Last week, I received an invitation to be part of the newly formed Academy of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. For those of us who love watches and watchmaking, there can be no greater honour than to be called upon to serve in this capacity, to be asked to be part of the organisation that recognises and rewards the very best of what our industry has to offer.
I was not alone in my delight in being asked to participate. Throughout the week, I was contacted by friends and industry colleagues sharing the news about their invitations — I must say I’m very proud to be counted among them, people I have respected and admired my entire career.
Many will find the Academy to be a welcome addition to the GPHG organisation, bringing a new level of inclusiveness and transparency to the nominating and voting process. One thing that I always felt was a pity in the past was that there were a great number of highly qualified individuals who were precluded from being on the GPHG jury, due to their affiliations with watch companies. The Academy specifically addresses this issue, opening its doors to those who are employed by watch brands but nevertheless possess great knowledge and insights that would be an unparalleled asset to the GPHG process.
The pioneer generation of Academy members has been selected by the GPHG Foundation, but future members will join based on nominations by existing members, a system which will allow the Academy to grow in the most successful way.
The full list of Academy members will be published on the GPHG website at the beginning of April, and then it won’t be long until we get to work selecting and nominating watches for the different categories.
I, for one, can’t wait to get started.
The New GPHG Academy is Launched
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A welcome addition to the industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony.
