Fratello’s Favorite GPHG 2025 Nominees
The annual GPHG awards will take place on November 13th of this year. With the nominees recently published, we take a look and pick our favorites. We indulge and pretend we’re the all-Fratello jury for the GPHG 2025. I mean, why wouldn’t we, right?
With so many fantastic watches nominated, this is far from an easy game, and we sure don’t have a consensus among the Fratello team. In the end, we simply chose the watches that resonated with us most, more as a starting point of debate than anything else. Please do share your winners in the comments section below. Let the games begin!
GPHG 2025 — Ladies’: Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence Platinum
Nominated watches: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold Quartz, Gérald Genta – Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal, Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence platinum, Piaget Sixtie, Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock Legacy Tanzanite, Voutilainen 28CG
Our pick for the GPHG 2025 Ladies’ watch is the Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence Platinum. This perfectly proportioned (37mm by 8mm) platinum creation offers a beautiful variation on dragging hours and minutes. A lozenge-shaped indicator between the hour and minute tracks indicates the time.
Additionally, the watch has a whopping 795 diamonds, requiring 32 hours of laborious gemsetting. And don’t think this is just a shiny piece of jewelry without horological prowess. Inside ticks the brand’s first in-house caliber developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. The automatic caliber ticks at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 45-hour power reserve. The Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence Platinum costs CHF 59,000.
GPHG 2025 — Ladies’ Complication: Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu
Nominated watches: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon, Chopard Imperiale Four Seasons, Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery, Gucci Interlocking, Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu, Jacob & Co. The Mystery Tourbillon 44MM
Our pick for the GPHG 2025 Ladies’ Complication is the Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Although the complication itself dates back to 2011, its incorporation in the popular Cut collection is new. Still, we appreciate the fact that this complication aims to simplify life rather than complicate it.
The idea is quite intriguing, allowing the wearer to stop time temporarily. At the push of a button, the hour and minute hands jump to the V-shaped section around the 12 marker and stay there. So, if you want to forget time for a while, the Cut Le Temps Suspendu allows you to do so. Is it super useful? Maybe not. But it is thoughtful and more philosophical than your typical chronograph or calendar, which we would like to reward here. The Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu comes in full 18K rose gold and costs CHF 44,290.
GPHG 2025 — Time Only: Raúl Pagès RP2
Nominated watches: Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold, Ming Project 21, Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Platinum, Piaget Andy Warhol Watch Clou de Paris Edition, Raúl Pagès RP2, Tasaki Face of Tasaki (Black Mother of Pearl)
Although there are many great contestants for the GPHG 2025 Time Only category, our choice is the Raúl Pagès RP2. It is exceedingly difficult for a new independent watchmaker to claim a seat at the table, and we want to reward Pagès for succeeding. His watchmaking efforts stand out uniquely.
We particularly appreciate the originality he manages to showcase within a time-only watch. From the oversized balance wheel to the ultra-clean yet characteristic design language and use of color, it all shows bravado and skill. It was certainly enough to win our hearts here at Fratello. The Raúl Pagès RP2 costs CHF 89,000.
GPHG 2025 — Men’s: Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 Double Wheel Natural Escapement
Nominated watches: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Mark IV, Garrick S3 Deadbeat Seconds Power Reserve, Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A., Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon, Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 Double Wheel Natural Escapement, Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135
Our pick for the GPHG 2025 Men’s category is the Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 Double Wheel Natural Escapement. Urban Jürgensen relaunched this year under the watchmaking guidance of none other than Kari Voutilainen. Three initial watches marked the occasion, and the UJ-2 Double Wheel Natural Escapement earned a GPHG nomination.
We are big fans of the new design language for UJ, instantly claiming a fresh and recognizable new identity for the brand. This time-and-power-reserve model measures 39mm by 10.9mm and comes in four versions. The double-wheel natural escapement forms the horological party piece of this watch. We will likely see this make a return in future UJ releases as something of a brand signature. The Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 Double Wheel Natural Escapement costs CHF 113,500.
