• CALENDAR - Calendar watches come in many incarnations and this is a tough field to judge. Clockwise from top left: Hermès Slim d’Hermès QP, Claude Meylan Full Calendar, Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet, Hublot Classic Fusion Aeromoon, Carl F Bucherer Manero ChronoPerpetual Only Watch 2015 and Ulysse Nardin FreakLab. Courtesy GPHG
    CALENDAR - Calendar watches come in many incarnations and this is a tough field to judge. Clockwise from top left: Hermès Slim d’Hermès QP, Claude Meylan Full Calendar, Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet, Hublot Classic Fusion Aeromoon, Carl F Bucherer Manero ChronoPerpetual Only Watch 2015 and Ulysse Nardin FreakLab. Courtesy GPHG
  • CHRONOGRAPH - Chronograph watches are extremely popular with collectors. Clockwise from top left: Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold, Eberhard & Co Contograf, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher, Longines Column-Wheel Single Push-Piece Chronograph, Bell & Ross BR-X1 Tourbillon Chronograph and TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 18. Courtesy GPHG
    CHRONOGRAPH - Chronograph watches are extremely popular with collectors. Clockwise from top left: Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold, Eberhard & Co Contograf, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher, Longines Column-Wheel Single Push-Piece Chronograph, Bell & Ross BR-X1 Tourbillon Chronograph and TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 18. Courtesy GPHG
  • JEWELLERY - Jewellery watches are more about the creative ways that gems are set and strung together, the ways that mechanisms are miniaturised to fit the delicate bracelets and the originality of the designs. From left: Fabergé Summer in Provence, Hublot Big Bang Unico '10 Years' Haute Joaillerie, Piaget Extremely Piaget Double Sided Cuff Watch, Champs Elysées Rive Blanche Nymphéas and Chaumet Joséphine Aigrette Impériale. Courtesy GPHG
    JEWELLERY - Jewellery watches are more about the creative ways that gems are set and strung together, the ways that mechanisms are miniaturised to fit the delicate bracelets and the originality of the designs. From left: Fabergé Summer in Provence, Hublot Big Bang Unico '10 Years' Haute Joaillerie, Piaget Extremely Piaget Double Sided Cuff Watch, Champs Elysées Rive Blanche Nymphéas and Chaumet Joséphine Aigrette Impériale. Courtesy GPHG
  • LADIES - Ladies watches are a more diverse field overall than the men's category. Clockwise from top left: Hermès Arceau Petite Lune with diamonds, Audemars Piguet Millenary, Claude Meylan Lionne Sheherazade, Chopard Imperiale 36mm Joaillerie, Chanel Boy∙Friend Beige Gold and TAG Heuer Carrera Cara Delevigne. Courtesy GPHG
    LADIES - Ladies watches are a more diverse field overall than the men's category. Clockwise from top left: Hermès Arceau Petite Lune with diamonds, Audemars Piguet Millenary, Claude Meylan Lionne Sheherazade, Chopard Imperiale 36mm Joaillerie, Chanel Boy∙Friend Beige Gold and TAG Heuer Carrera Cara Delevigne. Courtesy GPHG
  • LADIES' HIGH MECHANICAL - The super high end of the women's watch market. From left: Montblanc Bohème Perpetual Calendar Jewellery, Piaget Altiplano 1200S, Jaquet Droz Lady 8 Flower and Chaumet Hortensia Creative Complication. Courtesy GPHG
    LADIES' HIGH MECHANICAL - The super high end of the women's watch market. From left: Montblanc Bohème Perpetual Calendar Jewellery, Piaget Altiplano 1200S, Jaquet Droz Lady 8 Flower and Chaumet Hortensia Creative Complication. Courtesy GPHG
  • MECHANICAL EXCEPTION - If you are looking for the crazy stuff, the Mechanical Exception category fits the bill. From left: Jaquet Droz The Charming Bird, Hublot MP-12 Key of Time Skeleton, TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Phantom and Oris Calibre 111. Courtesy GPHG
    MECHANICAL EXCEPTION - If you are looking for the crazy stuff, the Mechanical Exception category fits the bill. From left: Jaquet Droz The Charming Bird, Hublot MP-12 Key of Time Skeleton, TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Phantom and Oris Calibre 111. Courtesy GPHG
