The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), established in 2001 and often described as the “Oscars of watchmaking”, is set to bring its 2026 travelling exhibition to India. Hosted by one of the country’s luxury watch retailer giants, Ethos Limited, in Mumbai from September 28 to October 1, the exhibition will give Indian collectors and enthusiasts an opportunity to view the year’s nominated timepieces ahead of the 26th GPHG awards ceremony on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Geneva.

‍

‍

The GPHG is an international competition that promotes watchmaking art, culture, and technical excellence. Its highest distinction – the “Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix” – is awarded to the overall winning timepiece, alongside category prizes and several discretionary awards. Last year, this coveted prize was awarded to Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 which was created to mark the brand’s 250^th anniversary. The ceremony brings together international watch industry professionals, journalists, and collectors who participate in the nomination and voting process and collectively pick the winners.

‍

‍

Each year, the Jury involves different faces to ensure fairness, fresh perspectives, and to avoid institutional bias. A Jury President is appointed each year by the GPHG Foundation Board. For 2026, the Jury is led by Wei Koh, Founder of Revolution and The Rake, and the total number of members is 24. Nick Foulkes, British author and journalist, handed over the baton to Wei Koh after holding the position from 2021 to 2025.

‍

‍

Other members from the watchmaking and arts communities include collector and journalist Justin Hast, Editor-in-Chief of Chronos Japan Masayuki Hirota, automaton-maker and sculptor François Junod, Senior Editor of Hodinkee Mark Kauzlarich, CEO of Dubai Watch Week Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, CEO of the House of Breguet Gregory Kissling, and CEO of Ethos Limited in India Pranav Shankar Saboo, among others. Saboo’s father, Yashovardhan Saboo, the Founder and Chairman of Ethos Limited, also served on the Jury of the 2025 edition.

‍

‍

With the nominated watches travelling to Mumbai before the ceremony in Geneva, the 2026 GPHG provides Indian collectors with direct access to a broad cross-section of contemporary haute horlogerie, spanning traditional time-only watches, complications and tourbillons, artistic crafts, high jewellery, sports watches, and mechanical clocks.

‍

This is the third GPHG exhibition in India, following earlier showcases in New Delhi in 2014 and 2022 – also hosted by Ethos Limited. Also with Indian faces on the prestigious Jury panel, the move reflects the growing presence of India’s luxury watch market and collector community on the international horological calendar. Among the distinguished names that are bringing their nominated pieces are Audemars Piguet, Bvlgari, Chopard, Piaget, H. Moser & Cie, Parmigiani Fleurier, TAG Heuer, Tiffany & Co., Ulysse Nardin, Franck Muller, Favre Leuba, Bovet 1822, Jacob & Co., and many more.

‍

The GPHG travelling exhibition is organised directly by the foundation. It manages transportation, customs logistics, security, insurance, and presentation of the nominated watches. Brands are expected to provide an identical backup model when serious customs or shipping delays affect a stop. Each autumn, typically between September and November, nominated watches travel through major watchmaking centres and emerging markets before the awards ceremony. A separate selection of winning watches subsequently travels to additional international venues and partner events such as Dubai Watch Week or Watches of Switzerland in London.

‍

Also Read: GPHG 2025 concludes with Breguet Classique Souscription winning the Aiguille d'Or

‍

The 2026 Categories and Nominated Watches

‍

The GPHG prize categories could vary each year, and the 2026 competition features 14 categories and 20 prizes covering different areas of watchmaking. Each category has six nominated timepieces – 84 nominated timepieces overall, including 78 wristwatches and six mechanical clocks. One-of-a-kind watches are generally excluded from the categories and carry their own distinctive rules.

‍

The 'Time Only' category is reserved for watches displaying only analogue hours, minutes, and seconds.

Nominees: 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, and Piaget Polo 79 Sodalite Watch.

‍

‍

The 'Essential' category covers watches with indications such as date, power reserve, classic moon phase, and day/night displays.

Nominees: 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, and Stéphane Pierre L'Impétrant.

‍

‍

'Complication' recognises watches with creative mechanical complications and innovative indications.

Nominees: Cleguer Inspiration One, Czapek Time Jumper, Dominique Renaud Pulse60 Titanium Black, Lederer CIC 39 InVerto Titanium, Ulysse Nardin x Urwerk UR-FREAK, and Vianney Halter Behrens X Vianney Halter: KWH.

