Who will succeed Audemars Piguet?
This year, 90 timepieces selected by the GPHG Academy are in the running for 20 prizes, including the prestigious Grand Prix de l’Aiguille d’Or, awarded to the Code 11.59 from Audemars Piguet during the ceremony. last year.
As in previous years, 15 categories will be represented. New for the 2024 edition: the removal of the “Mechanical Clock” category in favor of “Time Only”, a category dedicated to timepieces without complications. In addition, the Innovation Prize has been renamed the Eco-Innovation Prize, now rewarding creations focused on sustainability and traceability.
Raymond Loretan, president of the GPHG, told Euronews that the main objective of the Grand Prix is to ensure that “the Art of watchmaking is considered the 12th art”.
“It’s more than just price,” he noted. “While we are recognizing the world’s most notable watches for 2024, our mission goes beyond that. We promote the love of this art and inspire young people with the values of watchmaking: innovation, tradition and creativity. »
The astonishing innovations of watchmakers
Among the unchanged categories, the “Women” category will feature Hermès’ first women’s mechanical watch, Hermès Cut, as well as jewelry watch icons such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Chopard.
In the prestigious “Mechanical Exception” category, Bovet presents its Récital 28 Prowess 1 which, according to Pascal Raffy, the brand’s charismatic CEO, “solves a centuries-old problem”. Watches with world time functions have long struggled to adjust to daylight saving time, which varies by region. Bovet’s solution uses a roller system that allows all cities to align with the correct time zone in one smooth motion.
Prices for more accessible watches
In the “Calendar and Astronomy” category, watchmaker Peter Speake and the Manufacture Frédérique Constant unveil their new perpetual calendar, in competition alongside the latest edition of the Endeavor from H. Moser & Cie, which ingeniously combines lunar calendars. -Chinese and Gregorian solar.
Two categories are dedicated to more accessible watches: ‘Petite Aiguille’, for timepieces priced between 3,000 and 10,000 CHF, and ‘Challenge’, for watches costing less than 3,000 CHF. The first sees the return of vintage brand AMIDA, known for its digital designs from the 1970s.
In the “Metiers d’Art” category, Piaget celebrates its 150th anniversary with a superb green Maille Éclatante watch, created from malachite, chrysoprase, engraved gold and diamonds. Louis Vuitton and ANDERSEN Genève are also in the running for this award.
The 90 timepieces exhibited in Geneva
Piaget, alongside Vacheron Constantin and TAG Heuer, are among the most awarded brands at the GPHG, with 10 prizes each. Leading the pack, Audemars Piguet has won awards in 12 of the last 23 editions.
This summer, the GPHG Academy, an organization made up of 980 experts from the world of watchmaking and the arts, pre-selected these 90 timepieces from 273 applications submitted by 146 international brands. After being presented in Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City and New York, the selected timepieces are now on display in Geneva until November 17.