  • MEN'S - This category only requires that the watch is targeted toward men. Clockwise from top left: Manufacture Royale 1770 Voltige, Tiffany & Co CT60 3-Hand 40mm, Laurent Ferrier Galet Square, Leroy Chronomètre Observatoire and Montblanc Heritage Chronométrie Dual Time. Courtesy GPHG
    MEN'S - This category only requires that the watch is targeted toward men. Clockwise from top left: Manufacture Royale 1770 Voltige, Tiffany & Co CT60 3-Hand 40mm, Laurent Ferrier Galet Square, Leroy Chronomètre Observatoire and Montblanc Heritage Chronométrie Dual Time. Courtesy GPHG
  • PETITE AIGUILLE - The 'little hand' award is limited to watches that retail for less than US$8,500. The focus is on watches that offer a lot of value, which can come in a lot of different forms. Clockwise from top left: Claude Meylan Lac Tortue de Joux, Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, Tudor North Flag, Zenith Elite 6150, TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 Chronograph and Habring2 Felix. Courtesy GPHG
    PETITE AIGUILLE - The 'little hand' award is limited to watches that retail for less than US$8,500. The focus is on watches that offer a lot of value, which can come in a lot of different forms. Clockwise from top left: Claude Meylan Lac Tortue de Joux, Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, Tudor North Flag, Zenith Elite 6150, TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 Chronograph and Habring2 Felix. Courtesy GPHG
  • SPORTS - What makes a good sport watch is very different: wearability, durability, and legibility are the real keys. Clockwise from top left: Baume & Mercier Shelby Cobra, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, Tudor Pelagos, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph, Clerc Hydroscaph GMT Power-Reserve Chronometer and Tissot T-Touch Solaire Dame. Courtesy GPHG
    SPORTS - What makes a good sport watch is very different: wearability, durability, and legibility are the real keys. Clockwise from top left: Baume & Mercier Shelby Cobra, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, Tudor Pelagos, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph, Clerc Hydroscaph GMT Power-Reserve Chronometer and Tissot T-Touch Solaire Dame. Courtesy GPHG
  • STRIKING - Chiming watches are one of the toughest things a watchmaker can try to produce. From left: Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges, Hublot Big Bang Alarm Repeater, Franc Vila Inaccessible Tourbillon Minute Repeater and A Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. Courtesy GPHG
    STRIKING - Chiming watches are one of the toughest things a watchmaker can try to produce. From left: Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges, Hublot Big Bang Alarm Repeater, Franc Vila Inaccessible Tourbillon Minute Repeater and A Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. Courtesy GPHG
  • TOURBILLON - The tourbillon is essentially the complication when it comes to high-end watchmaking. Clockwise from top left: Blancpain L-evolution C Tourbillon Carrousel, Montblanc Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama, Fabergé Visionnaire, Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon, Raymond Weil Nabucco Cello Tourbillon and Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon. Courtesy GPHG
    TOURBILLON - The tourbillon is essentially the complication when it comes to high-end watchmaking. Clockwise from top left: Blancpain L-evolution C Tourbillon Carrousel, Montblanc Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama, Fabergé Visionnaire, Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon, Raymond Weil Nabucco Cello Tourbillon and Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon. Courtesy GPHG

Business

Timepieces vie for awards in Oscars of watchmaking world – in pictures

Liz Claus

August 05, 2015

  • English
  • Arabic

Almost 200 watches from 84 different brands are going head-to-head for this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the most prestigious award ceremony in watchmaking.

Technology