Touted as the “Oscars of Watchmaking,” the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is supposedly the most important night in watchmaking.

The glaring problem is that nobody has to pay to receive an Oscar, yet to register to enter the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), each company must pay a fee. And if they’re nominated to move forward, they must pay an even larger fee.

There are over 1,000 members of the GPHG (so-called “Academy Members”), and a selection of 30 become the Jury each year, and make the final award selections. This is all well and good as long as you’re aware that every selection is paid for. Jury or not, there’s nothing organic about the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Earlier this month, the Oracle of Time discussed the GPHG awards process in great detail — instead of repeating what they said, we recommend reading their thorough take.

It was brave of them to write this because the agency hired to promote the GPHG, 289 Consulting, will use every tactic in its playbook to counter any negative press about the GPHG — like attack dogs — to protect the significant profit both companies make from the event.

Not to mention, watch brands that have invested money to register for the GPHG could potentially ostracize any publications that dare call a spade a spade, merely for doing good by consumers and reporting the facts.

There’s a good reason why industry leaders Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe, among others, take no part in the GPHG.

Anyone who questions our decision not to cover the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève — despite it being evangelized as the “Oscars of Watchmaking,” — just know that not everyone in the watch industry is a believer.