REXHEP REXHEPI has won the 2026 Aiguille d'Or Grand Prix for the Chronograph Flyback, the highest distinction of the 26th Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, where twenty prizes were awarded on 7 November.
The Core Details
- The 26th GPHG Awards Ceremony took place in Geneva on Saturday, 7 November 2026, hosted by Stéphane Bern and Arianne Alcorta.
- The Aiguille d'Or Grand Prix went to REXHEP REXHEPI for the Chronograph Flyback.
- Twenty prizes were awarded after a selection by an Academy of more than 1,000 members and an international jury chaired by Wei Koh.
- AUDEMARS PIGUET, CHOPARD and FERDINAND BERTHOUD each received two prizes; PATEK PHILIPPE received the Special Jury Prize for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition.
- The 84 timepieces nominated by the Academy remain on display at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva until 15 November; the winners then travel to London from 18 to 23 November.
The Aiguille d'Or: A Chronograph Takes Geneva's Highest Prize
The Aiguille d'Or Grand Prix is the highest distinction the GPHG awards, and this year it went to a watchmaker who signs his dials with his own name. REXHEP REXHEPI, watchmaker and founder of the Maison that bears his name, received the prize for the Chronograph Flyback. Its dial, signed Rexhep Rexhepi Hgers à Genève, places an hour-and-minute sub-dial at twelve o'clock above two counters.
The foundation announced the result in its official prize list and on its own channels, where it described the award as a tribute to the creativity, craftsmanship and vision behind the winning watch.
An Evening With UNESCO in the Room
The 2026 ceremony carried a particular cultural weight: the Director-General of UNESCO attended, a presence the foundation tied to the place of watchmaking within the cultural heritage of humanity. The selection followed the foundation's two-stage process, with an Academy of more than 1,000 members and a jury of international experts chaired by Wei Koh, whose appointment WATCHESPEDIA reported in March.
Seventeen Maisons shared the twenty prizes: REXHEP REXHEPI, AUDEMARS PIGUET, BLANCPAIN, CHOPARD, CLEGUER, DANIEL ROTH, DOMINIQUE RENAUD, FERDINAND BERTHOUD, GRAND SEIKO, KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN, LA VALLÉE, LOUIS VUITTON, OTSUKA LOTEC, PARMIGIANI FLEURIER, PIAGET, SPACEONE and PATEK PHILIPPE.
Time Only, Essential, Sports and Iconic
The prizes for everyday-wear categories went to four very different watches. CHOPARD won the Time Only Watch Prize with the L.U.C 1860; DANIEL ROTH took the Essential Watch Prize with the Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton.
GRAND SEIKO received the Sports Watch Prize for the Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver, and AUDEMARS PIGUET the Iconic Watch Prize for the Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 "150th Anniversary".
Complications, Chronographs and Chronometry
CLEGUER won the Complication Watch Prize with the Inspiration One, and BLANCPAIN the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize with the Grande Double Sonnerie.
PARMIGIANI FLEURIER took the Chronograph Watch Prize with the Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux, and AUDEMARS PIGUET the Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize with the 150 Heritage, a pocket watch.
FERDINAND BERTHOUD left Geneva with two prizes: the Tourbillon Watch Prize for the Chronomètre FB 2TV, and the Chronometry Prize for the Naissance d'une Montre 3, the hand-crafted chronometer WATCHESPEDIA covered in detail last week.
Jewellery, Gems and Artistic Crafts
CHOPARD received its second prize of the evening, the Jewellery Watch Prize, for the Mystery Nut. PIAGET won the Gemset Watch Prize with the Swinging Pebble, and LOUIS VUITTON the Artistic Crafts Watch Prize with the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata.
Audacity, Revelation and the New Voices
KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN won the Audacity Prize with the ThinKing Mystery, and DOMINIQUE RENAUD the Horological Revelation Prize with the Pulse60 Titanium Black.
OTSUKA LOTEC took the "Petite Aiguille" Watch Prize with the No.8. The Challenge Watch Prize went to SPACEONE for the SpaceOne X Baltic – Seconde Majeure, a collaboration with BALTIC. LA VALLÉE won the Mechanical Clock Prize with the Cosmo.
The Special Jury Prize: PATEK PHILIPPE
The jury awarded its Special Jury Prize to PATEK PHILIPPE for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition, recognising what the foundation called an exceptional commitment to watchmaking culture.
The Complete 2026 Prize List
| Prize | Maison | Timepiece |
|---|---|---|
| "Aiguille d'Or" Grand Prix | REXHEP REXHEPI | Chronograph Flyback |
| Iconic Watch Prize | AUDEMARS PIGUET | Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 "150th Anniversary" |
| Special Jury Prize | PATEK PHILIPPE | Watch Art Grand Exhibition |
| Audacity Prize | KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN | ThinKing Mystery |
| Chronometry Prize | FERDINAND BERTHOUD | Naissance d'une Montre 3 |
| Horological Revelation Prize | DOMINIQUE RENAUD | Pulse60 Titanium Black |
| Mechanical Exception Watch Prize | BLANCPAIN | Grande Double Sonnerie |
| Complication Watch Prize | CLEGUER | Inspiration One |
| Chronograph Watch Prize | PARMIGIANI FLEURIER | Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux |
| Tourbillon Watch Prize | FERDINAND BERTHOUD | Chronomètre FB 2TV |
| Sports Watch Prize | GRAND SEIKO | Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver |
| Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize | AUDEMARS PIGUET | 150 Heritage |
| Essential Watch Prize | DANIEL ROTH | Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton |
| Time Only Watch Prize | CHOPARD | L.U.C 1860 |
| Jewellery Watch Prize | CHOPARD | Mystery Nut |
| Artistic Crafts Watch Prize | LOUIS VUITTON | Tambour Taiko Arty Automata |
| Gemset Watch Prize | PIAGET | Swinging Pebble |
| "Petite Aiguille" Watch Prize | OTSUKA LOTEC | No.8 |
| Challenge Watch Prize | SPACEONE | SpaceOne X Baltic – Seconde Majeure |
| Mechanical Clock Prize | LA VALLÉE | Cosmo |
Source: official GPHG prize list, gphg.org, and the GPHG press release of 7 November 2026.
Where to See the Winning Watches
After stops in Mumbai and Bangkok, the exhibition of the 84 nominated timepieces remains open at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva until 15 November 2026. The award-winning timepieces then travel to London, where they will be presented from 18 to 23 November at the Watches of Switzerland boutique in Knightsbridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Aiguille d'Or at the GPHG?
REXHEP REXHEPI won the 2026 Aiguille d'Or Grand Prix for the Chronograph Flyback, at the 26th Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève ceremony on 7 November 2026.
How many prizes were awarded at the GPHG 2026?
Twenty prizes were awarded, including the Aiguille d'Or Grand Prix and the Special Jury Prize, which went to PATEK PHILIPPE for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition.
Which Maisons won more than one GPHG prize in 2026?
AUDEMARS PIGUET, CHOPARD and FERDINAND BERTHOUD each won two prizes in 2026.
Where can the GPHG 2026 winning watches be seen?
The nominated timepieces are on display at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva until 15 November 2026; the winners are then presented from 18 to 23 November at the Watches of Switzerland boutique in Knightsbridge, London.
Explore more from GPHG: Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève / 2026 Edition · GPHG 2026 Bangkok Stop Draws Southeast Asia's Watch Community.
