Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève / 2026 Edition
Key Highlights
- Gender-based prizes are replaced by Essential Watch and Complication Watch, mirroring how clients now select and wear watches.
- A new gemset watch category (up to 6 carats) separates refined stone-set pieces from the most exceptional Jewellery creations.
- One-of-a-kind creations are now eligible only for the Jewellery Watch and Mechanical Clock Prizes.
- The Special Jury Prize gains broader scope, able to honour a brand for developments, ethics or sustainability.
- The 2026 Jury, chaired by Wei Koh, is streamlined to 24 members and paired with a digital Academy vote.
A 26th Edition Aligned With a Changing Market
The 2026 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is a targeted recalibration of the industry’s benchmark awards. The Foundation aims to “enhance its representativeness and align with new market dynamics”, so the list of prizes better reflects how watches are designed, purchased and worn.
After 25 years of evolution, this 26th edition sharpens categories for a market where traditional boundaries are blurred. Rather than segmenting by gender, the framework now emphasises function, technical content and use, from essential daily pieces to complex creations.
From Gendered Categories to Essential and Complication Watches
The former Men’s and Ladies’ categories are retired in favour of Essential Watch and Complication Watch, responding to “changing purchasing behaviours and industry expectations”. Collectors increasingly choose by design, dimensions and mechanics instead of gendered labels.
Essential Watch focuses on everyday timepieces with restrained functions and strong execution, aimed at a broad audience. Complication Watch is dedicated to models that go beyond basic indications, grouping calendars, travel-time pieces and other mechanical innovations in a single arena, regardless of who wears them.
Clarifying Gemset and Jewellery Creations
A dedicated category appears for gemset watches up to 6 carats, giving space to refined stone-set designs in line with contemporary luxury tastes. Above this threshold, the Jewellery category is reserved for “the most impressive exceptional pieces”, while one-of-a-kind models are accepted exclusively in the Jewellery Watch and Mechanical Clock Prizes, grouping unique works of art where creativity and singular execution are judged together.
An Expanded Iconic Watch and a Stronger Special Jury Prize
The Iconic Watch Prize is now “open to the entire watch market”, extending eligibility to all watches released during the year that reinterpret an iconic model with more than 20 years of influence, whether or not they are officially entered. This widens how enduring designs are recognised.
The Special Jury Prize gains renewed weight. Traditionally associated with individuals or institutions, it may now also honour a brand, with criteria extending to “a significant watchmaking development or an exemplary approach to ethics and sustainability”. Technical leadership and responsible practice are therefore evaluated together.
A Refined Jury and Transparent Selection Process
The Jury, chaired in 2026 by Wei Koh, is reduced from 30 to 24 members “to facilitate more in-depth deliberations”. It combines 11 members chosen by the Jury President in consultation with the Foundation and 11 Academy members drawn by lot under notarial supervision, plus a representative of the 2025 “Aiguille d’Or” winner: Gregory Kissling for Breguet, with the winning brand otherwise excluded from competition in 2026.
Nominated timepieces are first selected by the GPHG Academy’s thousand members during a summer voting round. Before the ceremony, the Jury evaluates these pieces in private under notarial supervision, and its vote is supplemented by a second digital vote from the Academy, accounting for one-third of the final result.
Why It Matters
For GCC collectors and industry stakeholders, the 2026 GPHG framework offers clearer visibility on how relevant creations are evaluated: by function, technical content and long-term impact rather than traditional labels. The refined categories, expanded Iconic Watch Prize and strengthened Special Jury Prize provide a sharper lens through which serious enthusiasts can read emerging trends and benchmark the watches that shape the global market.
Stay close to the 2026 GPHG season by speaking to your preferred boutique or advisor about the models in contention, and subscribe to our regional newsletter to receive curated highlights once the winners are announced.
