GPHG Award trophy
With Watches & Wonders Geneva wrapped up, it’s time to take a look at a few other important announcements besides new products. One such topic is the GPGH. With its 26th edition on the horizon, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is signaling change—again. But this time, the adjustments arrive alongside new leadership, raising a bigger question: will incoming president Wei Koh bring meaningful evolution to a system long debated within the industry?
At first glance, the updates focus on structure. The long-standing gender-based categories—Men’s and Ladies’—are being retired in favor of more product-driven classifications: Essential Watch and Complication Watch. It’s a shift that acknowledges what the market has been demonstrating for years: buyers increasingly approach watches without rigid gender lines.
Further refinements follow that logic. A new gem-set category (capped at six carats) separates more commercial pieces from high jewelry creations, while one-of-a-kind watches will now be limited to the Jewelry Watch and Mechanical Clock categories—aimed at greater consistency in judging.
Two of the GPHG’s more visible prizes are also being recalibrated. The Iconic Watch Prize is now open to the broader market, including watches not formally entered, provided they reinterpret designs with at least two decades of influence. Meanwhile, the Special Jury Prize expands its scope to include brands—whether participating or not—for achievements ranging from technical innovation to sustainability initiatives.
On paper, these changes aim to improve “representativeness and clarity,” as outlined by foundation leadership. In practice, they touch on long-standing questions about what—and who—the GPHG represents.
The selection process itself remains largely intact, though not without adjustment. A 24-member jury (down from 30) will now deliberate under Koh’s leadership, blending appointed experts with randomly selected Academy members. Final winners will be selected via a combination of jury decisions and a digital vote from the Academy. The Academy’s size—now in the thousands—underscores the GPHG’s push for inclusivity, even as it complicates the idea of a tightly focused expert vote.
That structure continues to raise familiar questions across the industry: about scale versus expertise, geographic and demographic balance, and the role of a pay-to-enter system in shaping the final slate of nominees and winners. Not all brands participate, and not all observers agree on what the awards ultimately measure.
Still, the category overhaul and jury refinement suggest an awareness—if not yet a resolution—of those concerns.
Whether these updates mark the beginning of a deeper transformation or simply a measured course correction remains to be seen. With Wei Koh now at the helm of the jury, the 2026 edition may offer the first real indication of how far the GPHG is willing—or able—to evolve.
The GPHG event announcing the winners takes place this year on November 7 in Geneva.
