The Best of Time: 7 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2026 Winners

What makes an award-winning watch? It is the clarity of a unique idea and the skill required to realise it. The winners at the 26th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève offered several compelling answers: uncompromising craftsmanship, mechanical ingenuity, expressive design and precision with a practical purpose. Held in Geneva on November 7, the 26th GPHG Awards Ceremony, awarded 20 prizes, followed by a selection process involving an Academy of over 1,000 members and an international jury chaired by Wei Koh. In total, 84 nominated timepieces across 14 categories competed for the wider set of 20 prizes. Rexhep Rexhepi claimed the evening’s highest honour, the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix for Chronograph Flyback.

We pick five exceptional winners representing an industry that’s willing to pursue different definitions of excellence.

Rexhep Rexhepi Chronograph Flyback

To me, Rexhep Rexhepi is the Lamine Yamal of watchmaking: an extraordinary independent watchmaker whose every move draws attention. The hand-wound movement combines a flyback chronograph with a jumping-minute counter, governed by a column wheel and lateral clutch. What stands out is how the asymmetrical architecture turns engineering into a visual composition. Through the caseback, the chronograph mechanism takes center stage. The craftsmanship extends to components the owner may never see, with hand bevelling, black polishing, perlage, and Geneva stripes throughout. A storm-blue grand feu enamel dial and smoked sapphire counters complete the personality. It stands out because its mechanism, finishing and design work beautifully together.

Chopard L.U.C 1860

I admire watches that make simplicity feel considered. Chopard’s L.U.C 1860 does precisely that, marking 30 years of its Fleurier manufacture, while retaining the original model’s proportions. The 36.5mm Lucent Steel case frames an Areuse Blue dial inspired by the river that flows near the manufacture. Hand-guilloché on an 18-carat white gold base dial, Dauphine hands, chevron markers and small seconds create an orderly composition, while COSC chronometer certification and the Poinçon de Genève reinforce the credentials of the watch that honours the year the company was founded: 1860. Proportion, legibility, finishing and precision rather than elaborate details ensure that even the simplest elements stand out.

Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie

This timepiece almost turns a chiming watch into a musical instrument. Its defining attraction is the ability to choose between two melodies: the Westminster chime and an original composition by musician Eric Singer. Four hammers and four notes expand the musical possibilities. The watch also incorporates grande and petite sonnerie functions, a minute repeater, a flying tourbillon and an integrated retrograde perpetual calendar. The complex mechanisms work seamlessly together, while the music adds an emotional touch to the engineering.

Piaget Swinging Pebble

The Swinging Pebble reminds us that watchmaking can be playful and expressive. Revisiting Piaget’s asymmetrical Kimono watches of 1972, it brings the maison’s heritage into a contemporary pendant watch. Its rounded form invites touch, while the sinuous, twisted gold chain makes movement part of the design. Its strength lies in how the gemsetting complements Piaget’s expertise in shapes and gold craftsmanship. It celebrates the freedom to wear time differently, with craftsmanship making it possible.

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux

This watch questions what a grand old yet popular complication like the chronograph should look like. At rest, the watch presents the calm appearance of a three-hand Tonda PF model. Press the monopusher at 7.30, and three rhodium-plated hands reset to 12 before beginning elapsed-time measurement. Rose gold hands simultaneously reveal the current hours and minutes. A second press stops measurement while a third reunites the chronograph hands with civil time, restoring the dial’s original simplicity. The seconds hand serves both ordinary timekeeping and chronograph duties. Its strongest claim to the category is this choreography. Elapsed time occupies the whole dial without conventional counters, then disappears when its job is done.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD 5

For an established icon, it’s innovation that strengthens its character. The Royal Oak RD 5 does that by addressing how a chronograph feels in use. Developed over five years, calibre 8100 combines a flying tourbillon with a flyback chronograph. Its rack-and-pinion reset mechanism stores and releases energy, supporting short-travel pushers requiring less force. A peripheral platinum rotor preserves the view of the movement. The titanium and bulk metallic glass construction adds another technical dimension. It earns its place among the winners by improving interaction while retaining the Royal Oak’s identity.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver

Grand Seiko’s appeal here is wonderfully direct. The Ushio 300 Diver combines annual accuracy of ±20 seconds with a movement adapted for diving’s demands. Calibre 9RB1 brings Ultra Fine Accuracy (U.F.A.) to a robust sports watch, while the blue, tide-inspired dial balances visual richness with legibility. Its strength lies in its thoughtful design, precise engineering, balanced proportions and easy readability, making it a watch that is both refined and practical.