The Foundation of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG 2023) : Nominations For The Sports Watch Of The Year
5 min read
Rugged, durable and often equipped with features that help you track your performance is the true definition of a sports watch. This year the academy at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG 2023) has nominated these 6 watches linked to the world of sport, whose functions, materials and design are suited to physical exercise.
Here are the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG 2023) academy’s nominations for the sports watch of the year.
1. TUDOR - PELAGOS 39
The Tudor Pelagos line is a range of genuine tool watches. The wristbands and cases are polished titanium. The clock and bezel were designed with legibility in mind. As the name implies, crown guards are there to keep the crown from getting banged up. Furthermore, a diver’s extender is useful when the watch needs to be worn over a wetsuit. Now available in a 39mm case size, which is “technical diving and urban sophistication” ready, as per Tudor’s assessment. Read more here
2. TAG HEUER - MONZA FLYBACK CHRONOMETER
The new TAG Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometer is a special edition with a 42-mm case, made of ultra-lightweight and resistant carbon.
Its striking black dial features a two-register layout with a translucent fumé blue sapphire crystal chronograph counter at 3 and the permanent second at 6 o’clock. The unique skeletonized dial reveals the movement underneath and echoes the piece’s mechanical roots. At 9 o’clock, the date window is in blue luminescence, a first for TAG Heuer, and the blue lacquered indexes and black and white lacquered hours and minutes hands are applied with Super-LumiNova® for optimal legibility in low light.
Delivering high precision and high performance timekeeping the TAG Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometer is powered by the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 Flyback, a chronograph movement with COSC certification. The notable advantage of a flyback function is the ability to reset the chronograph without stopping it, using the black DLC steel pushbuttons. Such a feature was only available on the TAG Heuer Autavia in the contemporary collection until now and allows for even faster and more accurate timekeeping.
3. IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN - INGENIEUR AUTOMATIC 40
The Ingenieur Automatic 40 reflects the bold aesthetic codes of Genta’s iconic Ingenieur design while meeting the highest standards regarding ergonomics, finishing, and technology. This model features a case, bezel and integrated H-link bracelet with butterfly folding clasp made of Grade 5 Titanium steel, all of which are elaborately finished with polished and sand-blasted surfaces. Grade 5 titanium is about 45 percent lighter than steel but also incredibly hard to machine. The ergonomics of the case and bracelet have been carefully reworked and improved to the smallest detail. The grey dial features the distinctive “Grid” structure, which consists of small lines offset to each other by 90 degrees. Black hands and appliques with luminescence ensure easy legibility. Read more here
4. CHOPARD - ALPINE EAGLE CADENCE 8HF
An eagle eye and high-frequency watchmaking. The comfort of titanium and the strength of an elegant chronometer. Chopard combines precision, style and sportiness in the second high-frequency model within the Alpine Eagle collection. Featuring a Pitch Black dial with subtle orange accents, this exceptional new 41 mm-diameter timepiece houses one of the most advanced movements from Chopard’s workshops. Indeed, the chronometer-certified Chopard Calibre 01.12-C featuring a high-frequency escapement reaches its cruising altitude at 57,600 vibrations per hour (8 Hz).
5. DOXA - DOXA ARMY
The 42.50-millimeter case of the DOXA Army, machined from a block of 316L stainless steel, is topped with a sapphire crystal. The case, and therefore the movement it protects, is resistant to a pressure of 30 ATM, equivalent to a depth of 300 meters or 984 feet. This reissue model features a unidirectional rotating bezel in bronze – marking the first time ever that DOXA has used this metal in its collections – with a hunter green ceramic insert or in stainless steel with a black ceramic insert.
6. GRÖNEFELD - 1969 DELTAWORKS
Featuring a self-winding movement encompassing the same exalted finishing as other Grönefeld timepieces. As such, the resultant movement, the calibre G-06, is worthy of the term ‘Haute Horlogerie’.
The movement is intended for the most discerning watch collectors. The rotor is completely hand finished and turns on smooth running ceramic ball bearings. Meanwhile, the stainless-steel bridges replicate the façades of traditional Dutch houses, termed ‘bell gables’. Each bridge features a micro-blasted central section, framed with a hand-bevelled gleaming edge.
The 1969 DeltaWorks is presented in a 45mm stainless steel case, measuring 12.5mm in height. The case features an integrated strap that ergonomically encircles the wrist, conferring a high degree of wearer comfort while appearing smaller than its stated dimensions would suggest. The scale of the case endows the watch with a generously proportioned dial area, augmenting legibility but without appearing unduly large. Every aspect of the case has been carefully considered.
Read more about GPHG 2023 here