‍

‍

‘Mechanical Exception’ covers special mechanisms including sophisticated displays, automata, striking functions, unusual escapements, and other exceptional concepts.

Nominees: 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, and Konstantin Chaykin Thinking Mystery.

‍

‍

‘Gemset’ is for watches with up to six carats of gemstones and limited time indications.

Nominees: Bovet 1822 Récital 23, Bvlgari Serpenti Aeterna, Chopard L'Heure du Diamant, Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery Skeleton, Piaget Swinging Pebble, and Tiffany & Co. Paradise Bird Toucan.

‍

‍

‘Tourbillon’ covers mechanical watches with one tourbillon.

Nominees: 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, and Sylvain Pinaud 30s Tourbillon.

‍

‍

‘Chronograph’ recognises mechanical chronographs.

Nominees: 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, and TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph.

‍

‍

‘Calendar and Astronomy’ covers calendar and astronomical complications, including annual and perpetual calendars, equation of time, and complex moon phases.

Nominees: Audemars Piguet 150 Heritage, Berneron Quantième Annuel, Bovet 1822 Récital 31, Christiaan van der Klaauw CVDK Venus Annual Calendar, Krayon Anyday Rose Gold, and Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Perpetual Calendar 30th Anniversary.

‍

‍

The ‘Sports’ category covers watches designed around sporting use, functions, materials, and design.

Nominees: 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®, and Laurent Ferrier Sport Traveller Slate Grey.

‍

‍

‘Jewellery’ identifies exceptional jewellery and gem-setting expertise.

Nominees: Bvlgari Tubogas Manchette, Chopard Mystery Nut, Dior Montres Dior Grand Bal Nuit des Indes, Franck Muller Vanguard Curvex Cut® Flower, Jacob & Co Billionaire Double Tourbillon Angel-Cut Diamonds, and Piaget Flowing Curves Cuff Watch.

‍

‍

‘Artistic Crafts’ covers techniques such as enamelling, lacquering, engraving, guilloché, marquetry, and skeletonisation.

Nominees: 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, and Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Arty Automata.

‍

‍

“Petite Aiguille” is for watches priced between CHF 4,500 and CHF 10,000.

Nominees: Christopher Ward Loco Classic, Frédérique Constant Classic Worldtimer Manufacture, Massena LAB Noctograph by Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès, MING × J. N. Shapiro 37.06 Lightning, Otsuka Lotec No.8, and TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph.

‍

‍

‘Challenge’ covers watches priced at CHF 4,500 or below.

Nominees: BeaubIeau La Pièce No.2, Beda'a Angles Guichets, Favre Leuba Chief Skeleton, Frédérique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding, Seiko King Seiko VANAC, and SpaceOne SpaceOne X Baltic - Seconde Majeure.

‍

‍

Finally, the ‘Mechanical Clock’ is reserved for mechanical time-measuring instruments such as table and longcase clocks and excludes wristwatches.

Nominees: Carl Suchy & Söhne Table Waltz Tourbillon Mirror Edition, Chopard The Beehive Chiming Table Clock, L’Épée 1839 The Gekko, La Vallée Cosmo, Louis Vuitton x De Bethune LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius, and Miki Eleta Frog Queen.

‍

‍

Additional prizes for one-of-a-kind watches

Beyond the 14 category awards, the GPHG can award the “Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix” for the best overall timepiece, along with the category prizes. Additional discretionary awards include the Audacity Prize for a non-conformist approach to watchmaking, the Horological Revelation Prize for a young brand less than ten years old, and the Chronometry Prize for exceptional officially certified precision.

‍

The Iconic Watch Prize honours an emblematic collection or model with more than 20 years of influence on watchmaking history or a contemporary reinterpretation, including eligible watches released between May 2025 and the end of October 2026. The Special Jury Prize can recognise a personality, institution, initiative, or brand that has made a significant contribution to high-quality watchmaking, including technical innovation, design, materials, ethics or sustainability. These discretionary prizes are awarded only if the Jury decides there are grounds to do so in 2026.

‍

Chronoholic will bring coverage of the GPHG Mumbai exhibition; stay tuned to Chronoholic’s website and Instagram channel for the latest updates from the event.

‍

Images: GPHG

‍