Results for Universal Genève

Determined Geneve is the new microbrand bringing the spirit of independent watchmaking to a wider audience

Send Us Your Recommendations And Suggestions Of Watches To Nominate For The 2023 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)

As GPHG Academy members, GaryG, Joshua Munchow, and Ian Skellern have been asked to nominate watches for consideration in the 2023 GPHG. And while they spend much of our lives immersed in the world of watches, they don’t know of everything out there and there may well be, and are likely to be, gems that they are not aware of. So please send us your suggestions and recommendations for watches in the 15 categories listed.

Would You Customize Your Daytona? A New Creation From Artisans de Genève Makes a Strong Case for Personalization

The personalization of high end watches will probably always be a hot topic in the watch community. As long as wealthy collectors are buying watches, some will have an urge to completely revamp them to make them their own. By the same token, the collecting community will always have a segment of purists who find that any tinkering with a brand’s original design amounts to a crime against horology itself. Regardless of your personal feelings and taste, however, I think it’s hard to argue that there are a handful of firms offering custom work at an extremely high level, and Artisans de Genève is certainly at or near the top of a very small list. If gaudy and out of control diamond and gem setting is what comes to mind when you think of custom watches, Artisans de Genève is worth a look, as their house style is rooted in traditional aesthetics executed at a very high level. Because Artisans de Genève doesn’t actually produce and sell their own watches (when browsing their website, you’re reminded at every turn that they aren’t affiliated with Rolex or any other brand, and that they offer custom work for individual clients who provide their own watches), it’s a little hard to get your arms around what they’re working on. That’s largely intentional on their part, of course, but from time to time they will highlight a custom job that is particularly unique or visually beautiful. The Honey Green Project, recently unveiled to the public, is one such example of a...

Our Predictions For The Aiguille d’Or (Grand Prize) Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) And Other Discretionary Prizes

The GPHG Aiguille d'Or is always one of the most difficult prizes to predict, not only because all the watches entered are free to be chosen from, but also because so many are so good. The watch needs to be exceptional to win and it might even be a clock. What does our panel choose?

Our Predictions In The Mechanical Clock Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Near Unanimity Of The Automaton

Finally! After years of discussion that clocks should have a place, and some instances of clocks being included in categories that made little sense in 2021, the GPHG has created a category just for mechanical clocks. And, boy, what a complete smorgasbord of mechanical ingenuity! But what to choose?

Our Predictions In The Challenge Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is Nearly Unanimous For A Mad Watch

Watches under 3,500 Swiss francs . . . now it gets interesting. And the competition gets even fiercer. This is the first horological category in which every one of the finalists deserves a place here, and any of them could win. So what did our peanut gallery pick?

Our Predictions In The Petite Aiguille Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Any Of These Finalists Could Win

Two regulators, a chronograph, a Spring Drive classic, a new steel sports watch with a twist on the seconds, and a Nixie tube watch: this is what our peanut gallery must choose a winner from in the Petite Aiguille category, finding the best value under CHF 10,000. A tall order!

Our Predictions In The Artistic Crafts Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): We Have A Majority Winner

The 2022 GPHG Artistic Crafts finalists include some unique pieces, some small series pieces, and one comparatively large-volume piece (of 100 examples) by a bigger producer. All are beautiful and rare in their decorations, which include guilloche, engraving, enamel work, miniature painting, wood marquetry, gem setting, and Japanese lacquer work. So how did our peanut gallery vote?

Our Predictions In The Jewellery Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): A Sparkling Division

We finally arrive at the 2022 GPHG Jewellery category, which is often the most varied in opinion as there is such wide room for taste. Seen among the competing watches are a couple familiar faces, a few bold choices, and even a wild card that might have gotten lost while carrying a pouch full of diamonds through a particle accelerator. What does our peanut gallery think? It's divided.

