Phoenix 24
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — October 30, 2026. Singaporean entrepreneur and watchmaking authority Wei Koh is preparing to preside over the jury of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) for the first time, bringing a distinctive perspective to one of the luxury industry’s most influential competitions. With 84 exceptional timepieces competing for 19 awards, the 2026 edition reflects a transformation in which centuries-old craftsmanship, technological experimentation and changing consumer expectations are redefining the future of mechanical watchmaking.
Often described as the Oscars of watchmaking, the GPHG recognizes achievements in mechanical engineering, artistic design, technical innovation and traditional horological expertise. Its highest distinction, the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix, honors a timepiece considered particularly outstanding among the year’s competing creations. This year’s ceremony is scheduled for November 7 at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva.
Koh, 54, founded the international watchmaking publication Revolution and has spent more than two decades building a media platform dedicated to the cultural, technical and commercial dimensions of luxury watches. His appointment as jury president follows years of involvement with the competition and represents a generational transition in the way the industry communicates its identity to international audiences.
In an interview with Euronews Culture during Geneva Watch Days, Koh emphasized that the most important characteristic distinguishing an exceptional watch is not necessarily its complexity, price or commercial recognition. Instead, he highlighted originality and the ability of a creation to make a meaningful contribution to the historical development of watchmaking.
His philosophy reflects a central tension within the luxury watch industry. Mechanical timepieces are expected to preserve traditions developed over centuries while demonstrating that genuine innovation remains possible within established engineering principles. Unlike electronic devices, whose competitive advantage frequently depends on processing power, connectivity or software capabilities, mechanical watches derive much of their appeal from material craftsmanship, precision and the interaction of physical components.
Among the nominated creations, Koh identified several examples of technological experimentation, including an advanced chiming mechanism capable of producing two different melodies, the revival of a century-old balance-wheel technique and a chronograph that introduces a new approach to user interaction. These developments illustrate how independent workshops and established manufacturers continue exploring possibilities within a mature technological field.
The evaluation process will require the 24-member international jury to examine all 84 nominated watches before deliberating and voting by secret ballot. Members will assess different interpretations of excellence, from mechanical originality and finishing quality to artistic expression and overall contribution to horology. The process places particular importance on informed discussion, as technical achievements do not always lend themselves to simple numerical comparison.
Koh credits his predecessor, British journalist Nick Foulkes, with fostering a culture of rigorous deliberation in which disagreement and competing interpretations are treated as essential elements of the evaluation process. For an industry where aesthetic judgment intersects with engineering expertise, this openness helps distinguish critical recognition from commercial popularity.
The 2026 edition also introduces institutional changes. Traditional categories separating men’s and women’s watches have been replaced by classifications emphasizing technical and design characteristics. The ceremony will also be conducted in English for the first time, reflecting the GPHG’s expanding international orientation and the increasingly global audience for high-end watchmaking.
These developments are significant because Swiss horology operates within a luxury market whose customers, collectors and emerging manufacturers are distributed across continents. While Switzerland remains a central reference point for prestigious mechanical watchmaking, demand and cultural influence extend throughout Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.
The transformation of the industry’s communication strategies has been central to Koh’s professional career. In 2005, he was distributing magazines at Baselworld, one of the most important historical trade exhibitions in watchmaking. Two decades later, his publishing activities and documentary productions have helped introduce independent watchmakers and complex mechanical creations to audiences previously unfamiliar with their technical and artistic significance.
His career also illustrates the relationship between specialized journalism and cultural industries. By explaining the craftsmanship, historical context and personalities behind mechanical watches, publications such as Revolution have contributed to an international conversation extending beyond advertising and traditional luxury marketing.
The cultural importance of watchmaking received institutional recognition in December 2020, when UNESCO inscribed the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The designation recognizes traditional knowledge, specialized skills and the transmission of expertise across generations, particularly in regions associated with Swiss and French watchmaking.
That heritage does not eliminate the need for innovation. Independent watchmakers increasingly experiment with new materials, complex regulating mechanisms and unconventional forms of displaying time. Their work frequently requires substantial research, specialized equipment and highly trained artisans, making technical development inseparable from financial investment and the preservation of rare manufacturing capabilities.
The industry’s continued cultural relevance appears particularly striking in an era dominated by artificial intelligence, smartphones and connected wearable devices. From a purely functional perspective, digital systems can provide timekeeping, communication and health-monitoring capabilities far beyond those of conventional mechanical watches. Yet traditional horology continues attracting collectors who value longevity, tactile interaction and engineering that remains visible through physical construction.
Koh has noted the apparent paradox that some of the technology entrepreneurs responsible for creating today’s digital ecosystem have become prominent collectors of mechanical watches. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, for example, has appeared publicly wearing creations from prestigious manufacturers and independent watchmakers, including F.P. Journe, H. Moser & Cie. and De Bethune.
This phenomenon suggests that the appeal of mechanical watchmaking cannot be explained exclusively through technical utility. A handcrafted timepiece may represent continuity, personal identity, accumulated expertise and a form of material permanence in an economy increasingly shaped by rapidly changing digital products.
Nevertheless, the luxury watch industry faces important strategic challenges. Its long-term development depends on attracting new generations of customers, sustaining specialized training, maintaining the economic viability of independent workshops and navigating changing patterns of international consumption. High production costs and limited manufacturing capacity can constrain innovation, particularly for smaller brands competing against globally established luxury groups.
For Koh, expanding the audience for watchmaking is therefore connected to protecting the industry’s future. Greater international accessibility, improved communication and recognition of emerging creators may help sustain demand while encouraging investment in the technical skills required to preserve traditional craftsmanship.
The GPHG provides an important platform for that process. Its awards can increase the international visibility of relatively small manufacturers, introduce unfamiliar technical innovations to collectors and influence professional discussions about the direction of contemporary horology. Recognition does not guarantee commercial success, but it can strengthen a brand’s reputation within a highly specialized global market.
Beyond its commercial implications, the competition raises a question about how innovation should be evaluated in industries defined by historical knowledge. Technical complexity alone does not necessarily produce meaningful progress, just as adherence to tradition does not automatically guarantee artistic excellence. The challenge is to recognize creations that demonstrate both exceptional execution and a distinctive contribution to their discipline.
As the jury prepares for its final deliberations, Koh’s first year as president coincides with a moment when the boundaries between craftsmanship, engineering, art and luxury consumption are being reconsidered. Mechanical watchmaking remains closely associated with its European heritage, yet its future increasingly depends on international collaboration, cultural relevance and the emergence of new creative perspectives.
In a technological environment where speed, automation and constant replacement often determine commercial value, the enduring fascination with mechanical watches offers a contrasting proposition: innovation can also emerge through patience, precision and the refinement of knowledge accumulated across generations.
As Geneva prepares to recognize the year’s outstanding creations, the central question extends beyond which timepiece will receive the Aiguille d’Or. It concerns whether an industry rooted in centuries of mechanical tradition can continue redefining excellence while preserving the craftsmanship that makes its creations distinctive.
Phoenix24: Beyond the headline, the context. / Más allá del titular, el contexto.