the hour, while the minute hand resets to 00 in a movement that is reminiscent of rotary dials on old telephones.

The other winners on the night include Piaget’s Hidden Treasures (Ladies), Dior’s Grand Soir Automate Etoile de Monsieur Dior (Ladies’ Complication), and Bulgari’s Serpenti Cleopatra (Jewelry), Bovet 1822 Récital 20 Astérium (Calendar and Astronomy), L’Epée 1839 Time Fast II Chrome (Mechanical Clock) and, Maison Alcée’s Persée Azur (Audacity). In addition, Svend Andersen and Vincent Calabrese were awarded for the Special Jury Prize, while Kylian-Douglass Thieulot was given the Best Young Student award.

To read more about the individual winners, head over to GPHG’s official website.