Royal Oak 15202
© Audemars Piguet

The 2019 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève awards were announced, with an unprecedented 19 trophies given. Audemars Piguet won the “Aiguille d'Or” Grand Prix for the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, while Kudoke took the “Petite Aiguille” for the Kudoke 2 and Tudor won the Challenge Watch Prize for the Black Bay P01.

Audemars Piguet was also honored with the Iconic Watch Prize for the Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-thin, making that line the most celebrated in the history of the award. Important complicated watches included Urwerk's Audacity Prize winning AMC, Genus' Mechanical Exception Prize winning GNS1.2, and Ferdinand Berthoud's Chronometry Watch Prize winning Carburised steel regulator. Audemars Piguet won the Men's Complication Watch Prize for the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater Supersonnerie, while MB&F won the Ladies' Complication Watch Prize for the Legacy Machine FlyingT. Chanel once again won the Ladies' Watch Prize, this time for the J12 Calibre 12.1, while Voutilainen won the Men's Watch Prize for the 28ti in November. Another important winner was Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic, which won the Chronograph Watch Prize.

Newcomers Genus, Kudoke, and Ming won their first award, while Audemars Piguet picked up 3 more, cementing their status as the most honored company in history. Voutilainen also impressed, with 2 awards, while Chanel and Seiko continued their dominance of the Ladies' and Sports/Diver's watch categories. Luc Pettavino was honored with the Special Jury Prize for founding Only Watch.

Grande Sonnerie
© Greubel Forsey

Greubel Forsey wins the prize for the extraordinary mechanical watch at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève

With this hitherto most complicated watch developed by this manufacturer, Greubel Forsey wins the “Mechanical Exception” award at the 18th Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).

Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and their team completed eleven years of research for this model, assembled no less than 935 components, filed two patents, incorporated Greubel Forsey's third basic invention (the Tourbillon 24 Secondes), developed an acoustic resonance cage generating an extreme purity of sound, installed eleven functional safety features, and carried out a three-year wear test.

more >>>

1800 Damaszener
© Sinn

Sinn presents a watch made of Damascus steel on the MunichTime 2018

The Frankfurt watch manufacturer Sinn presented a 100 pieces limited watch made of Damascus steel on the MunichTime in 2018. In order to bring the characteristics textures of Damascus steel to the fore – an organic pattern of alternating bands of light and dark – the dial and central part of the case are forged from a complete steel block rather than designed as separate components, as is customary. The result is rather remarkable for the Damascus pattern on the dial continues across the entire case to create a fascinating and impressive whole.

Damascus steel has fascinated humankind for centuries. It gained its legendary reputation above all in the making of swords, knives and blades. Damascus steel is a combination of at least two different types of steel, layered to create the aforesaid surface design.

The traditional art of making Damascus steel is very elaborate and portrays a unique blend of craftsmanship and application. During production, the different types of steel are layered and forge-welded together.

The piece is then forged, halved while in a glowing state and layered together again. Experts refer to this as ‘folding'. By combining soft and hard steels, a new kind of steel is created, one which displays properties of both. In the final stage of production, the Damascus pattern is made visible through surface etching. The steels are dissolved to varying extents by acid, thus forming the typical light and dark nuances.

Also during production of the 1800 S DAMASZENER, the layered structure is made visible through final surface etching, which gives the material its characteristic appearance. Each watch thus becomes an extraordinary and unique timepiece, as the flow of lines cannot be physically manipulated.

BR S-92 Golden Heritage
© Bell & Ross

Stylish timepiece by Bell & Ross

In December 2018, Bell & Ross presents this new model with the typical square case. The watch has a black dial with gilded indices and can optionally to be combined with a caramel colored leather bracelet or a Milanaise strap.

Temption CM-06
© Temption

Automatic

• Sinn 657
  Top quality at a still unbeaten price/performance ratio
• Temption CM-03 - Temption CM-06
  Consistent and courageous realization of an independent and credible product philosophy
• Bell & Ross BR 02 Pink Gold
  Synthesis of instrument watch and style

Hand winding

• TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1 Limited Edition
  First Carrera with manual winding since 1996
• Sinn 6100 Klassik B
  A regulator of a special kind, with interesting movement
• Audemars Piguet Millenary Deadbeat Seconds 26091
  Attractive design meets watchmaking innovation

Hand winding ultra flat

• Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin
  Watch aesthetics in pure culture, an authentic product of a manufacture
• Piaget Altiplano 40 mm
  The same, only from a competing provider

Chronographs - self-winding

• Hublot Big Bang
  Jean-Claude Biver has once again shown all
• Sinn U1000 Diver's chronograph - Sinn 756 Diapal UTC - Sinn 757
  Highest quality by Sinn to a still unbeaten price/performance ratio
• TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36 RS Caliper Concept watch
  High-quality manufacture movement measures 1/10 sec mechanically, the whole thing with a striking exterior garnish
• Rainer Brand Kerala Sport E
  The insider tip manufacturer keeps delivering authentic quality
• Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Safari"
  Perhaps the most beautiful model in the successful series of the Royal Oak Offshore

Breitling Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon
© Breitling

Chronographs - manual winding

• Breitling Bentley Mulliner Tourbillon
  A real “object of desire”, luxury chronograph with tourbillon
• A. Lange & Söhne Datograph-Perpetual
  Watchmaking art from Glashütte par excellence

World Timers / Watches with Additional Time Zone

• Sinn 6000 Finanzplatzuhr - Sinn 6066
  Successful model for stock market jobbers and other friends of complications
• Guinand World Time Watch WZU-5
  Helmut Sinn knows how to astonish experts even in his 90's
• Girard-Perregaux ww.tc - Financial
  World timer with class, style and manufacture know-how

Watches with Repetition

• Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Minutenrepetition Springende Stunde
  Audemars Piguet keeps loyal to its long tradition of elaborate repetitions

Vacheron Constantin Tour de L'Ile
© Vacheron Constantin

Watches with Perpetual Calendar

• Audemars Piguet Millenary Tradition d'Excellence 5
  Newly developed Escapement concept, attractively packaged
• Girard-Perregaux Laureato Evo 3 Chronograph Ewiger Kalender
  Sportiness meets haute horlogerie

Astronomical Watches - self-winding

• Vacheron Constantin Tour de L'Ile
  Showpiece of the oldest manufacture, presented at the 250-year jubilee

Astronomical Watches - manual winding

• Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002
  Invaluable — but we may all wonder
• A. Lange & Söhne Große Lange 1 "Luna Mundi" 2 Uhren
  Watch art at its absolute peak, but this time from Germany