I Voted in the GPHG, the Oscars of Watchmaking—Here’s What It Was Like

In late July, I woke up to an out-of-the-blue text: “Hello Victoria, do you fancy joining the jury of the GPHG this year?”

It was from Nick Foulkes, the influential London-based historian, author, and journalist who has served as president of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève jury since 2021. Founded in 2001, the awards are the most prestigious event in all of watchmaking. The list of past winners serves as the industry’s de facto who’s who. That’s another way of saying that bagging a trophy (in the form of a large, and heavy, gilded bronze hand) at the annual ceremony—the 2024 edition took place on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva—is a big deal, even for watchmakers who don’t need the publicity. “Imagine being the best runner in the world, but never winning a race,” William Massena, founder of Massena LAB, whose collab with Sylvain Pinaud took home the Chronograph Prize. “It’s about the clout and the prestige.” Read more at Robb Report.