GPHG 2025 — Men’s Complication: Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quentième Perpétuel
Nominated watches: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “150th Anniversary” Openworked, Bovet 1822 Récital 30, Chopard L.U.C Lunar One, Louis Vuitton × Voutilainen LVKV-02 GMR 6, Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel, Urban Jürgensen UJ-3 Perpetual Calendar with Double Wheel Escapement
Please forgive me for pushing a personal agenda with the Fratello pick for the GPHG 2025 Men’s Complication award. You may know I have a big soft spot for simple watches, so any complication presented in a simplified way gets bonus points from me.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel does just that. It pairs a perpetual calendar with an exceedingly simple aesthetic, featuring just two sub-dials below the centerline of the already ultra-clean Toric. Throw in the powdery pale blue (a popular color among this year’s nominees) dial, and you have a winning recipe. We see yet another very distinct and original aesthetic, followed through into the movement’s design. Kudos, Parmigiani! This Toric costs CHF 92,000.
GPHG 2025 — Iconic: Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti
Nominated watches: Andersen Genève Communication 45, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, Breguet Classique Souscription 2025, Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti, Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, Piaget Andy Warhol Watch
We go from simple purity to all-out craziness. Our pick for the GPHG 2025 Iconic category is the Bvlgari × MB&F Serpenti. Bvlgari and MB&F aren’t two parties we expected to join forces, but they did. The result is clearly an MB&F horological machine, but the Serpenti DNA also remains very much alive.
This 39mm × 53mm × 18mm creation in 18K rose gold houses a time display on two rotating discs plus a power reserve indicator. The magic isn’t in what is displayed, though. Rather, it is in the presentation. If you ask us, the resulting object looks like a fantastical submarine from a Clive Cussler novel. This collaborative effort costs CHF 164,300.
GPHG 2025 — Tourbillon: Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
Nominated watches: Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11, Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, Czapek Antarctique Tourbillon Glacier Blue, Fam Al Hut Möbius, Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Flying Tourbillon, Urban Jürgensen UJ-1 250th Anniversary Tourbillon Remontoire d’Égalité
We stick with Bvlgari for a moment, rewarding the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon for the Tourbillon category of the GPHG 2025 awards. Why? Well, because the tourbillon is such an old-world, traditional complication, it becomes hard to innovate with it. Bvlgari succeeded nonetheless by creating the thinnest tourbillon ever.
This tourbillon boasts an incredibly slim 1.85mm profile. And yes, that includes the case, movement, and crystals on the top and bottom. It will set you back an eye-watering CHF 635,000.
GPHG 2025 — Mechanical Exception: Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance Manufacture Edition
Nominated watches: Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance Manufacture Edition, Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante, Hazemann & Monnin School Watch Subscription, Louis Vuitton Escale au Pont-Neuf, Luca Soprana Derek Pratt Remontoir d’Égalité, Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate
For the Mechanical Exception category of the GPHG 2025, our pick would be the Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance Manufacture Edition. This exceptional watch combines face-meltingly stunning looks with the inspiring concept of accuracy through resonance.
Two balance wheels oscillate in resonance, with a clutch system allowing them to synchronize and regulate each other. Both drive separate time displays, providing the watch with a GMT complication. All of this mechanical goodness can be admired on the dial side of this 50-piece limited edition. The Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance Manufacture Edition costs CHF 95,000, and we give it high odds for this award.
GPHG 2025 — Chronograph: Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Yellow Gold
Nominated watches: Andersen Genève Split Second Chronograph Worldtime, Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Yellow Gold, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date, H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Alpine Drivers Edition, Louis Moinet 1816, Ming 20.01 Series 5
Our pick for the GPHG 2025 Chronograph category is not the most technically advanced or impressive of the nominees. In fact, it is the most affordable and simplest, the 18K yellow gold Angelus Chronographe Télémètre. I went hands-on with the steel version and came away deeply smitten.
It was the spot-on proportions (37mm diameter and 9.25mm thickness) that delivered the first big punch. Thin chronographs are exceedingly rare, and this Angelus watch proves that we should have more of them. The classical, closely spaced chronograph sub-dials and beautiful La Joux-Perret-based caliber closed the deal. The gold version costs CHF 32,300.
GPHG 2025 — Sports: Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF
Nominated watches: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph, Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF, Grand Seiko Tokyo Lion Tentagraph, Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 79, Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Ultra Cermet, Ressence Type 7 GMT Sport-Chic
Here is a category where we didn’t have consensus among the Fratello team. Some of my colleagues voted for the Grand Seiko Tentagraph, while others voted for the Chopard Alpine Eagle. Some are even decidedly against the latter. I decided to break the tie myself.
