The 2018 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve has officially wrapped up and the 12 winning watches have been crowned along with the winner of the coveted Aiguille d’Or. While the official jury deliberated over the past week in Geneva, we ran our own polling to see how this year’s winners would match up with what our readers selected. Across the 12 categories, we calculated over 7,500 votes to determine what our readers thought of the 72 competing watches. Check out the results below and congrats to all the brands that brought home an award this year!
Challenge:
GPHG Winner: Nomos Glashütte Tangente 41 Update
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Tudor Black Bay GMT
The jury selected the Nomos Glashütte Tangente 41 Update, with its innovative date mechanism, as the inaugural winner in the “Challenge” category, which includes new models priced under 4,000 CHF. WatchTime readers selected the popular Tudor Black Bay GMT with 29 percent of the vote in our polling, with the Nomos coming in second with 21 percent.
Petite Aiguille:
GPHG Winner: Habring² Doppel-Felix
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Habring² Doppel-Felix
The GPHG jury matched up with our readers in their selection for the Petite Aiguille category with the Habring² Doppel-Felix bringing home the award. While we don’t know how close the decision was between the 30 members of the GPHG jury, this was the closest voting in our polling with the Habring² Doppel-Felix and Longines Record both receiving 20 percent of the total. The Doppel-Felix edged out the Longines by just a few votes when we took our final count early this afternoon. The Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur was also only a few votes behind with 18 percent of the total. Learn more about the Habring² Doppel-Felix here.
Men’s:
GPHG Winner: Akrivia Chronométre Contemporain
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942
Going into today’s ceremony, the Akrivia Chronométre Contemporain might just have been the hottest watch on the planet. The brainchild of 31-year old watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi and his small Geneva-based team, the Chronométre Contemporain delighted enthusiasts and collectors with its blend of asymmetrical and symmetrical elements and stop-second/zero-reset mechanism. Rexhepi brought home his first GPHG award in tough competition against the Voutilainen 217QRS and Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942, which received the most votes (28 percent) in our polling. Read our profile on Rexhep Rexhepi and Akrivia here.
Sports:
GPHG Winner: Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-creation
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-creation
Jewellery:
GPHG Winner: Van Cleef & Arpels Secret de Coccinelle
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Antoine Preziuso Trillion Tourbillon of Tourbillons
The Jewellery category is notoriously tough to predict and our readers were way off with their selection. While Antoine Preziuso‘s diamond-studded take on his Tourbillon of Tourbillons timepiece is an amazing feat of horological engineering, the GPHG jury preferred the elegance of the Van Cleef & Arpels Secret de Coccinelle instead.
Ladies’:
GPHG Winner: Chanel Boy-friend
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Moritz Grossmann TEFNUT Twist Classic
The Moritz Grossmann TEFNUT Twist Classic was an overwhelming victor in our polling with 50 percent of the vote, however the skeletonized Chanel Boy-friend ended up taking home the prizeu in the ladies’ category. The Chanel model placed second in our vote with 20 percent of the total.
Artistic Crafts:
GPHG Winner: Hermès Arceau Robe du Soir
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Les Aérostiers – Bagnols 1785
The Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Les Aérostiers – Bagnols 1785, which had a large lead in our vote with 38 percent of the total, has been a buzzworthy piece since its debut at SIHH 2018. However, the GPHG jury went with the very equestrian (and on-brand) Hermès Arceau Robe du Soir for the winner of the Artistic Crafts category.
Ladies’ Complication:
GPHG Winner: Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planétarium
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planétarium
The Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planétarium seemed to be an easy choice for both our audience and the GPHG jury. Van Cleef’s second victory of the night took 36 percent of our total vote compared to the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa Tourbillon Galaxy with 22 percent.
Men’s Complication:
GPHG Winner: Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar School Piece
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar
From our reader’s perspective, this race was a shocker. The Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar School Piece, inspired by the septuagenarian watchmaker’s years as a student, received only 8 percent of our vote following the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar with 31 percent and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic with 23 percent.
Chronograph:
GPHG Winner: Singer Reimagined Singer Track1 Hong Kong Edition
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Zenith Defy El Primero 21
Another surprise for WatchTime readers was the selection of the Singer Reimagined Singer Track1 Hong Kong Edition as the victor in the Chronograph category. The innovative model took only 9 percent of our voting compared to the Zenith Defy El Primero 21, with 25 percent, and the Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie L’Heure Bleue with 22%.
Chronometry:
GPHG Winner: De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Chronomètre Tourbillon
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Chronomètre Tourbillon
Mechanical Exception:
GPHG Winner: Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie
WatchTime Readers’ Choice: Bovet Récital 22 Grand Récital
The final category of our voting was Mechanical Exception where the Bovet Récital 22 Grand Récital was the overwhelming favorite with 33% of the vote. The Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie, the actual winner, took third place in our vote with 14% of the total, right behind the Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision, with 16%.
Aiguille d’Or:
While WatchTime readers didn’t have the opportunity to vote on the champion of champions, the Aiguille d’Or, it will be reassuring to them that their favorite in the Mechanical Exception category, the Bovet Récital 22 Grand Récital, brought home the most important award of the night. Read all about the Bovet 1822 Récital 22 Grand Récital here.
Other prizes awarded tonight include the Audacity Prize for Konstantin Chaykin (nominated in the Mechanical Exception and Petite Aiguille categories), the Innovation Prize for the Krayon Everywhere Horizon (nominated in the Men’s Complication category), the Revival Prize for the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 (nominated in the Men’s category), and the Special Jury prize, which went to Jean-Claude Biver for his contributions to watchmaking over the past three decades.
Congraultions to all the winners!
You can view all the voting results here and the official GPHG page here.
I say the WatchTime readers have a much better taste than the GPHG jurors. As the old romans said, Vox Populi, Vox Dei
The Seiko Prospex should have also taken home the Revival prize, imho.