The GPHG was established in Geneva in 2001 to recognise the best Swiss watchmaking of each year. The format: brands self-nominate watches into specific categories (Mechanical, Diver, Tourbillon, Chronograph, Calendar, etc.); a pre-selected jury of industry experts reviews them; a public exhibition tours major Swiss cities through autumn; the awards ceremony is held at the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva each November. The supreme award is the Aiguille d'Or ('Golden Hand'), the year's overall best watch.
Notable winners include Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire (Men's Watch Prize 2016), Greubel Forsey Hand-Made 1 (Aiguille d'Or 2020), Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon (Aiguille d'Or 2018), and modern winners across the Patek/AP/Lange/independents tier. The GPHG has expanded to include categories for women's watches, smartwatches (briefly), and innovation; modern critics note the awards are biased toward independents and small-volume haute-horlogerie rather than industrial Swiss watchmaking.