What we like here is the spartan, ultra-light execution in ceramized titanium. It takes the rather aristocratic Alpine Eagle and turns it into a lightweight hotrod. The 8Hz movement promises accuracy and a smooth sweep of that bright orange seconds hand. Lastly, the sub-10mm thickness and 100m water resistance certainly help! The Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF costs CHF 23,700.
GPHG 2025 — Jewellery: Dior Montres La D de Dior Buisson Couture
Nominated watches: Bvlgari Serpenti Aeterna, Chopard Swan Lake, Dior Montres La D de Dior Buisson Couture, Piaget Swinging Sautoir, Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans Joaillerie, Van Cleef & Arpels Cadenas
On to the GPHG 2025 Jewellery category. I will keep it short because we don’t have a jewelry-focused audience at Fratello. Our pick would be the Dior Montres La D de Dior Buisson Couture for its amazing gem-set dial reminiscent of a pink flower garden. The typical Fratello reader is unlikely to wear something like this, but the craft cannot be denied. This Dior will set you back a pretty CHF 370,000.
GPHG 2025 — Artistic Crafts: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Straw Marquetry Edition
Nominated watches: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Straw Marquetry Edition, Hermès Arceau Rocabar de Rire, Louis Vuitton Tambour Bushido Automata, Piaget Altiplano Skeleton High Jewellery Métiers d’Art, Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Flying Tourbillon Azure Blossom, Voutilainen 28GML Souyou
The GPHG 2025 Artistic Crafts category posed a challenge for us at Fratello. It is tempting to choose something tongue-in-cheek (pun intended), like the Hermès, or something completely mesmerizing, like the Piaget or Tiffany & Co. We went the other way entirely, picking the simplest-looking watch that hides some amazing artistry.
The Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Straw Marquetry Edition features a dial made of rye straw. Yes, you read that correctly. There are no precious metals (except for the date frame), gems, or fancy enamels on this dial. Essentially, this is grass. The straw is cut into hexagons with a scalpel before being meticulously pieced together, lining up the fibers within. The result looks absolutely superb. Oh, and it helps that we already loved the base watch before any dial artistry. This Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Straw Marquetry Edition costs CHF 65,000.
GPHG 2025 — “Petite Aiguille”: Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire
Nominated watches: Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire, Christopher Ward London C12 Loco, H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Alpine Mechanics Edition, M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.2 Green, Nomos Glashütte Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer, Otsuka Lotec No. 5 Kai
Another tough category with many potential takers for the GPHG 2025 “Petit Aiguille” prize. Nacho, our managing editor, purchased the Nomos Worldtimer, for instance, and we have several M.A.D.Editions and Otsuka Lotec fans among us.
Still, we opted for a watch we spent some time with at Fratello HQ, the Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire. This ’70s-style digital racing watch now comes with a sapphire hood, allowing a view of the rotating discs inside. The result looks like a retro-futuristic cockpit, and it is one of the coolest watches we’ve handled this year. The Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire costs CHF 4,900.
GPHG 2025 — Challenge: Dennison Natural Stone Tiger Eye in Gold
Nomiated watches: Atelier Wen Millésime 2024 睦 (Mù), Beda’a Eclipse, Behrens Orion One, Christopher Ward London C1 Celestial Moonphase × Mr Jones Watches, Dennison Natural Stone Tiger Eye in Gold, Kurono Tokyo Jubilee Sensu EOL “Shiraai”
The GHPG 2025 Challenge category was a bit easier for us, as we universally like Dennison’s comeback. The Emmanuel Gueit design is right on trend, and it offers amazing value for money. In fact, it is the only GPHG nominee under CHF 1,000. The ’70s-inspired dress watch features a gold-plated case and quartz movement, clever ways to keep the price down on a watch with a genuine stone dial. This version comes with a beautiful tiger eye dial, and it looks fantastic. The Dennison Natural Stone Tiger Eye in Gold costs CHF 660.
Closing thoughts
There you have it — our selection of winners for the GPHG 2025 in all 14 watch categories (there is a clock category too). Of course, these represent our opinions, by consensus or not. They are by no means a prediction of which brands will (or should) win.
Reviewing all nominees, we see lots of colorful and design-heavy watches. The simple and basic don’t seem to cut it this year. One prominent color is pale blue, which seems to be experiencing a moment of hype.
With our favorites covered, we would love to hear from you! Which watches should bring home the bacon this November? Let us know in the comments section below!
