The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève celebrates its 20th anniversary with new horizons

The GPHG Academy, to be launched in 2020, will enable the brand to write the next chapters in its history.

“Solidarity stems from the very spirit of the Grand Prix. Entering the competition, which recognises the most accomplished creations, means doing your bit for the industry’s international reputation.

The Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (GPHG) has just turned twenty, the age of emancipation and the age of all things possible. Since its creation in 2001, the GPHG has awarded prizes each year to the finest watchmaking creations in their category. With the support of the Canton and City of Geneva, over the past two decades it has opened up to the world and grown in stature to become one of the most eagerly awaited events on the international watchmaking calendar. A media showcase for the industry, its prize lists include some twenty awards, including the famous Aiguille d’Or, and contribute to the recognition of watchmaking excellence on every continent. They have earned the esteem of industry professionals and watch enthusiasts alike.

While the GPHG has a proven track record, as it reaches maturity it has decided to extend its reach even further and consolidate its legitimacy by creating its own Academy. Inducted in 2020, this body representing all the professions in the industry now has more than 500 members from all five continents, all of them authorities in their field. The role of the academicians is to participate in the various stages of selecting watches from among the hundreds of models eligible for the Grand Prix categories. Together, they form the largest network of ambassadors for the art of watchmaking in the world.

This Academy is the foundation on which the GPHG intends to write the next chapters of its history. The challenge remains the same as it was on day one: to showcase the art of watchmaking throughout the world. But this ambition has been given a new impetus: dedicated not only to promoting the art of watchmaking, but also to stimulating the imagination within the industry, the Academy is also working to strengthen the links between its various representatives.

By implementing this project, the GPHG is affirming its faith in the ability of watchmakers, wherever they may be, to unite and chart their future together. This conviction resonates as a necessity at a time when the temptation to turn inward is exacerbated by the pandemic.

In keeping with the principles that underpin the GPHG’s credibility and renown, the Academy is driven by the values of neutrality, universality and solidarity.

The institution has operating rules and a certified electronic platform designed to preserve the neutrality of its members and the independence of the selection process. The presence within its ranks of players from every continent and the openness of the competition to watchmakers from all over the world are guarantees of a diversity that echoes the desire for universality. As for solidarity, it stems from the very spirit of the Grand Prix. Entering the competition that recognises the most accomplished creations means playing your part in the industry’s international reputation. It also means helping to shine the spotlight on trades that are capable of perpetuating time-honoured skills while integrating the challenges of sustainable development and pushing back the frontiers of technology.

It is no coincidence that these values coincide with the foundations of Swiss diplomacy, which are also those that have forged the uniqueness of international Geneva. Indeed, what other city than Geneva, which saw the birth and growth of watchmaking before becoming the world capital of dialogue and international cooperation, could have so legitimately offered its patronage to an industry that has conquered the planet by elevating itself to the rank of art? The sector has a global turnover of around fifty billion dollars and produces nearly 1.2 billion pieces* every year. Over the last thirty years or so, it has experienced a continuous growth cycle, interrupted only by the health crisis.

Because watches have become much more than just timepieces. A jewel of innovation, an artistic creation, or both, it has a soul that embraces boldness and tradition, precision and poetry, simplicity and sophistication. So many precious points of reference in a world of existential challenges and perpetual turmoil. You only have to look at the crowds at Dubai Watch Week last November to be convinced of the vitality of the watchmaking sector. A few weeks earlier, the GPHG itself had packed the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva for its annual ceremony. Proof positive that the industry’s players believe in their shared destiny.