The 2021 Geneva Watch Grand Prix marks the first major post-epidemic event in the history of the watch industry. It was held at the Geneva Theater of Leman in early November with great fanfare. The 84 finalists competed for the largest watchmaking award and witnessed the gathering of all the major players in the industry that night. We bring you a summary of the best watches of 2021.
Bulgari OCTO FINISSIMO perpetual calendar
After experiencing so many record-breaking watches, it is not surprising that Bulgari brought home the coveted "gold pointer" Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Award. It is currently the thinnest perpetual calendar in the world and the seventh in Bulgari's continuous world record since 2014. The award also marks the first time an Italian-born brand has won this prestigious award. "This is the first time an Italian[1]-born brand has won GPHG. This is an example of Italian genius and obsession with details," Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin said when accepting the award.
The thinnest perpetual calendar watch on the market is equipped with a 40 mm case with a total thickness of only 5.80 mm. The lightweight titanium case houses the BVL 305 automatic movement, which is only 2.75 mm thick. In addition to the obvious thinness of the watch, the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar is also a feature-rich watch. This timepiece earned a Brownie score for its eye-catching Octo design, retrograde date, day of the week, month, leap year, 60-hour power reserve and angled slender bracelet.
GRAND SEIKO HI-BEAT 36000 80-hour caliber 9SA5
Grand Seiko won the men's watch category with its well-deserved Hi-Beat 36000 80-Hours 9SA5. This award marks the first award for a Japanese watch brand since participating in the GPHG in 2014. As one of the outstanding timepieces that represent the brand's new philosophy of "the essence of time", the watch captures the beauty and watchmaking expertise of Shizukuishi Workshop with its textured dial, as well as the revolutionary 9SA5 movement. The dial design of this watch is inspired by the slender and gorgeous birch forest of Shizukuishi near the Grand Seiko studio. Complementing the dial are the powerful hands and the prominent notches that provide perfect legibility. The entire watch is treated with the iconic Zaratsu polishing technology, presenting a harmonious and charming distortion-free mirror effect. The core of the watch is the innovative Hi-beat Calibre 9SA5, which oscillates at a frequency of 36000 vph and provides an 80-hour power reserve.
Men's Complication Watch Award:
MB&F LMX Titanium Alloy
According to the description of the GPHG Men's Complication Award, this category requires men's timepieces that "excelled in mechanical creativity and complexity". Who can represent this category better than MB&F. The impressive MB&F LMX Titanium celebrates the 10th anniversary of the brand’s Legacy Machines series and is the watch that won the Men’s Complications Watch Award this year.
Like its earlier iterations, the LMX has a central flying balance wheel and two inclined dials (made of stretched white paint), each of which displays the hours and minutes. The watch also pays tribute to LM1's world's first vertical power reserve indicator with a new three-dimensional rotating display, providing an impressive 7-day power reserve. These complex functions are powered by MB&F's highly symmetrical engine and can be seen through the front and back of the case.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak "Treasure" ultra-thin
Audemars Piguet has won the iconic watch award for its recently launched Royal Oak "Jumbo" ultra-thin watch. The Royal Oak was designed by Gerald Genta and displayed to the world at the Basel International Watch Fair in 1972. It has been a symbol of watchmaking for decades.
The Royal Oak "Jumbo" ultra-thin watch is ticked among many iconic watches, which also marks the first time the brand has released the Royal Oak with a slim appearance. Despite the word "Jumbo" attached to the name, this watch is only 8.1 mm thick and provides a slim structure on the wrist. It uses a 39 mm full 950 platinum case and bracelet, and the smoked green dial is decorated with sunburst patterns. This watch is powered by the self-winding Manufacture Calibre 2121, which provides simple functions such as hours, minutes and date.
DE BETHUNE DB Two tourbillons
De Bethune DB Kind of Two Tourbillon has been loved by fans from the beginning, and is known for its two dials showing two unique identities. On the one hand, it opens the entire world of fashionable modern design and technology supremacy, on the other hand, it allows the wearer to explore more traditional watchmaking styles. There are central hour and minute hands on one side of the dial, and the tourbillon is comfortably located at 6 o'clock and 30 seconds indication. A more traditional time display is used on the back, and the central part is decorated with exquisite handmade guilloche patterns, surrounded by numbers we saw on the dials of early models such as DB8 and DB10.
