Grand Prix Preview: 11 GPHG-Nominated Watch Brands You’ll Discover at WatchTime New York 2021


WatchTime New York 2021 is less than two weeks away, from October 22 to 24, and with more than 25 fantastic brands showcasing their latest timepieces, we couldn’t be more excited to see you soon at Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan.

Among the watch brands exhibiting at the event, 11 of them have received one or more nominations in this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG), often referred to as “The Oscars of Watchmaking,” the premier award show in the watch industry, in which receiving even a nomination is considered a serious achievement.

While the winners of the GPHG 2021 won’t be announced until November 4, you can see many of the nominees even sooner, live and in-person at WatchTime New York. Scroll down for the full list of showcased watches.

Armin Strom

Aiming to showcase “haute horlogerie from a feminine perspective,” the Armin Strom Lady Beat Manufacture Edition White bridges avant-garde style with versatile wearability, resulting in a no-compromise timepiece that breaks new ground in the world of mechanical watchmaking.


Bovet 1822

Speaking to the maison’s well-documented savoir-faire in the arena of high-end ladies’ watches, Bovet 1822 has been nominated for two awards in 2021. The first, in the open Ladies’ group, is the Miss Audrey Sweet Art, a delicate beauty featuring a dial made from pure sugar crystals; the second, in the Ladies’ Complication group, is the Récital 23, a creative moon-phase timepiece that also serves as Bovet’s first women’s timepiece to feature its famed “writing slope” case shape.


Chopard

Chopard has received three nominations. The first is for the L.U.C Flying T Twin Ladies, a diamond-decorated tourbillon with a stop-seconds function; the second for the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25, which celebrates 25 years of in-house watchmaking by the manufacture, and the third for the Flower Power jewelry watch that embodies paradise on the wrist.

Grand Seiko

Like Bovet, Japan’s Grand Seiko also received two nominations in 2021. One recognizes the Heritage Hi-Beat “White Birch” Ref. SLGH005 for its incredible dial, finishing, and 80-hour movement; the other honors the yellow-gold Re-creation of the first Grand Seiko, with its vintage style paired with ultra-fine modern execution, as a contender in the “Iconic” category.


MB&F

Ultra-creative watchmaker MB&F is no stranger to critical praise (and in some quarters criticism) for its innovative mechanical work, and so it’s little surprise the independent brand has received not one, not two, but three GPGH nominations this year.

In the Men’s general category is the updated Legacy Machine 101, with its colorful blue dial, while the Men’s Complication category includes the double timekeeping design of the LMX Titanium. Finally, the LM SE Eddy Jaquet “Around the World in Eighty Days,” depicting a scene from the famed novel by Jules Verne, vies within the “Artistic Crafts” group.


Zenith

Swiss watchmaker Zenith received substantial attention this year for its renewal of its famed Chronomaster collection. Suitably, the brand has received two nominations for the models at the forefront of the revival. One is the vintage-influenced Chronomaster Revival A386 Manufacture; the other is the forward-looking Chronomaster Sport.


De Bethune

De Bethune is probably best known for its innovative tourbillon watches, and not surprisingly has received a nomination for one its most prominent examples in recent memory, the DB Kind of Two Tourbillon, a highly limited timepiece with a flipping two-sided dial.

Massena LAB

The “Challenge” category is one of the most interesting competitions at the GPHG, and WatchTime is excited to be hosting Massena LAB and its nominee in the group at WatchTime New York 2021. The Uni-Racer is a suave 21st-century interpretation of a mid-century chronograph design known as the “Big Eye.”

Arnold & Son

Having gained renown for its striking three-dimensional dials, Arnold & Son copped a GPHG nomination for one of its newest and most impressive: the Luna Magna, which features the world’s largest three-dimensional moon-phase display ever installed in a wristwatch.

Oris

Holstein-based watchmaker Oris has had a watershed year in 2021, and the GPHG has recognized the brand’s various achievements with nominations for two of its most popular recent launches.

The first is the Aquis Date Calibre 400 41.5 mm, notable for its namesake in-house movement, while the second is the Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy, an eye-catching bronze diver made even more so by its “sweet” pink dial.

Seiko

While Grand Seiko received two nominations this year, sister brand Seiko also garnered some attention for its year of attention-grabbing watchmaking.The Japanese watchmaker’s solitary nomination is for the vintage-revival Re-creation of King Seiko KSK, which takes its spot among the six watches competing for the GPGH’s “Petite Aiguille” award.


Many of these GPHG nominated timepieces, along with numerous other horological masterpieces, will be on display at WatchTime New York 2021. To see these coveted creations in person, don’t delay; order your tickets here!

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