Audemars Piguet 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.

Greubel Forsey 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.

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Sinn 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.

Bell & Ross 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.