Offering two different watches for one price, De Bethune DB Kind of Two Tourbillon is completely reversible and can be worn on either side according to the mood of the day.
Last year, Piaget won the "golden hand" with its Altiplano Ultimate Concept watch, which has an overall height of only 2 mm. This year, an almost similar example-Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Automatic won the best mechanical anomaly watch award.
The brand's ultra-thin movement history can be traced back to 1957, when it first introduced the 2 mm manual winding 9P movement. Since then, Piaget has no doubt about the ultra-thin movement. The Altiplano Ultimate Automatic released on 2021 Watches and Wonders is no exception. As the second thinnest automatic watch on the market, with an overall thickness of 4.3 mm, it is interesting to understand the process behind the complex design and construction of the case and movement. There is no difference between the movement (the revolutionary 910P movement) and the external elements of the watch.
This structure fits the plywood on the dial side and makes the main board the bottom cover, which is composed of 219 parts. This watch has a combination of white gold and Piaget’s iconic blue.
There are alternating dual and simple hour markers on the dial, and is equipped with an off-center hour and minute display.
Following the "Aiguille d'Or", the chronograph award category is GPHG's most prestigious and competitive award. This year, Zenith won this award for its sporty Chronomaster Sport. This new chronograph from Zenith has always been the top competitor for many watch collectors' must-have watches.
Following Zenith's tradition of producing excellent automatic chronographs, Chronomaster Sport is a modern version of the icon of the 1960s-El Primero. On the GPHG award night, Zenith’s CEO Julien Tornare took the time to thank the men and women responsible for creating original works in the 1960s when accepting the award.
The 2021 version uses a 41 mm sturdy steel case with pump buttons and a unique polished black ceramic bezel. The black or white dial is equipped with the iconic El Primero three-color counter, blue, anthracite and light gray. Each chronograph has a scale of 60, and the reading is convenient and intuitive. The watch is equipped with the latest version of the legendary El Primero 3600 movement, which can measure and display the elapsed time, accurate to 1/10 second.
Louis Vuitton TAMBOUR STREET DIVER SKYLINE blue
When Louis Vuitton launched its first Tambour chronograph in 2002, we hardly knew that the series would continue to be one of its most popular watches. The newly released Tambour Street Diver Skyline Blue has just won the annual GPHG Best Diver's Watch Award.
The design of this watch is full of sportiness, combining the traditional functions of a typical dive watch with the modern beauty of a contemporary sports watch. It uses a 44 mm dual-tone stainless steel drum case with a wide base and a slender top. The twelve letters forming "Louis Vuitton" are engraved on the side of the steel bezel and filled with blue to match the middle of the dark blue PVD-coated case. It has two screw-in crowns (1:30 for the diving bezel and the other winding crown at 3 o'clock), 100-meter water resistance, Super-LumiNova on the dial, internal rotating bezel, and quick-change strap system .
The watch also offers the popular concept of "aligned V", which means that the letter V on the diving scale can be rotated to align with the matching V on the tip of the minute hand. The alignment of the two Vs forms an X, marking the beginning of the dive.
MB&F LM SE EDDY JAQUET'Around the World in Eighty Days'
One of the highlights of the night was that MB&F won the Artistic Crafts Watch award for its outstanding LM SE Eddy Jaquet'Eighty Days Around the World' watch.
This watch shows the extraordinary imagination and skills of the talented engraver Eddy Jaquet. It is part of a series of 8 unique works with a complex hand-carved dial depicting Jules Verne's novels, including "Around the World in Eighty Days."
LM SE Eddy Jaquet's "Around the World in Eighty Days" is a perfect example of the power of storytelling through carvings. It is unique in that it reproduces the famous story of this French novelist. For each work, Jacques reads and rereads (in some cases) Verne's original work. He then redesigned it on the main board of the watch, which also acts as a dial. The extensive use of different engraving and finishing techniques provides illustrations with many elements that enhance the dramatic rendering of the scene. In order to adapt the watch to Jacques's concept, the original design of LM had to undergo many changes. These include the creation of a new hollow date, a power reserve sundial with a wider plate, a slimmer frame and a new crystal dome.
The LM SE Eddy Jaquet "Around the World in Eighty Days" watch uses an 18K red gold case and is equipped with an LM SE movement that provides a 72-hour power reserve.
