GENEVA (Azat TV) – Independent Geneva watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi secured the watchmaking industry’s highest honor, the Aiguille d’Or, at the 26th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) on November 7, 2026. Held at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva, as reported in an article published by Uhren-Nerd, the ceremony recognized Rexhepi’s debut chronograph, the Chronograph Flyback (RRCHF). The victory marks a major milestone for the independent watchmaker, who built his reputation on three-hand timepieces such as the Chronomètre Contemporain after establishing his own brand in Geneva in 2018.
For the 2026 edition, the GPHG Academy and a 24-member jury chaired by Revolution founder Wei Koh evaluated 84 nominated watches across 14 categories from 320 entries submitted by 194 brands. The jury’s evaluation accounted for two-thirds of the final result, while the Academy’s broader vote contributed the remaining one-third. The competitive landscape for the top prize included notable absences: Rolex did not participate, while Patek Philippe, Cartier, and Vacheron Constantin did not submit models for consideration in 2026, and Breguet was ineligible to compete as the previous year’s winner.
Anatomy of a Winning Complication
The award-winning Chronograph Flyback represents a significant technical undertaking for Rexhepi’s atelier, moving away from modular constructions built on base movements in favor of a completely integrated, hand-wound in-house caliber comprising 320 components and 30 jewels. Operating at a frequency of 21,600 vph (3 Hz) with an approximate power reserve of 72 hours, the watch measures 38.8 mm in diameter and 9.7 mm in thickness—dimensions that reflect a deliberate effort to keep a column-wheel, horizontal-clutch chronograph remarkably slim.
Further distinguishing the technical execution is a jumping minute counter that advances in a single step immediately upon the completion of every full elapsed minute, replacing the traditional creeping hand to enhance legibility. The timepiece is housed in either platinum or 5N red gold, paired with a Grand Feu enamel dial—featuring a storm blue finish on the platinum model—and is priced at approximately €164,100 (CHF 150,000) for both versions. The recognition cements the RRCHF’s position as a premier technical achievement in contemporary independent horology, succeeding Breguet’s Classique Souscription, which claimed the Aiguille d’Or in 2025.
Broader Winner Landscape and Category Evolution
The 2026 GPHG ceremony also introduced structural changes to the prize categories, most notably replacing the former men’s and ladies’ watch categories with dedicated divisions including “Time Only” for complication-free pieces, “Essential,” and “Gemset.” Major houses and specialized independents alike secured multiple honors during the evening.
Audemars Piguet, Chopard, and Ferdinand Berthoud claimed two category prizes each. Audemars Piguet took home the Iconic Watch Prize for the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5, alongside a victory in the Calendar and Astronomy category for its 50 mm, 1,099-component 150 Heritage pocket watch. Chopard secured the Time Only prize with the L.U.C 1860, commemorating the 30th anniversary of its Fleurier manufacture, and won the Jewellery Watch Prize for the Mystery Nut. Ferdinand Berthoud captured both the Chronometry Prize with Naissance d’une Montre 3 and the Tourbillon Watch Prize with the Chronomètre FB 2TV.
Other notable winners included Grand Seiko, which won the Sports Watch Prize with the Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver, a 40.8 mm titanium dive watch powered by the Caliber 9RB1. Blancpain earned the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize for the Grande Double Sonnerie after eight years of development, while Parmigiani Fleurier won the Chronograph Watch Prize with the Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux. Konstantin Chaykin received the Audacity Prize for the ThinKing Mystery, cited by the maker as measuring just 1.65 mm in thickness.