On November 3, the day after the jury scrutinized the 84 nominated timepieces, I called GPHG president Raymond Loretan. He could of course not reveal anything about the results – but he was happy about this year’s edition, which also introduces Wei Koh as the new president of the jury. “The jury work has become a little bit more intense than in the past. We demand jury members come more prepared, and we also have some premeetings. This makes sure everybody is on the same level,” said Mr. Loretan.
He is particularly curious to see the result in Iconic, that as of this year also allows for non-competing brands to be nominated by the jury.
This change opening up for the entire industry to be part of is one way of how Mr. Loretan together the small team of GPHG keeps pushing the event forward into the future. “But always as an observer. I have nothing to do with the jury work, and I have to be extremely diplomatic,” he said.
Swiss President Opening
Looking back at GPHG’s youth in the early 2000s it was more of an unknown provincial affair. Now the Swiss importance can be signified by the fact that none other than the Swiss confederation president Guy Parmelin opened the Bangkok stop on the global GPHG tour that precedes the main award ceremony in November.
“And the opening in Geneva at the museum of history and art was beyond expectation. Full house, a lot of good remarks about selection, and also here in Geneva, the recognition by authorities of Geneva city and Canton are very important for the legitimacy and visibility,” Mr. Loretan continued.
Since he started chairing the organization in 2018, universality, stricter rules, and promoting watchmaking as a culture and as an art has been his lodestars.
The Academy, with 1,000 members around the world was one of the first things that I wanted to implement, and it was in place already in 2020, he said. “We have competing watches from all over the world, but it is still a domination of Swiss watches,” he continued.
English becoming the lingua franca
Another aspect of the universality is that what used to be a francophone affair is more and more adapting English as lingua franca. “This edition is taking some more steps in this direction. But we are not forgetting that we are still in Geneva,” he said.
To Mr. Loretan the 84 timepieces offer a very nice representation of the watch situation today. “It is a great dynamic representation of what the watch world is today: independents, large maisons, collaborations between maisons,” he said, adding that alongside the evolution of the GPHG, its three main principles remain the same: universality, neutrality, solidarity.
"Now we just have to wait for the results on Saturday,” said Raymond Loretan.
FAQ
What is the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)?
The GPHG is an annual watchmaking awards event held in Geneva, recognizing timepieces across multiple categories through an international jury and academy, culminating in a ceremony each November.
When is the 2026 GPHG award ceremony, and which edition is it?
The 2026 GPHG award ceremony takes place on Saturday, November 7, in Geneva; it marks the 26th edition of the event, recognizing 84 nominated timepieces this year.
Who is Raymond Loretan, and who is the new GPHG jury president for 2026?
Raymond Loretan has chaired the GPHG foundation since 2018; for the 2026 edition, Wei Koh takes over as the new president of the jury.
What changed in the GPHG’s Iconic category for 2026?
As of 2026, the Iconic category also allows the jury to nominate non-competing brands, opening the category to the wider watchmaking industry beyond brands that formally entered the competition.
