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SpotlightAnd The 2022 GPHG Goes To…

The 22nd GPHGs (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) unfolded on November 10 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the big prize going to MB&F for the first time. Here’s a look at the highlights from the evening and a complete list of this year’s winners of watchmaking’s greatest honour

Ranvijaysinh Jhala November 11, 2022

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Often referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the watch industry, the GPHGs (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) have also been called watchmaking’s ‘Olympics’, by Dr Ralf Heckner, Switzerland’s ambassador to India. This year’s edition unravelled on November 10, 2022, at a ceremony in Geneva’s Théâtre du Léman, hosted by French actor Édouard Baer. It was a night of celebrating watchmaking, as industry persons recognised each other’s work and achievements from the past year. A total of 21 prizes were handed out, as the winners from among the previously-announced nominees (for most categories) were revealed. The Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix—which is the biggest prize for ‘best in show’, or what you could call the watch of the year—went to MB&F for the first time ever, for their Legacy Machine Sequential Evo watch. Bulgari, who won this Aiguille d’Or (or ‘golden needle’) distinction last year for their Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, did not end up empty-handed though. They took home two other prizes—the jewellery prize for the Serpenti Mysteriosi, as well as the ‘audacity’ prize for the Octo Finissimo Ultra.

Two major watchmaking categories—the tourbillon and chronometry prizes went to two of the most innovative tourbillon watches of the year. These were the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton and the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon, respectively. “Everyone at Grand Seiko is incredibly proud of this honor tonight, as Kodo is the first mechanical complication watch from the brand in its 62-year history,” stated Akio Naito, president of the Seiko Watch Corporation. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the jury who recognised this achievement by a team of our engineers and watchmakers, led by Takuma Kawauchiya.”

While Parmigiani winning the ladies’ watch prize for the a Tonda PF watch was a bit of a surprise, TAG Heuer winning the iconic watch prize for their latest Monaco Gulf—one of the most iconic watches ever—was not shocking at all. “We are delighted to win the ‘iconic watch prize’ with our Monaco Gulf Special Edition,” said Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer. “It is a true testament to our heritage combined with the creativity and innovation of our teams and it signals renewed strength for our 162-year avant-garde brand. We thank the GPHG academy for their support and commitment to always fostering greater innovation and ingenuity in our industry.”

Other winners of timepiece prizes included Akrivia, Ferdinand Berthoud, Grönefeld, Hermès (who took home the men’s and ladies’ complication prizes for different versions of the same watch), Krayon, M.A.D. Editions, Sylvain Pinaud, Trilobe, Tudor, Van Cleef & Arpels and Voutilainen. The special jury prize—awarded to a key individual from the world of watchmaking—was bestowed upon François Junod, automaton maker and sculptor.

Here’s a look at some of the key winners from the 22nd annual GPHGs.

GPHG category: Ladies’ Watch prize

Parmigiani Tonda PF Automatic

With five different models from the Parmigiani Tonda PF collection nominated at this year’s GPHGs, the odds were definitely in the favour of the collection winning at least one prize. One might have not expected the Tonda to win in the ladies’ category though. Yet, it’s kind of refreshing that this is a functional time-only automatic—albeit in resplendent gold—and not a typical bejewelled dress watch. At 36mm, the watch is also water-resistant to 100m, while the two hands, on the barleycorn-pattern dial, are powered by a 60-hour movement.

GPHG category: Iconic Watch prize

TAG Heuer Monaco X Gulf

We referred to this watch as the ‘a poster child for square watches’, because of how iconic it is. In fact, it’s more iconic than most square watches one could argue. The Gulf edition in particular is the one that made this square motor-sport watch shoot to stardom, as it was featured in the film Le Mans (1971) about a fictionalised version of a ‘24 Hours of Le Mans’ race. This newest edition comes in polished steel, at 39mm. The Gulf colours are more subtle than before—in dark blue, turquoise, and orange. In place of the 12 o’clock index, we see the number ‘60’, which is a nice nod to the chronograph feature, while also being a reference to the racing number of the Porsche Gulf racing cars. The Heuer 02 calibre running this watch offers 80 hours of power reserve.

This newest edition comes in polished steel, at 39mm. The Gulf colours are more subtle than before—in dark blue, turquoise, and orange. In place of the 12 o’clock index, we see the number ‘60’, which is a nice nod to the chronograph feature, while also being a reference to the racing number of the Porsche Gulf racing cars

GPHG category: Tourbillon Watch prize

H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton

A rarity from the house of H. Moser and Cie., a skeletonised display of their vertically-mounted tourbillon cage has been rewarded well. The cylindrical hairspring needed for this mechanism—made by Moser’s sister company Precision Engineering AG—is extremely hard to produce, so it would have been a pity to not let the tourbillon breathe in openness. Above all of that open-worked goodness is the off-centred dial with a three-dimensional appeal, owing to its blocks of luminous markers in Globolight, which is also seen on the hands. The 74-hour HMC 811 automatic calibre is housed in a 42.8mm steel case.

GPHG category: Jewellery Watch prize

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery

This the most satisfying an unsurprising win at the 2022 win at the GPHGs. Not only was this watch among the best of all the watches in all the categories; it’s also a tremendous triumph as a combination of haute horlogerie and haute joaillerie. With lacquering, hand-engraving and setting of diamonds and rubellites, this watch features the Serpenti’s classic coiled bracelet, but is far more detailed, with the hexagonal scales presenting a dynamic quality. The watch in the snake’s mouth actually runs on a 30-hour mechanical Piccolissimo calibre, with a crown on the reverse—to be used one way to wind and the other way to adjust. The watch can be removed from the mouth, which can be opened by pulling on the snake’s tongue. This is to allow the user to wear it on any wrist, and with the snake’s head facing the hand or the forearm, while always having the dial face them.

GPHG category: Audacity prize

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra 10th Anniversary

Only 1.8mm in thickness, the Octo Finissimo Ultra was the thinnest mechanical watch ever created, when it was launched. It became the brand’s eighth world record in slim timekeeping. It was definitely audacious as Bulgari have been with their world-record Octos, while achieving the feat of slimness in a watch that is actually suitable for production, even if it’s only a 10-piece limited edition. Each piece comes with a unique QR code on the ratchet wheel seen on the dial, and it links the user to an exclusive NFT artwork, as well as to the Metaverse. The 40mm titanium case includes the base-plate of a 50-hour manual-winding movement, running the hours, minutes and seconds. The time-setting wheel is at three, while a winding wheel is see at eight o’clock.

GPHG category: Chronometry prize

Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon

With the Grand Seiko Kodo, the highly respected Japanese brand have combined a constant-force mechanism—which ensures a consistent delivery of energy, regardless of how unwound the watch is, hence enhancing precision—along with a tourbillon. And it’s on a single axis in addition to that. This calibre 9STL ensures a power reserve of 50 hours, with no loss or change of torque. The sounds of the escapement can even be heard, with a consistent once-per-second impulse of the constant-force mechanism. This is indeed a feat in precision and timekeeping in general. Set in a 43.8mm case, made out of 950 platinum and ‘brilliant hard’ titanium, the novelty comes with a calf leather strap treated like elements of Samurai armours.