Geneva, 13 November 2025: Eighty-four watches and six clocks from fifty-four brands competed for one of twenty prizes, including the coveted Aiguille d’Or, at the 25th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) held on Thursday evening at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices (BFM). Established in 2001, the GPHG celebrates the craft’s creative and cultural vitality. This year reintroduced the Mechanical Clock category and retained the Eco-Innovation prize launched in 2024, reaffirming the Foundation’s role in shaping horology’s evolving narrative.
Once an industrial waterworks built on the Rhône, the BFM now rises like a luminous vessel of Swiss culture. Its stone arches and metal framework reflecting both history and precision. Inside, beneath the wooden vaults designed for opera acoustics, the ceremony unfolded with the quiet orchestration of a perfectly tuned movement. Editors, collectors and CEOs mingled under soft light; conversations carried the low hum of anticipation. “It is a gala night,” one noted guest observed, “where people dress well and watches speak louder than words.”
Breguet CEO Gregory Kissling holding the ‘Aiguille d’Or’ prize for the Classique Souscription 2025
The evening’s Aiguille d’Or went to Breguet’s Classique Souscription 2025, a distilled rebirth of the 1796 subscription model rendered in white enamel and animated by a single blued-steel hand. “It is more difficult to create a clean watch than a complicated one,” reflected CEO Gregory Kissling, framing the piece as both tribute and manifesto on the house’s 250th anniversary, a reminder that true sophistication lies in restraint.
Other highlights reflected the diversity of modern horology’s expression. Daniel Roth’s Extra Plat, winner of the Time Only prize, revived 1990s elegance with elliptical grace, while Urban Jürgensen’s UJ-2 Double Wheel Natural Escapement, which earned the Men’s Watch prize, extended Breguet’s mechanical lineage under the stewardship of Kari Voutilainen. “Relaunching a 250-year-old brand is both a responsibility and a challenge,” Voutilainen said, his tone equal parts reverent and restless.
Greubel Forsey CEO Michel Nydegger holding the ‘Mechanical Exception’ prize for the Nano Foudroyante
The Bovet 1822 Récital 30, winner of the Men’s Complication category, turned world time into mechanical theatre, a “crazy bet,” as Pascal Raffy recalled, born during lockdown and realised through several years of meticulous development. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Greubel Forsey’s Nano Foudroyante, recipient of the Mechanical Exception prize, represented the apex of technical reduction, shrinking energy consumption by 1,800 times. “This award belongs to the 130 Greubel Forsey artisans who always dream big,” said CEO Michel Nydegger, his voice catching briefly in the moment.
As the night advanced, emotion surfaced repeatedly amid the elegance. Even seasoned CEOs and veteran watchmakers, normally composed in interviews, betrayed a flicker of awe as they held their awards. “It’s not just business for most of them, but passion,” one attendee noted. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon continued the brand’s record-breaking quest for thinness, while Angelus, marking its centenary, claimed the Chronograph prize for its Chronographe Télémètre, celebrating the golden age of utilitarian precision.
Zemith CEO Benoît de Clerck holding the ‘Chronometry’ prize for the G.F.J.
The Métiers d’Art trophy went to Voutilainen’s 28GML Souyou, a tranquil fusion of Japanese Urushi and Swiss steel, a “creation born of friendship and patience”, as Voutilainen called it. Meanwhile, M.A.D.Editions’ M.A.D.2 Green and Dennison’s Tiger Eye in Gold reminded guests that authenticity and creative joy still hold currency at a more accessible price in an era of spectacle.
In a moment heavy with symbolism, Zenith’s G.F.J. Calibre 135 earned the Chronometry Prize, honouring the mid-century movement once hailed as the king of precision trials. “It’s a conversation between the watchmakers of yesterday and those of today,” said CEO Benoît de Clerck, describing it as a dialogue of humility and excellence, proof that even in a data-driven world, accuracy remains emotional.
GPHG 2025 winners
As guests drifted towards the exits, the mood was unhurried, contemplative. Editors of trade magazines navigated the crowd, watchmakers embraced, and the hum of conversation softened into something almost mechanical in its rhythm. The night closed as it began, with a shared sense of awe for the human hand’s quiet mastery. Like the movements inside their creations, the GPHG 2025 ceremony ran with flawless precision, every emotion calibrated, every gesture sincere.
Full Prize List:
“Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix: Breguet Classique Souscription 2025
Ladies’ Watch: Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal
Ladies’ Complication: Chopard Imperiale Four Seasons
Time Only: Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold
Men’s Watch: Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 Double Wheel Natural Escapement
Men’s Complication: Bovet 1822 Récital 30
Iconic: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Tourbillon: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
Mechanical Exception: Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante
Chronograph: Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Yellow Gold
Sports: Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF
Jewellery: Dior Montres La D de Dior Buisson Couture
Artistic Crafts: Voutilainen 28GML Souyou
“Petite Aiguille”: M.A.D Editions M.A.D.2 Green
Challenge: Dennison Natural Stone Tiger Eye In Gold
Mechanical Clock: L’EPÉE 1839 Albatross L’Epée 1839 X MB&F
Audacity: Fam Al Hut Möbius
Horological Revelation: Anton Suhanov St. Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock
Chronometry: Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135
Special Jury Prize: Alain Dominique Perrin
More details at GPHG.
This article reads overwhelmingly like it was written by an LLM at various points.