GPHG 2026: An Insider’s Guide to the Top Timepieces

By Oster Jewelers | September 25, 2026 0 Comments

Every year at the start of fall, the watch world turns its attention to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), one of the most anticipated celebrations of fine watchmaking. As excitement builds around the 2026 edition, watch enthusiasts have plenty of reasons to follow along, whether they are longtime collectors or simply discovering GPHG for the first time. We’ve answered some of the most common questions about the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie awards and highlighted ways to experience the excitement beyond Geneva.

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1. What Is the Grand Prix D’ Horlogerie (GPHG)?
2. When and Where Does the GPHG Award Ceremony Take Place?
3. How Many Categories and Nominated Timepieces Are There?
4. Who Chooses the GPHG Nominees and Winners?
5. What Are Some of This Year’s Standout GPHG Nominees?
6. Which Brand Is Our Pick for Top to Watch at This Year’s Grand Prix D’Horlogerie?
7. Where Can You See GPHG-Nominated Watches in Person?

1. What Is the Grand Prix D’ Horlogerie (GPHG)?

The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, or GPHG, is an annual international celebration of watchmaking that recognizes creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the industry. Established in 2001 and overseen by the GPHG Foundation since 2011, the awards bring together leading watch brands and independent creators in a competition spanning multiple categories.

2. When and Where Does the GPHG Award Ceremony Take Place?

The 2026 GPHG awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Geneva, Switzerland. The 26th annual ceremony will be held at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, where this year’s prize winners will be announced.

3. How Many Categories and Nominated Timepieces Are There?

For 2026, the GPHG has selected 84 nominated timepieces across 14 categories. The categories span traditional and highly technical watchmaking, including Time Only, Chronograph, Tourbillon, and Calendar, as well as more artistic and design-focused categories such as Gemset and Artistic Crafts. Together, they showcase the breadth of contemporary watchmaking, from sophisticated complications to exceptional craftsmanship and creative expression. The nominated watches will compete for the year’s GPHG prizes, culminating in the prestigious top award, Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix.

4. Who Chooses the GPHG Nominees and Winners?

The GPHG Academy plays a central role in selecting the nominated timepieces and determining the final prize list. The Academy includes around 1,000 international watchmaking experts and industry professionals. After the Academy’s initial selection, the nominated watches are physically evaluated by the GPHG Jury during the second round of voting. The final results combine the Jury’s votes with the Academy’s second electronic vote.

5. What Are Some of This Year’s Standout GPHG Nominees?

Complication | Czapek Time Jumper

The Czapek Time Jumper takes an unconventional approach to displaying time with its in-house Calibre 10.01. The 40.5mm stainless steel watch features a jumping-hour display across two sapphire discs, with trailing minutes shown on a peripheral ring. Its half-hunter cover adds another distinctive element, featuring three-dimensional guilloché designed to create a black-hole effect with a central loupe revealing the movement beneath. Created for Czapek’s 10th anniversary, the limited edition includes 100 pieces in stainless steel as well as 30 pieces in 18k yellow gold. Other notable complication nominees include the Dominique Renaud Pulse60 Ti Black and the Lederer CIC 39 InVerto Titanium.

Tourbillon | Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 Platinum

The Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 combines a constant-force mechanism with a tourbillon in a limited edition of just 11 pieces. Its manually wound movement provides 100 hours of power reserve, while the constant-force mechanism helps deliver consistent energy to the regulating organ. The mechanism is visible through the dial, while the tourbillon can be viewed through the sapphire caseback. The design by Arnold & Son also incorporates a deadbeat seconds display, with the seconds advancing in distinct one-second jumps.

Chronograph | Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux

The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux reimagines the traditional chronograph by making the complication effectively disappear when it is not being used. At rest, the 40mm watch has the appearance of a classic three-hand Tonda PF. Pressing the mono-pusher activates the chronograph, revealing central hour, minute, and seconds indications across the dial. The automatic Calibre PF053 features a triple-clutch architecture and five coaxial hands, creating an unusual display that allows the chronograph to appear only when needed.

Calendar & Astronomy | Krayon Anyday RG

The Krayon Anyday in rose gold offers an entirely different approach to calendar watchmaking. Rather than displaying only the current date, its innovative mechanism presents the entire month on the dial at once, allowing the wearer to see every day and date at a glance. The 39mm rose gold case houses Krayon’s 378-component Calibre C032, while the anthracite grey dial uses a peripheral display to track the date throughout the month. The result is a highly intuitive calendar complication designed around how people actually plan their days.

Petite Aiguille | MING × J.N. Shapiro 37.06 Lightning

The MING × J.N. Shapiro 37.06 Lightning brings together two independent watchmakers through a highly artisanal dial. Each grade-2 titanium dial is individually engine-turned by hand in Los Angeles by J.N. Shapiro using a traditional rose-engine lathe to create its distinctive Lightning guilloché pattern. The dial is then heat-colored by MING founder Ming Thein in Kuala Lumpur, giving each watch its own coloration. Housed in MING’s 38mm 37-series case, the watch pairs this handmade dial with a manual-winding MING-exclusive movement and 100 meters of water resistance

6. Which Brand Is Our Pick for Top to Watch at This Year’s GPHG?

Our eyes are on Parmigiani Fleurier at this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, with their impressive four nominated timepieces spanning multiple categories. Alongside the Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux, the maison is nominated for the Toric Petite Seconde in the Time Only category, the Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose in the new Essential grouping and the Toric Perpetual Calendar in the Calendar & Astronomy category. Together, these timepieces showcase Parmigiani Fleurier’s distinctive approach to traditional watchmaking, from understated elegance and artisanal finishing to sophisticated complications.

7. Where Can You See GPHG-Nominated Watches in the US?

If you can’t make it to Geneva for the 2026 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, you can still experience some of this year’s most exciting nominated timepieces. Visit OsterJewelers.com to explore our curated selection of GPHG 2026 nominees, featuring exceptional creations from renowned maisons and independent watchmakers. If you’re in Denver, visit our Oster Jewelers showroom in Cherry Creek North to view these pieces in person. Whether you’re searching for your next collector’s watch or simply exploring the latest in haute horlogerie, Oster Jewelers brings the excitement of GPHG closer to home.

^{_{*All Grand Prix d’Horlogerie images provided courtesy of GPHG.org*}}

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