GPHG 2026 Opens Call for Entries
The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève has officially opened the submission period for its 26th edition. Watch brands from around the world have until June 19, 2026, to enter their models in this year’s competition. The awards ceremony will take place on November 7, 2026, at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva.
Today, the GPHG is regarded as the most prestigious international award in the watch industry and is often referred to as the “Oscar of watchmaking.” Since its inception in 2001, the competition has annually recognized outstanding achievements in design, technology, craftsmanship, and innovation. Over the years, the award has evolved into a central platform where brands not only present new models but also showcase their positioning within the international world of haute horlogerie.
New categories replace gender-based classifications
The structural changes in this year’s edition are particularly striking. The GPHG is responding to shifts within the industry and moving away from traditional, gender-based categories.
The following categories are being introduced:
- Essential Watch
- Complication Watch
- Gemset Watch
INSIGHT-LUXURY reported: https://insight-luxury.com/2026/04/08/gphg-strukturiert-kategorien-neu/
The Academy as a global network for the watch industry
The so-called Academy plays a special role within today’s GPHG; it has been significantly expanded in recent years and now has around a thousand members. Its members include international industry professionals from various fields—such as journalists, collectors, dealers, historians, curators, designers, and other prominent figures in the watchmaking world. The Academy’s goal is to make the selection process more inclusive, international, and independent.
Members first submit their own nominations for the competition and then participate in several rounds of voting. In doing so, the GPHG has deliberately moved away from a purely jury-driven system toward a more community-based evaluation model. Today, the Academy serves, in a sense, as the global voice of international watch culture and helps to incorporate diverse perspectives from the industry, retail, media, and the collector community into the evaluation process.
Right at the start of this year’s edition, the Academy proposed several hundred designs, from which brands can then choose or add their own designs.
Selection Process and Jury
In the summer, the Academy will hold its first round of voting to select the 84 nominated timepieces. The final selection will be announced on September 1.
The final decision is then made by the jury, chaired by Wei Koh. The jury evaluates the nominated models in person in Geneva a few days before the awards ceremony, under the supervision of a notary. The winners are determined by a combination of the jury’s evaluation and a second electronic vote by the Academy.
Between an industry award and a cultural platform
In recent years, the GPHG has evolved beyond a mere award ceremony. For many brands, participating in the event is now part of their strategic positioning within the international collector and luxury markets. Independent manufacturers, in particular, use the GPHG platform to gain visibility and relevance in the international market.
At the same time, the competition highlights year after year the themes that are currently shaping the industry—from technical innovations and new approaches to materials to societal changes within the luxury sector itself.
This year’s changes clearly demonstrate that the GPHG is also evolving: moving away from traditional categories and toward a more contemporary, internationally oriented definition of watchmaking.
For more information about the GPHG and submissions: https://www.gphg.org/en
Images: (c)GPHG
