The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève this year welcomes two notable additions: Challenge Watch Prize and Audacity Prize. The former opens to watches with a retail price under CHF 4,000, and for the first time, smartwatches are admissible in this category. By facing the “crisis” of the smartwatch tide, Swiss traditional watchmaking is embracing the trend, as some affordable, even some mid to high end watch brands that don’t have heritage/history restraints, have had their brand-labeled smartwatches in the market. For traditional “traditional” brands, their high positioning and pricing strategy may not be affected in short term. While for a long haul, the popularity of smartwatches may bring a habit shift: young people may lose their potential interest, and even sense of wearing (expensive or not) a mechanical watch. GPHG welcomes smartwatches, an initiative of keeping pace with time.
The Audacity Prize rewards the best watch, presented in one of the 12 categories, which features a non-conformist, offbeat approach to watchmaking. The prize is discretionary and the jury will decide whether there are grounds for awarding it in 2018.
Stay tuned for the announcement.
今年的日内瓦钟表大赏（GPHG）多了两项瞩目的新奖项：挑战奖与无畏奖。
挑战奖面向零售价在4,000瑞郎以下的腕表，且首次接受智能腕表参与评选。面对智能腕表逐步占据手腕所带来的“危机”，瑞士传统制表选择了迎合和融入。亲民的乃至一些“年轻”的中高端瑞士制表品牌陆续发布了自己的智能腕表；而传统的高级制表品牌在短期内不太会受到冲击，需要警惕的是智能腕表的风行可能带来的长期效应，即年轻消费族群对传统腕表的兴趣会因此消退甚至无法养成。日内瓦钟表大赏选择了接受智能腕表的加入，是属于这个时代的举动。
无畏奖则是向打破常规、不拘一格的腕表创作致敬，从大赏下属的12大奖项类别的所有获奖表款中，评选出一枚合格表款。该奖项非必设奖项，如评委会认为当年无合格表款，则奖项空缺。
让我们拭目以待！ |