Our Predictions In The Diver’s Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): 6 Watches, 5 Judges, 3 Predicted Winners

What a pleasure to find a majority of real diver's watches in the GPHG shortlist this year. While they can be worn without any worries behind the desk, as they most likely will be in 99.99 percent of cases, they are also up for some serious diving. Here is what our peanut gallery had to say about the nominees.

Our Predictions In The Chronograph Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): It’s Down To A Pair Of Aces

Is the chronograph still everybody's favorite complication? The brands most certainly think so as a vast number are introduced each year. An the six that are nominated in this category represent the cream of the crop, though our peanut gallery thinks only two are real contenders.

Our Predictions In The Mechanical Exception Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Bulgari, Chopard, Or Armin Strom?

Now we are onto the big bad boys of the GPHG. Mechanical Exception is where we put the most mechanically incredible watches head to head, and the name of the game is horological creativity. Aesthetics help but a wild, avant-garde watch can easily win this category because there is no limit. So how does our panel choose?

Our Predictions In The Calendar And Astronomy Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Masterful Finishing, Extreme Creativity, And Lots Of Moons

Astronomical complications are poetic in nature, more emotional than practical. Calendar complications are the exact opposite: perfectly practical and useful complications for time management. Since the category doesn’t dictate specifically what should be valued and only outlines what fits into the category, it leaves a lot up to our panel on what we subjectively value more and why in this latest round table of 2022 GPHG nominations.

Our Predictions In The Tourbillon Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): To Win This The Tourbillon Needs To Be Very Special

Five of the six watches in this Tourbillon category are either openworked or dial-less, so their visuals are not dissimilar. Five of the six are also one-minute tourbillons. One-half of the finalists have flying tourbillons, while another boasts a cylindrical tourbillon, and yet another has a constant-force tourbillon. How will our panel ever choose a winner?

Our Predictions In The Iconic Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Unanimous Winner In A Redundant Category

The GPHG Iconic category honors models with real staying power, requiring them to have had a lasting influence as a collection for more than 20 years. Our panel doesn't like the category, but it sure does have a unanimous winner.

Our Predictions In The Men’s Complication Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Did We Find The Best Unisex Watch Of 2022?

Now that we’ve reached the Men’s Complication category, we start hitting Joshua Munchow's favorite part of the GPHG: mechanical awesomeness. See what our panel has to say about the watches in this category and which watch we think is the best unisex timepiece of 2022!

Our Predictions In The Men’s Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is Split In Two

The Men’s is one of the more contentious GPHG categories every year because it is filled with amazing watches that may or may not have much in common but do have distinctive aesthetics. Since that is very subjective, our panel is reminded that the category is essentially asking which watch is the most versatile, wearable, and appeals to the broadest demographic. And, yet, our peanut gallery is divided practically down the middle!

Our Predictions In The Ladies Complication Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Is A Tourbillon Really A Complication?

The best thing about these six GPHG 2022 Ladies’ Complication watches is the variety of complications. Yes, we still have two traditional tourbillons, but the other four complications are anything but traditional. But, our panel asks, why are the tourbillons for ladies not competing in the main tourbillon category?

GaryG’s Early Winning Picks For The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie De Genève (GPHG) 2022

The 2022 GPHG finalists have been announced and GaryG gives a shoutout to several of the entries that he feels are of special merit or interest. He suspects that some, but not all, of them will be his winner picks but reserves the right to change his mind when the annual round tables commence.

Introducing the Andersen Genève x Asprey “Heures du Monde”

Our Predictions In The Jewellery Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panelists Have A Favorite But Miss The Human Touch

The rules for the GPHG's Jewellery category state that the watches must demonstrate exceptional mastery of the art of jewelry and gem setting and are also distinguished by the choice of stones featured in them. Once again our panel has a favorite, but there's no consensus.

Our Predictions In The Chronograph Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Five Panelists, Four Different Favorites To Win

Timepieces entered into the Chronograph category are mechanical watches comprising at least one chronograph indication, and here only two of the entries are brand-new models. Our panel has very differing opinions as to which of these six chronographs will (or should) win. Follow the discussion here!

