The most coveted of all the prizes, the Aiguille d’Or is awarded to the brand (and its watch) that most impressed the competition’s 980 Academy members and its physical jury of 30 experts. This year’s award went to IWC Schaffhausen for its Portugieser Eternal Calendar, a watch that if kept wound will correctly calculate the date until the year 3,999 (and it only stops there because it hasn’t been decided how we will calculate leap years after that). It also calculates the accuracy of the moon for 45 million years, blowing all previous moon-phase watches out of the water.

The Audacity Prize was awarded to Berneron for its Mirage Sienna. This unusual yellow-gold timepiece features an asymmetrical case, numerals, hands, and crown. The real magic, however, is in its movement, which was also designed to let the mechanics escape from the confines of a perfect circle. Its total absence of symmetry creates a harmony that truly impressed this year’s jury.

Eco-Innovation Prize: Chopard, L.U.C Qualité Fleurier

A new prize in the lineup this year, the Eco-Innovation Award was added to celebrate a watchmaker who is pushing the boundaries of sustainability. There were no surprises here as Chopard’s co-CEO Karl-Friedrich Scheufele took the stage. Chopard was the first watchmaker to introduce Fairmined gold and now uses both Fairmined and Ethical gold, along with recycled steel, in its entire production of watches and jewellery.

Chronometry Prize: Bernhard Lederer, 3-Times Certified Observatory Chronometer

Bernhard Lederer and his wife, Ewa, took the stage to receive the Chronometry Prize, giving an emotional acceptance speech. This is an accolade that awards watches for their precision, in addition to their design—a point that perhaps escapes most of us, but something that is the raison d’être for master watchmakers like Bernhard Lederer.

Horological Revelation Prize: Rémy Cools, Tourbillon Atelier

This year’s Horological Revelation Prize went to young independent French watchmaker Rémy Cools. Inspired by marine chronometers from the late 18th and 19th centuries, Cools seeks to continue the legacy of French fine watchmaking. The jury appreciated both his Tourbillon Atelier, for its choice of materials and exceptional finishing, and how he is reinventing these historical designs.

Iconic Watch Prize: Piaget, Piaget Polo 79

Piaget took the Iconic Watch Prize this year for its re-edition of its 1979 Piaget Polo. This timepiece was the height of fashion throughout the 1980s and was recently reintroduced, much to the joy of Piaget watch enthusiasts. The maison’s CEO Benjamin Comar explained how he wanted to respect the original timepiece created by Yves Piaget over 45 years ago—a choice that the jury obviously agreed with.

Tourbillon Watch Prize: Daniel Roth, Tourbillon Souscription

The Tourbillon Watch Prize was awarded to Daniel Roth for its Tourbillon Souscription. Jean Arnault, director of marketing and development for watches at Louis Vuitton, paid a special homage to Daniel Roth for this unique design that continues to seduce watch enthusiasts 30 years on.

Laurent Ferrier took to the stage to receive the prize for the best Calendar and Astronomy watch, giving a touching speech. He explained that one of his main desires is to create timepieces that are so well made that when future watchmakers open them up, perhaps in 50 or 100 years, they say, “What a well-made watch!”

Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Bovet 1822, Récital 28 Prowess 1

Bovet was the happy recipient of the Mechanical Exception Prize. Its Récital 28 Prowess 1 was rewarded for its innovative complication that has solved the Daylight Saving Time issue that has plagued all world timers. Thanks to this timepiece, it is possible to have the correct time in all the zones throughout the year.

The Chronograph Watch Prize was awarded to watch collector William Massena, founder of Massena Lab, and watchmaker Sylvain Pinaud. Massena Lab creates, designs, and develops timepieces in collaboration with renowned watchmakers, and this particular piece had everything to impress the jury. Massena took to the stage saying how honoured he was to be the first watch collector to receive a GPHG prize.

Sports Watch Prize: Ming, 37.09 Bluefin

When imagining this watch, Ming made it its mission to create an aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing dive watch, something that is not always easy when you need a case that can withstand extreme underwater pressure. Ming’s 37.09 Bluefin, with a water resistance of 600 meters, is the result of this challenge, making it a bona fide divers’ watch that keeps all the beloved design codes of the brand.

The award for the best Men’s Complication went to De Bethune this year for its DB Kind of Grande Complication, which houses seven different complications. This independent watchmaker has been consistently celebrated at the GPHG for its work that entices the jury year after year.

Men’s Watch Prize: Voutilainen, KV20i Reversed

Another serial award winner at the GPHG is independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, who has received the prize for Best Men’s watch numerous times. No one minds, though, as he consistently manages to impress the whole watch industry with his unique take on watchmaking, combining his technical mastery with the finest artistic and decorative arts.

This new prize is dedicated to timepieces that include the hours, minutes, and seconds only. The competition was fierce for the inaugural category, but H. Moser & Cie. took the prize with its Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel, which was appreciated for both its technical and aesthetic prowess.

Jewellery Watch Prize: Chopard, Laguna High-Jewellery Secret Watch

The Laguna High-Jewellery Secret Watch was awarded the prize for Best Jewellery Watch thanks to its numerous métiers d’art that are mastered by Chopard’s artisans. The brand’s co-CEO Karl-Friedrich Scheufele shared that there were over 100 shells on this timepiece. As it was presented on the big screen, you could hear the oohs and aahs from the audience.

Van Cleef & Arpels picked up three prizes at the GPHG this year, including the Artistic Crafts Watch Prize for its Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté. The timepiece comes from the French maison’s Extraordinary Dials collection and combines different enameling techniques along with a host of other métiers d’art.

Ladies’ Watch Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Jour Nuit

Van Cleef & Arpels also took the prize for the best Ladies’ Watch with its Lady Jour Nuit, which took three years to develop. The jury particular appreciated its unusual dial that portrays the immensity of the cosmos using Murano aventurine glass and a blue painted mother-of-pearl shroud with a guilloché effect.

The award for Best Ladies’ Complication went to Van Cleef & Arpels for its Brise d’Été timepiece, which indicates the time using two floating butterflies and includes blooming corollas that float in the breeze. There is no denying that when it comes to “poetic” complications, Van Cleef & Arpels is way out in front.

Petite Aiguille Watch Prize: Kudoke, 3 Salmon

The Petite Aiguille prize is awarded to the best watch priced between CHF3,000 and 10,000 (RM15,075 to RM50,264 by today’s exchange rate). This year’s award was given to Kudoke for its 3 Salmon timepiece that offers an unconventional way of displaying the time with the utmost simplicity.

The Challenge Watch Prize is awarded to the best watch priced under CHF3,000 (RM15,075). This year’s winner is Otsuka Lotec, a Japanese watch brand founded by independent watchmaker Jiro Katayama. This No.6 timepiece impressed the jury with its analogue meter featuring a Japanese fan-shaped display and including retrograde hour and minute hands on a single axis.

Previously published on Robb Report USA