Every Winning Watch Of The 2022 GPHG
This year, like every other, November is a quiet month in the watch industry. The press trips are over, and the releases for the year, aside from a few exceptions (I’m looking at you, Rolex), are already out. One can also say that the end-of-year unwinding, which will last until mid-to-late January, has begun. Before we call it quits, though, we have one last order of business. The GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) takes place around mid-November to honor some of the most outstanding timepieces in our industry.
This year, close to 100 timepieces competed in 15 categories for first place and, eventually, the ultimate goal — the Grand Prix.
The Horological Brothers, Tim and Bart Grönefeld — GPHG 2022 award recipients
GPHG
Let me break it down if you need to become more familiar with the process. The GPHG Academy consists of people in and around the watch industry. As the organization puts it:
“The GPHG Academy members are significant stakeholders in the main sectors related to watchmaking, in addition to personalities whose activity supports the influence and dynamism of watchmaking.”
As luck would have it, Robert-Jan, Lex, and I are Academy members and, as such, have a say in which watches should be nominated and eventually shortlisted. Other than the Academy members, watch companies can enter their timepieces. The GPHG Academy members will select six timepieces in the first round in every category. Once all 15 categories have six timepieces, we can vote for our favorites by assigning points to them. Finally, a jury of 30 members will decide which watch atelier will take home the prize in each category. However, the Academy members can also vote. The process is a bit complex; you can read about it here.
Now that you understand how the nomination and voting works, let’s have a look at this year’s winners
Ladies’ — Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic
Ladies’ Complication — Hermès Arceau Le temps voyageur
Men’s — Atelier AKRIVIA Chronomètre Comtemporain II
Men’s Complication — Hermès Arceau Le temps voyageur
Iconic — TAG Heuer Monaco X Gulf
Tourbillon — H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
Calendar and Astronomy — Krayon Anywhere
Mechanical Exception — Ferdinand Berthoud F.B. 2RSM.2-1
Chronograph — Grönefeld 1941 Grönograaf Tantalum
Diver’s — Tudor Pelagos FXD
Jewelry — Bvlgari Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery
Artistic Crafts — Voutilainen Ji-Ku
Petite Aiguille — Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Dune Edition
Timepieces in this category have a retail epic between CHF 3,500 and CHF 10,000. You can consider it the “affordable” selection of the GPHG, although it’s not the lowest price category. This year, we did not see any, however, smartwatches are also admissible as “Petite Aiguille”.
Challenge — M.A.D. Editions M.A.D.1 Red
This category comprises the most affordable watches to be selected for the GPHG. In the Challenge category, timepieces must have a price of CHF 3,500 or less. This year’s winner was a favorite of customers and the press alike. We have seen so many M.A.D.1 Reds on the wrists of our fellow journalists this year.
Mechanical Clock — Van Cleef & Arpels Fontaine Aux Oiseaux automaton
Chronometry — Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon
Horological Revelation — Sylvain Pinaud Origine
Audacity — Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra 10th Anniversary
Innovation — Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisier watch
Special Jury — François Junod
According to the GPHG, the Special Jury prize “… rewards a personality, institution or initiative that has played a fundamental role in promoting high-quality watchmaking. It cannot be awarded to a timepiece, nor to a brand as such. This prize is discretionary and the Jury will decide whether there are grounds for awarding it in 2022.”
Last but not least, the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix — MB&F Legacy Machine Sequential EVO
After winning the prize for the Challenge category, Max Büsser was called to the stage once again to accept none other than the Grand Prix of the evening for MB&F’s mind-bogglingly beautiful and complex Legacy Machine Sequential EVO. This timepiece truly stood out from this year’s selection of exceptional creations from the world of horology.
Congratulations to the winners and the nominees alike.
