Indeed, 15 brands have been selected twice or more, starting with Chopard, whose six competing watches have all been nominated! This bodes well for the brand, which already won the Aiguille d’Or in 2017. With four finalist watches each, GPHG regulars Audemars Piguet, Bvlgari and Parmigiani Fleurier should also stand out in the final vote. Nothing is ever guaranteed, as Parmigiani Fleurier knows all too well: last year, it had four nominated watches, and six in 2024, but none took home an award. Three brands have achieved a promising hat trick, all of them previous winners: Bovet 1822, H. Moser & Cie and Piaget. Finally, eight brands have won the favor of Academy members with two candidates each: Christiaan Van Der Klaauw, Ferdinand Berthoud, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Grand Seiko, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Vuitton (also selected in the Clock category for its collaboration with De Bethune), and heavyweight TAG Heuer (Aiguille d’Or 2012). In its first participation, Dutch independent brand Christiaan Van Der Klaauw has therefore made quite an impression, just as it did at Watches & Wonders, where its booth in the Carré des Horlogers was constantly busy. Its CEO and master watchmaker Pim Koeslag is far from an unknown name, having spent many years working on the complicated timepieces of Frédérique Constant.
The important thing is to take part
Increasingly international, GPHG candidates now come from across the Atlantic (Massena Lab), across the Channel (Christopher Ward), China (Ming), the Middle East (Beda'a) and Japan (Naoya Hida & Co. and Otsuka Lotec), to name just a few striking examples when compared with the nominees of the 2010s.
We should also salute the notable return of Blancpain, absent from the GPHG for 12 years and undoubtedly motivated by Breguet’s Aiguille d’Or win last year. Its Grande Double Sonnerie positions it as a serious contender in the Mechanical Exception category. Franck Muller also remains in the competition, having returned to the GPHG last year.
For those who would like to admire them up close, these 84 finalist watches and clocks from the 2026 edition will be exhibited over the coming weeks in Mumbai, Bangkok, and then Geneva, where the awards ceremony will honor the winners on November 8. They will subsequently be exhibited in London. The ceremony will be broadcast live on WorldTempus on November 8, and we will be analyzing all the categories in the lead-up to the event.
Time only
From left to right and top to bottom: Bvlgari Octo Finissimo 37 Satin-Polished Titanium; Chopard L.U.C 1860; Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin Beige; Naoya Hida & Co. NH Type8A; Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde; Piaget Polo 79 Sodalite Watch
ESSENTIAL
From left to right and top to bottom: Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour; Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton; Grand Seiko Hand-engraved Manual-winding Spring Drive; MB&F SP One Platinum; Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose; Stéphane Pierre L'Impétrant
complication
From left to right and top to bottom: Cleguer Inspiration One; Czapek Time Jumper; Dominique Renaud Pulse60 Titanium Black; Lederer Watches CIC 39 InVerto Titanium; Ulysse Nardin x Urwerk UR-FREAK; Vianney Halter Behrens X Vianney Halter : KWH
MECHANICAL EXCEPTION
From left to right and top to bottom: Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie; Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike; Christiaan Van Der Klaauw CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Silicium; Ferdinand Berthoud Naissance d'une Montre 3; H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Cosmic Rain; Konstantin Chaykin Thinking Mystery
GEMSET
From left to right and top to bottom: Bovet 1822 Récital 23; Bvlgari Serpenti Aeterna; Chopard L'Heure du Diamant; Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery Skeleton; Piaget Swinging Pebble; Tiffany & Co. Paradise Bird Toucan
tourbillon
From left to right and top to bottom: Arnold & son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 Platinum; David Candaux DC6 Night Forest; Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 2TV; Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Three Gold Bridges; Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime Flying Tourbillon; Sylvain Pinaud 30s Tourbillon
Chronograph
From left to right and top to bottom: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 "150th Anniversary"; H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date; Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph; Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux; Rexhep Rexhepi Chronograph Flyback; TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph
CALENDAR & ASTRONOMY
From left to right and top to bottom: Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage; Berneron Quantième Annuel; Bovet 1822 Récital 31; Christiaan Van Der Klaauw CVDK Venus Annual Calendar; Krayon Anyday Rose Gold; Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Perpetual Calendar 30th Anniversary
Sports
From left to right and top to bottom: Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept; Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver; H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Pump; Hermès H08 squelette; IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume®; Laurent Ferrier Sport Traveller Slate Grey
JEWELLERY
ARTISTIC CRAFTS
From left to right and top to bottom: ANDERSEN Genève Celestial Voyager VK Edition; Audemars Piguet Établisseurs Nomade; Bovet 1822 Monsieur Bovet Tribute to Edouard Bovet; Bvlgari Serpenti Misteriosi; L.Leroy Vox Temporis; Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Arty Automata
petite aiguille
From left to right and top to bottom: Christopher Ward Loco Classic; Frédérique Constant Classic Worldtimer Manufacture; Massena Lab Noctograph by Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès; MING X J.N. Shapiro 37.06 Lightning; Otsuka Lotec No.8; TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph
Challenge
From left to right and top to bottom: Beaubleu La Pièce No.2; Beda'a Angles Guichets; Favre Leuba Chief Skeleton; Frédérique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding; Seiko King Seiko VANAC; SpaceOne SpaceOne X Baltic - Seconde Majeure
MECHANICAL CLOCK
From left to right and top to bottom: Carl Suchy & Söhne Table Waltz Tourbillon Mirror Edition; Chopard The Beehive Chiming Table Clock; L'Epée 1839 The Gekko; La Vallée Cosmo; Louis Vuitton x De Bethune LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius; Miki Eleta Frog Queen
