Last week, the Academy Awards of Watches were held, the GPHG and this year, Breguet took the top honours.
A Quick Recap…
Standing for Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the GPHG is to the watch industry what the Oscars are to the film industry. To compete, the best watchmakers and watch brands from all around the world submit various timepieces for consideration. These watches are then nominated by the GPHG Academy to compete in any of the 15 award categories, including: Best Sports Watch – timepieces notable for their performance in intense environments; Best Ladies’ Watch; Best Tourbillon; Even the Petite Aiguille and Challenge categories, consisting of the best timepieces made within a certain budget (CHF 3,000 to CHF 10,000 and under CHF3,000, respectively)
The Academy itself is an assortment of nearly 1000 of the best and most experienced stakeholders in the watch industry, including: Hodinkee’s Ben Clymer; Arnault brothers Jean and Frédéric; YouTubers like Adrian Barker and Nico Leonard Van Der Horst; Akrivia’s Rexhep Rexhepi; and the venerable Richard Mille, among countless others. From these nominations, just six watches are chosen per category, which are then judged by a panel of 30 GPHG jurors. These effectively include the who’s who of the watch world, and ultimately, select the winners.
The 2025 GPHG
This year’s GPHG seemed to reflect a beautiful balance between heritage and innovation. From Breguet’s minimalist revival to avant-garde clocks and high-frequency sports watches, the winners underscore how varied and rich contemporary watchmaking has become. It’s a strong signal: tradition still resonates, but technical exploration is thriving. However, like most awards, there were a few surprises that popped up at this year’s GPHG, more on that later…
The Aiguille d’Or – Breguet Classique Souscription 2025
The Aiguille d’Or, or Golden Needle, is the top prize for the GPHG. Best in show, in other words. It is always a hotly contested category, and this year, Breguet takes the top prize with its Classique Souscription 2025. The watch revisits the brand’s early subscription models with a single-hand design and clean enamel dial. It’s a simple, elegant piece that feels modern while staying true to Breguet’s history.
Now, I’ve handled this piece and tried it on, and it is a very nice throwback piece for Breguet and its celebration of the brand’s 250th Birthday. The white enamel dial is sublime, as is the blue-fired Breguet hand that tells the time, and the case back is classic Breguet, with the open pocket watch style movement inspired by the very first A.L. Breguet pocket watches.
This was a slight surprise given the calibre of watches that have won over the last few years, notably the IWC Portugeiser Eternal Calendar that set the Guiness World Record for the most accurate lunar phase wrist watch ever, and in 2023, the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4, with 23 complications and 40 functions packed into a 42mm case. However, massively complicated watches aren’t always winners and this shows that the judging panel this year opted for refinement and restraint over complexity and complications.
The Highlights
While the Breguet Souscription is a worthy watch, I did feel that there were standouts in other categories worth looking into. From the Audacity prize that honours those who are making waves in the industry with unique pieces that are not your run-of-the-mill watch, to the chronograph, men’s and ladies’ watches that we all can relate to, well, maybe…
Audacity Prize: Fam Al Hut Möbius
Chinese watchmaking has been making waves lately, and among those is Fam Al Hut with this strange-looking piece, the Möbius. A bi-axis tourbillon with a retrograde hours and minutes plus a jumping hour mechanism makes this a very serious piece of horological kit. Hand-finished and made in-house with a 50-hour power reserve, this is watchmaking at its finest and on the edge!
Why do we love it? The Möbius Mark I is a sign of what’s to come from independent watchmaking. This is the compact Bi-Axis Tourbillon ever created, and it combines the out-there, neo-futuristic design with traditional watchmaking. It is the best of both worlds and showcases the very best of Chinese watchmaking. It’s as audacious as it gets.
Intl. Retail Price & Availability: 26’620 CHF. Find out more at the FamAlHut.com
Iconic Prize: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Audemars Piguet is iconic, as is the Royal Oak, so it’s no surprise that this year’s GPHG Iconic Watch Prize goes to the AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in sand Gold. The watch updates Genta’s legendary design with crown-adjustable calendar functions, combining practicality with one of the most recognisable designs in watchmaking. And it is ingeniously constructed and thin at 9.5mm.
