The GPHG has tuned its instrument for 2026, trading gendered categories for use-driven ones and refining two flagship prizes. It is a tidy adjustment that better mirrors how collectors actually buy and wear watches.
Out go Men’s and Ladies’. In come Essential Watch and Complication Watch, a split that respects function and intent rather than size or semantics. Given the blur of traditional boundaries, this reads as overdue housekeeping rather than upheaval.
A new gemset category caps stones at up to 6 carats, leaving Jewellery Watch to the truly operatic pieces. In the same spirit of order, one-of-a-kind creations will now be accepted solely in Jewellery Watch and Mechanical Clock. That should spare the main field from apples-and-orchids comparisons.
The Iconic Watch Prize opens to the entire market. Any watch launched this year that offers a contemporary reinterpretation of a model with more than 20 years of lasting influence can be considered, whether or not it is officially entered. A welcome aperture that acknowledges how icons breathe through many houses, not just those at the ceremony.
The Special Jury Prize grows teeth. Beyond individuals and institutions, it may now also recognize a brand for significant watchmaking development or for an exemplary approach to ethics and sustainability. If applied with rigor, this could steer the conversation toward substance over sparkle.
Process remains measured. The Academy nominates in summer; a 24-member Jury chaired by Wei Koh deliberates under notarial supervision; a second digital vote by the Academy counts for one-third of the final result. Fewer jurors than before should mean clearer voices and fewer echoes.
The curtain lifts on Saturday 7 November 2026 at Geneva’s BFM. One hopes these calibrated changes let the watches speak a little louder than the categories that frame them. After all, good timekeeping prefers clean architecture.
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