The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) has published the full list of replica watches competing for this year's awards, including the coveted Aiguille d'Or, the most prestigious award in watchmaking. Hoping to win this year's edition (the 16th), is a typical mixed bag of well-known and not-so-well-known names. Let's take a look.
At first glance, this may look like a relatively typical field for the GPHG, but there's one notable change worth acknowledging right off the bat: This year's competition has a brand new category, the Travel Time, which recognizes replica watches that have world time, dual-time, and GMT functions. It replaces the Striking replica watches category, which covered all sorts of chiming watches. Those replica watches can still be considered for awards, but they now fall under the Mechanical Exception prize.
At this point in the competition, it's difficult to say which models have a shot at becoming this year's champion, but the competition is as healthy as it's ever been. You'd certainly expect the Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8 Day Power Reserve, the MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual, and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater to be in the mix, but again it's a wide open field at this point.
One has to think the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater at least has a shot at the top prize.
Note the familiar absence of Omega, Patek Philippe, Replica Rolex and a few other big names, all of which choose not to participate in the GPHG (companies are required to submit for consideration and this handful opt to sit out every year). Also absent this year is Greubel Forsey, which has an honorary spot on the jury and cannot compete after picking up the Aiguille d'Or in 2015. Those are the rules.
Last year's Aiguille d'Or winner, the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Seconds Vision.
The jury of the GPHG, which includes our very own Ben Clymer, will now have the difficult task of cutting down the GPHG's current list to 72 finalists by selecting the six best replica watches in each category. As always, HODINKEE will be there to let you know who makes the final cut as soon as results are released.
Click here for the complete list of participants. The pre-selected replica watches (the finalists) should be announced in the next few weeks. These will then go on a world tour before the winners are announced on Thursday, November 10.
More information can be found on the GPHG website here.
First Look Panerai Luminor Marina Fibratech 44 PAM01663 Debuts New Fiber Material 5682