Why do we love it? Sand Gold is unique, and you need to see it in person to really understand how it plays with the light and changes colours depending on the situation. At 41mm in the iconic Royal Oak shape, Audemars Piguet introduced a purely crown-operated PC this year, meaning no pushers or correctors to play around with. A complicated watch with a very uncomplicated no-fuss way of operation, and with all the major functions on the dial!
Int. Price & Availability: 14,600 CHF. Find out more at Audemarspiguet.com
Men’s Watch Prize: Urban Jürgensen UJ-2
Urban Jügensen may not be a brand you’ve heard of much, but the Danish brand has been around since 1773, on and off, that is, but was revived in the 1980s, partly thanks to legendary Kari Voutilainen, amongst others. The Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 is just beautiful watchmaking, with a double wheel natural escapement at its heart, serious watchmaking as well.
Why do we love it? What’s not to love here? A 39mm red gold case, hand guilloché circular Grain d’orge for main dial periphery and Clous de Paris 45° for small seconds auxiliary dial and on the case back, the movement is finished to the N’th degree: Grenage, perlage, domed chamfering; mirror-polished screws; satin-polished wheels – all by hand no less!
Intl. Retail Price & Availability: 113’500 CHF. Find out more at UrbanJurgensen.com
Ladies’ Watch Prize: Gerald Genta Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal
Taking the Ladies’ Watch Prize this year was an ornate creation from Gerald Genta. The Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal. And it does look like it is on fire. In a 36.5mm yellow gold case, the Fire Opal is crowned with 137 individually set fire opals, which are created around areas of volcanic activity and have a bright redish orange hue. Inside is a modified Zenith Elite movement with an 18k yellow gold rotor.
Why do we love it? While the design and aesthetics may not be up everyone’s alley, knowing what goes into a gem set piece such as this, with the precision and difficulty to set each gem in a certain way, is no small feat. The effort is takes to get each stone of the right colour and hue is also no small feat, either, plus it looks like a fun piece.
Intl. Retail Price & Availability: 120’000 CHF. Limited to 10 pieces. Find out more at GeraldGenta.com
Sports Watch Prize: Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF
The Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF is another watch we’ve had our hands on this year, and it’s a little trippy thanks to the Ceramised titanium, which combines the qualities of ceramic and titanium. Inside the very stealthy 41mm case is the Chopard 01.14-C calibre – an automatic movement that beats at 57,600 VpH, or 8Hz, hence the name. Even with this, the movement still packs 60 hours of power and a certified chronometer.
Why do we love it? The Apline Eagle SL Cadence 8HF retains all the great qualities of the Alpine Eagle, such as the Eagle’s Iris dial, lumed numerals and indices and COSC. But it is lighter, more accurate, thanks to the 8Hz frequency and a true sports watch with a stealth look to go with it. Looking at the other contenders in this category, on the surface it may not look like the obvious choice, but delving deeper, it stands out thanks to its innovative movement, wearability and price point.
Intl. Retail Price & Availability: 23’700 CHF. Limited to 250 pieces. Find out more at Chopard.com
Chronograph Prize: Angelus Chronographe Télémètr
Angelus is more underrated than it should be. The brand has a big history of making great movements for some of the biggest brands in the industry, and these days, it is putting out some stunning pieces. The Angelus Chronographe Télémètr is a monopusher chronograph that is operated through the crown, rather than a separate single pusher. But it is a chronograph with a difference, measuring the distance of an event. The chronograph starts when the event is seen and stops when it is heard. The scale is finely graduated in kilometres and corresponds to the duration divided by the speed of sound (approximately 1,240 km/h).
Why do we love it? As said, Angelus should get more credit, and this watch proves why. A beautiful execution of a vintage-style monopusher chronograph. The caseback shows the stunning movement finishing across the main plate, the bridges done in yellow gold striking a contrast with the rest of the movement in palladium and 2N gold wheels. It also aligns with this year’s less-is-more voting mentality of the panel.