For the uninitiated, the "Petite Aiguille" award is awarded to watches with a retail price of between 3,500 and 10,000 Swiss francs. It is also the only category that recognizes smart watches in the entire GPHG.
This year, Tudor won the "Petite Aiguille" award for its Biwan ceramics. This new timepiece is the brand's first regular production diving watch, with a 41 mm black matt ceramic case. This also marks the brand's first timepiece to be certified by the METAS Observatory (Master Chronometer).
As far as the design of the watch is concerned, Biwan Ceramics uses a domed matte black dial with three-dimensional hour markers, and the iconic "snowflake" hands are filled with Swiss A-level Super-LumiNova® luminous material. The overall ceramic case is sandblasted, and the beveled edges are mirror-polished to create a perfect contrast. The mixed black leather and rubber strap enhances the overall black appearance of the watch.
Biwan Ceramics is equipped with its own MT5602-1U movement, which provides hour, minute and second functions. Like other parts of the watch, the movement is finished in black, the rotor is made of black tungsten steel, and the plywood and main board are decorated with polishing, laser and sandblasting. The movement provides a power reserve of 70 hours, making it a "suitable for weekend use" watch. what is that? This is a watch that can take off on Friday and be worn on Monday without winding.
Louis Vuitton TAMBOUR CARPE DIEM
As the name suggests, the GPHG Audacity Award recognizes watches with non-compliant and alternative design or watchmaking methods. Luxurious and excessive (in a good way) Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem won the Audacity Award in 2021, also known as the "jacquemart" of the 21st century[1] century. What is "Jacques Mar"? This is an automaton that uses a timekeeping mechanism that indicates hours and minutes to tell the time.
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem dial is decorated with skulls and snakes, which is decorative and functional. It not only reflects the bold and avant-garde design, but with the push of a button, the dial will come to life and indicate the time like a jacquard. How does it work? Once the reptile-shaped button on the side of the case is pressed, the head of the central snake will lift up, exposing the hour hole on the forehead of the skull, while the rattlesnake swings towards the minute under the power reserve hourglass. At the same time, Monogram Flower, who replaced the skull eyes, made a mocking laugh, and Carpe Diem, which means "seize the day." All these wonders, once opened, will last for a total of 16 seconds, and are fully synchronized.
This specific function is made possible by constructing the watch frame around two important axes, so that the automatic machine can tell the time as needed without manual operation. In addition to these additional functions, this watch is also equipped with jumping time, retrograde minute repeater and power reserve indicator. The watch uses a 46.8 mm 18K pink gold case and is equipped with an LV 525 movement with a power reserve of 100 hours.
What is the special jury award? This is an optional award to recognize individuals, institutions and initiatives dedicated to promoting high-quality watchmaking. In 2021, the jury decided to award Dubai Watch Week awards, especially Seddiqi & Sons watch boutique retail chain.
Dubai Watch Week was held for the fifth time last month and has become one of the most popular, educational and cultural platforms for all watch industries. The four-day exhibition provided a place for the watch industry to unite and created an opportunity to introduce the craftsmanship of generations of watch lovers. Hind Seddiqi said: "Together with leading watch brands, outstanding speakers and guests from all over the world-plus entertainment, local and international food concepts-our goal is to create a unique education, experience and social Activities.", Director-General of Dubai Watch Week.
The performance was held from November 24th to 28th, and it was bigger and grander than the previous version. Participation of more than 45 leading brands, multiple immersive and interactive panel discussions, hands-on workshops led by professional craftsmen, and a grand display of many exclusive watches in the brand showroom.
Chopard Flower Power, which won the best jewelry watch in the 2021 GPHG Awards, belongs to Chopard's iconic red carpet series with the theme of heaven. Flower Power is carefully crafted by brand craftsmen, inspired by the paradise concept of co-president and art director Caroline Scheufele, and pays tribute to outstanding gems. This jewellery watch is decorated with pink sapphires and pear-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds (total weight approximately 30 carats), forming a wreath that is beautifully witnessed on the wrist. The extensive use of these special gems represents Caroline Scheufele's interpretation of the Garden of Eden.
In addition, the pink mother-of-pearl dial is set with 12 sapphires and is surrounded by a diamond-encrusted bezel, which perfectly matches the rest of the watch. The entire watch is made of 18K white gold certified by Fairmined, a tribute to the heaven of light.