SpotlightHighlights Of The 2024 GPHGs: IWC’s Eternal Calendar Wins The Top Prize, And More

If you take a look at the picture above, you’ll see some of the biggest names and faces in watchmaking. These are the proud new GPHG winners, holding their GPHG trophies that represent excellence in watchmaking for the past year. By awarding GPHG 2024 prizes to these brands, Nick Foulkes—chair of the GPHG Academy and the 2024 jury—paid tribute to their dynamism, expertise and creativity in contemporary watchmaking. Reflecting innovation and watchmaking crafts on various levels, the winning timepieces showcase a comprehensive overview of the best in watchmaking as we know it today.  Van Cleef & Arpels were the biggest winner of the night, in terms of numbers, taking away three GPHG 2024 prizes, namely ‘Artistic crafts’, ‘Ladies’ complication’, and ‘Ladies’ watch’. Chopard came next with GPHG 2024 prizes in the ‘Eco-innovation’ and ‘Jewellery watch’ categories. However, the biggest prize or the grand prix for the watch of the year, called the ‘Aiguille d’Or’ (‘golden needle’ in French) was awarded to the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar. Here are some key highlights of this IWC and other major winners of GPHG 2024 prizes.

‘Aiguille d’Or’ Grand Prix

IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Eternal Calendar

If you could call any watch truly ‘arresting’, it’s this Eternal Calendar. The most impressive new novelty launched at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, in my opinion, this high-complication piece was also nominated for the ‘Calendar and astronomy’ prize this year. Far more advanced than a regular perpetual calendar, this watch doesn’t require any adjustments till the year 3999, owing to a gear that completes a revolution once in 400 years. Further to that, the double moon phase indicator will not need adjustment for another 45 million years! And to help these functions carry on is the seven-day power reserve of the automatic movement. A technical masterpiece, this watch is bafflingly gorgeous, with a sublime frosted glass dial, offering translucency that elevates the visual impact—enhanced further by the domed sapphire crystal glass. It’s quite impossible that anyone is surprised that this watch won the biggest of the GPHG 2024 prizes.

Far more advanced than a regular perpetual calendar, this watch doesn’t require any adjustments till the year 3999, owing to a gear that completes a revolution once in 400 years. Further to that, the double moon phase indicator will not need adjustment for another 45 million years

Mechanical exception watch prize

Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1

Addressing the issue of daylight-saving time is no mean feat. It unsettles the countries that follow it, and perturbs people in other countries, who need to keep track of other time zones for various purposes. And the Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1 does the job with a roller system that accurately and automatically adjusts the time for the relevant zones, which is innovative to say the least. To top that, this Prowess features a tourbillon, a perpetual calendar and an indicator for its massive 240-hour power reserve. Anyone else impressed?

Addressing the issue of daylight-saving time is no mean feat. And the Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1 does the job with a roller system that accurately and automatically adjusts the time for the relevant zones

To top that, this Prowess features a tourbillon, a perpetual calendar and an indicator for its massive 240-hour power reserve

Time-only watch prize

H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel

When this watch was first unveiled towards the end of 2023, it was immediately an overwhelming success. In fact, in an interview with H. Moser’s CEO Eduard Meylan earlier this year, he told me, “It’s done phenomenally well. I mean, if we were to have accept all the reservation requests that we received, we would have an 18-year waiting period by now.” With a refreshing case size of 39mm, this smaller Streamliner also houses a new 74-hour, automatic, small seconds movement with a micro-rotor, and features a breath-taking blue ombré dial with grand feu enamelling. What’s not to love!

H. Moser’s CEO Eduard Meylan stated earlier this year, “[The Streamliner Small Seconds has] done phenomenally well. I mean, if we were to have accept all the reservation requests that we received, we would have an 18-year waiting period by now”

₹33,00,000

Check Our Selling Price

With a refreshing case size of 39mm, this smaller Streamliner also houses a new 74-hour, automatic, small seconds movement with a micro-rotor

₹33,00,000

Check Our Selling Price

It also breath-taking blue ombré dial with grand feu enamelling

₹33,00,000

Check Our Selling Price

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Calendar and astronomy watch prize

Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Silver

A beautiful watch with details that are just mesmerising, the Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Silver is a very soothing timepiece. With vintage-style numerals, a sector-style ring for the analogue date, the stunning double moon phase at six, fine details like the framing of the day and month apertures, a colour palette that is just so harmonious, and finishing that spells perfection, how could anyone not like this watch?

A Complete List Of Winners Of The GPHG 2024 Prizes

• ‘Aiguille d’Or’ Grand Prix: IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Eternal Calendar
• Audacity Prize: Berneron Mirage Sienna
• Eco-innovation Prize: Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier
• Chronometry Prize: Bernhard Lederer 3 Times Certified Observatory Chronometer
• Horological Revelation Prize: Rémy Cools Tourbillon Atelier
• Iconic Watch Prize: Piaget Polo 79
• Tourbillon Watch Prize: Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription
• Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize: Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Silver
• Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1
• Chronograph Watch Prize: Massena Lab Chronograph Monopoussoir Sylvain Pinaud X Massena Lab
• Sports Watch Prize: Ming 37.09 Bluefin
• Men’s Complication Watch Prize: De Bethune DB Kind Of Grande Complication
• Men’s Watch Prize: Voutilainen KV20i Reversed
• Time Only Watch Prize: H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel
• Jewellery Watch Prize: Chopard Laguna High-Jewellery Secret Watch
• Artistic Crafts Watch Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté
• Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Arpels Brise d’Été
• Ladies’ Watch Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Jour Nuit
• “Petite Aiguille” Watch Prize: Kudoke, 3 Salmon
• Challenge Watch Prize: Otsuka Lotec, No.6
• Special Jury Prize: Jean-Pierre Hagmann