Intl. Retail Price & Availability: 32’300 CHF. Limited to 15 pieces. Find out more at Angelus-watches.com
Tourbillon Watch Prize: Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
Now, we have to mention this watch, as it’s not every day that a brand breaks the record for the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch. But, Bvlgari has, yet again, as the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon becomes the Roman brand’s 10th “thinnest watch” world record. In the iconic Octo Finissimo 40mm titanium case, but only a mere 1.85mm thin, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon plays tricks with your mind when on the wrist as it is so light and so thin – it’s almost like wearing nothing, but at the same time, it feels incredibly durable.
Why do we love it? This was one of our standout watches we got hands-on with at Watches & Wonders 2025. There are a lot of reasons to love this watch, outside of the 1.85mm thin technical achievement that is. Bvlgari has been able to keep the form and function of the Octo Finissimo and create an ultra-thin watch that still feels great on the wrist and is not a large departure from the standard titanium model. Plus, we had the chance to meet Bvlagri’s creative director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, and after talking to him, you feel his energy and infectious personality permeating you, and you can’t help but like the brand and its watches.
Intl. Retail Price & Availability: 635’000 CHF. Limited to 20 pieces. Find out more at Bvlgari.com
Challenge Prize: Dennison Stone Tiger Eye In Gold
Dennison has been making some noise of late, with its retro styling and affordable price point. Stone dials are also making a comeback, as we’ve seen this year with many brands introducing them to their core collections. Dennison has decided to join the fray and release this Tiger Eye dial in the Dennison vintage-style cushion case with gold PVD.
Why do we love it? As far as affordable watches go, this is up there and captures the vintage style of the 1960s well – very reminiscent of those Piagets of Andy Warhol. Sized at 33mm x 37mm, these are svelte and can be pretty much unisex. As far as the challenge prize goes, it was hotly contested this year and possibly not the winner in our eyes due to the other pieces being exceptional, but at 660 CHF, it is a value-driven proposition.
Intl. Retail Price & Availability: 660 CHF. Find out more at Dennisonwatch.com
Wrapping It Up
While this isn’t the full list of winners (see list below), it covers some of the categories that are always tightly contested and have some standout pieces in them. Did we agree with all the winners this year? No, we didn’t. But like the Oscars, the winning films and actors may not be everyone’s favourite, and as with anything in life, it’s subjective. In the last few years, the judging panel seemed to have favoured more technical mastery, whereas this year, it felt like they were looking for more refinement and restraint, as is evident in many of the categories, not the least, the Aiguille d’Or.
With that viewpoint or lens in mind, there were some great watches nominated, and as a judge, I can imagine the job would be difficult to choose one watch over another in each category. It was also nice to see some independents taking home some awards, like Fam Al Hut with the Möbius, Anton Shuhanov with his St. Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon clock and of course, Greubel Forsey with the Nano Foudroyante (make sure you check each of those out by the way!) And with that, another GPHG comes to a close, and we can only wait to see what is released over the next 12 months, some of which will make their way into next year’s show!
Full Winners List
- “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix : Breguet, Classique Souscription 2025
- Chronometry Prize: Zenith, G.F.J. Calibre 135
- Horological Revelation Prize: Anton Suhanov, St. Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock
- Audacity Prize: Fam Al Hut, Möbius
- Iconic Watch Prize: Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
- Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Greubel Forsey, Nano Foudroyante
- Chronograph Watch Prize: Angelus, Chronographe Télémètre Yellow Gold
- Tourbillon Watch Prize: Bvlgari, Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
- Sports Watch Prize: Chopard, Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF
- Men’s Complication Watch Prize: Bovet 1822, Récital 30
- Men’s Watch Prize: Urban Jürgensen, UJ-2: Double wheel natural escapement
- Time Only Watch Prize: Daniel Roth, Extra Plat Rose Gold
- Jewellery Watch Prize: Dior Montres, La D de Dior Buisson Couture
- Artistic Crafts Watch Prize: Voutilainen, 28GML SOUYOU
- Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize: Chopard, Imperiale Four Seasons
- Ladies’ Watch Prize: gérald genta, Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal
- “Petite Aiguille” Watch Prize: M.A.D. Editions, M.A.D.2 Green
- Challenge Watch Prize: Dennison, Natural Stone Tiger Eye In Gold
- Mechanical Clock Prize: L’Épée 1839, Albatross L’Épée 1839 X MB&F
- Special Jury Prize: Alain Dominique Perrin
To view each of the winners, head to GPGH.org