Our Five Top Picks from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Our Five Top Picks from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

The watch industry’s largest awards event, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) wrapped up last month with a slew of new winners for 2016. Essentially the Oscars of the watch world, the GPHG awards prizes to the most outstanding watches of the year in their respective categories. This year, the GPGH had a total of 16 categories including the most coveted prize of all—the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix.

While the winner of the top prize was the Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, read on to find out our top five picks from the other winners of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2016.

 

1. Piaget Limelight Gala Milanese Bracelet – Ladies Watch Prize

It didn’t come as a big surprise to us that Piaget won in the ladies category since they are known for producing some of the finest women’s watches. The Piaget Limelight Gala Milanese Bracelet is especially exquisite crafted in 18k pink gold, adorned with diamonds around the whimsical bezel, and presented on an intricate Milanese bracelet—it wears just as much as a piece of jewelry as it does a watch.

The Limelight Gala is actually a revival collection with Piaget bringing back the vintage line from the 1970s in 2013. Since then, it’s been one of the most coveted ladies’ collections from Piaget. At Gray & Sons we carry a varied line of Piaget watches for both men and women including both contemporary and vintage watches.

 

2. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie – Mechanical Exception

Arguably one of the best watch manufacturers out there, Audemars Piguet has won countless awards and accolades throughout its long history. This year, they won in the Mechanical Exception category for the groundbreaking Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie—a unique minute repeater with exceptional sound quality that took over eight years to make.

A minute repeater is a complex timepiece that chimes the hours, quarter hours, and additional minutes after the quarter hour so that you can hear the time. It’s a complication that Audemars Piguet has been mastering since the company’s founding in 1875.

The Royal Oak timepiece is the most recognizable among Audemars Piguet’s line up characterized by its iconic octagonal shaped case. We are proud to offer a wide range of pre-owned Audemar’s Piguet watches including the Royal Oak watch in addition to its sportier brother, the Royal Oak Offshore.

 

3. Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze – Petite Aiguille

Tudor has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance during the last few years. Aiming to reposition itself as a solid brand with its own unique offerings rather than a less expensive alternative to its sibling brand, Rolex, Tudor is well on its way as illustrated by their win of the Petite Aiguille prize. The Petite Aiguille category comprises of watches that sell for less than CHF 8,000 ($8,198).

It’s a befitting prize for Tudor since their watches offer fantastic value—for very reasonable prices Tudor boasts well-built craftsmanship, high-impact aesthetics, and technical skill. In fact, Tudor has recently begun furnishing their watches with in-house made mechanical movements rather than ETA ones. Browse the Gray & Son’s inventory of  pre-owned Tudor watches to get your hands on one of their awesome watches.

 

4. Chanel Secret Watch Signature Grenat – Jewelry Watch

Chanel is easily one of the most recognizable names in luxury goods. From jewelry to handbags to watches, Chanel is chic, luxurious, and well respected. The breathtaking Chanel Secret Watch Signature Grenat won the GPHG’s jewelry watch category for its intricate gem-setting and metal work. The 18k white gold cuff is embellished with diamonds and orange sapphires, while at the center sits a 52.61-carat garnet, which can be moved to either reveal or cover the dial.

Although the Chanel Secret Watch Signature Grenat is indeed incredible, the most famous watch from the French House is none other than the ceramic Chanel J12. The Chanel J12 made its debut in 2000 and has since been a must-have timepiece for fashionable men and women everywhere. We are lucky to occasionally have some pre-owned Chanel watches in stock, but they tend to quickly sell out due to the high demand for the designer brand.

 

5. TAG Heuer Monza Chronograph – Revival Watch

The winner of the Revival Watch category, the Heuer Monza Chronograph from TAG Heuer is based on the chronograph from 1976. Jack Heuer—the great grandson of the company’s founder—designed the 1976 model in honor of famed driver Niki Lauda’s first world championship title with Ferrari. The more modern interpretation includes contemporary modifications such as the use of titanium rather than steel and an increase in size from 39mm to 42mm. A modern TAG Heuer chronograph with vintage appeal, the Heuer Monza Chronograph is set to quickly become a popular model from the brand.

However, TAG Heuer’s most popular watch today is the Carrera, which was actually introduced prior to the Monza in 1963 and also happens to be designed by Jack Heuer. A masculine and sporty watch infused with the exciting spirit of automobile racing, the Carrera is TAG Heuer’s flagship watch. We have plenty of pre-owned TAG Heuer watches on offer at Gray & Sons including the highly sought-after Carrera chronograph models.