Our Predictions In The Calendar And Astronomy Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): No Consensus Highlights The Strong Competition

Complication abounds in the 2021 GPHG Calendar and Astronomy category: two perpetual calendars – one of which is of world record-holding thinness – a complete calendar with chronograph, a clever day-date that you can’t help but smile at, a mind-blowingly beautiful moon phase watch, and the world’s smallest planetarium. And our panel members all (well, nearly all) have different favorites to win!

Our Predictions In The Iconic Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Has a Favorite But Wonders If This Category Should Be Scrapped Altogether

The Iconic category emphasizes men’s or women’s watches from a brand’s emblematic collection, meaning one that has had a lasting influence on watchmaking and its history as well as having been on the market for more than 20 years. Five of the watches pre-selected here are either time-only or time with date; one lone chronograph completes the set.

Our Predictions In The Men’s Complication Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): 6 Watches, 5 Panelists, 3 Picks For Winner

The watches here are as different as day and night, with only two perhaps comparable to each other because they both have jump hour displays (but even these two are as different as it gets with one very classic in looks and the other ultramodern). Additionally, we have two chronographs, a worldtimer, and a mechanical opus with two time displays. It will be hard to choose among all this mechanical charm, but our panel pushes on.

Our Predictions In The Men’s Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), Again Close But Not Quite Unanimous In Our Pick For Winner

It might be hard to find six more diverse pieces! Three shaped watches, two with visible movement parts, one gimmicky “troll” watch, one Japanese timepiece, one by a fashion brand turned serious watchmaker, and one designed by one of the best watch designers of all time. Whew, this is gonna be tough!

Our Predictions In The Ladies Complication Category Of The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Once Again Nearly Unanimous

Complicated ladies' watches are not as rare as they once were, and the best thing is that they are not converted men's watches anymore but purposely designed and built specifically for female wrists. While there are a lot of absolutely stunning watches in the Ladies Complication category this year, they aren't that complicated and there are quite a few tourbillons. Nonetheless, our panel reaches something of a consensus.

Andersen Genève and BCHH Collaborate on Double-Crown, Cloisonné World Time

Singaporean collector Benjamin Chee has long been involved in watchmaking as a hobbyist, having set up two brands in the last decade, Maison Celadon for dress watches and Millechron for sports watches. While his earlier endeavours were powered by excellent Vaucher movements, Mr Chee’s latest venture is the most haute horlogerie to date. Taking its name from Mr Chee’s initials, the BCHH Celestial Voyager combines fine watchmaking with metiers d’art in series of pièce unique world-time wristwatches executed by independent watchmaker Andersen Genève. Cased in platinum, each of the seven watches in the series features a cloisonné enamel dial depicting a different stylised map. At the same time, the watches are accented by details like soldered lugs and a mother of pearl inlay on the back. Initial thoughts The Celestial Voyager is typical of Andersen’s products, meaning it’s classical in design and well made in an artisanal manner. But like many of Andersen’s watches, the Voyager is bespoke, so it reflects Mr Chee’s preferences and eye for detail. Take for instance the dial, which is elaborate in a discreet manner. The cloisonné enamel centre is the highlight, and most watches would stop there, but here the cities ring is made of sparkly aventurine glass. Elements like the cities ring play a supporting role, but getting them right often distinguishes the great from the good. The Celestial Voyager gets most of it right, and is one of the better looking...

Our Predictions For The Aiguille d’Or (Grand Prize) Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): And We Think It’s Down To Two Watches (Or Possibly Three)

The GPHG Aiguille d’Or rewards the best of the best. Which watch will be watch of the year? Our panelists think that there are three contenders, with two in particular most likely to take the prize. Which watch do you think deserves the accolade for best watch of 2020?

Our Predictions In The Challenge Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Very Interesting Finalists With (Relatively) Affordable Pricing

Watches entered into the Challenge category are offered for a retail price under 4,000 Swiss francs. This is perhaps the most popular category as it's for watches that more people can afford, and the competition is tough. Which explains why our panel of five has three different picks for the winner.