A Photo Diary Of My Week In Geneva For The 2023 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie De Geneve (Complete With Lots Of Wristshots)

I landed in Geneva around nine in the morning and quickly made my way to my hotel to check in, shower, and get ready – because that Sunday, Sotheby's was selling a few lots that I was particularly interested in seeing. I didn't realize it, but by walking over to the Mandarin for the sale, I'd be stepping into the belly of a collector community I hadn't seen in years. Between the main entrance of the Mandarin and the bar – which is all of 15 feet – I ran into Michael Safdie, Davide Parmegiani, and my friends Wendy and Amos (two amazing Lange collectors from Singapore). 

After saying hi to them, I passed through security only to see the one and only Claude Sfeir. Claude is a legendary collector and a central figure in the auction world. He's had some health scares, and prior to that, COVID had prevented our gatherings, so it had been some years since we'd seen one another, but he remains the same incredibly giving, kind, collector. After a thorough hello with Claude, I made my way to the auction room where I quickly spotted Mr. Roger Smith himself in the back of the room – his very own platinum Daniels Anniversary watch would be coming up later in the sale. Roger is one of my favorite people in watches so I made my way over to him – and noticed he was wearing something different: A first series Lange Datograph in platinum! If that isn't yet another endorsement for the "Dato," I'm not sure what is. 

There were still several lots to go before the Anniversary watch sale, so we decided grab a table in the lobby bar. The group included Roger, Claude Sfeir, myself, a very nice man named Hamdan Bin Humaid (who I realized very quickly was the man behind so many of the cool projects I'd seen online for independent watches in the Middle East), a great American collector named Mike S., Hodinkee's own Malaika Crawford, and at times, a few others. Here are a few of the watches from around the table.

Click on images above to enlarge.

Yeah, it was like that. After some time we all made our way back into the auction room to watch Roger's watch – again, this was his personal watch that he'd sold in 2008 to help set up his workshop – cross the rostrum. It did so with extreme style – selling for over 2.1 million CHF, with bidding from four active in-room bidders (including Mr. Sfeir), and two telephones, one of which seemed to be from the U.S. Overall, it was an incredible result for a watch that just a few years ago would've been rather misunderstood, in my opinion. 

After the sale, some of us went back into the lobby bar for lunch and continued to talk shop for a few hours. It was a nice soft landing with people I really enjoy to kick off the week.

The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneva (GPHG) is, as we've mentioned, kinda the "Oscars of Watchmaking." Ten years ago, I was first asked to serve as a jury member and man, have things changed a lot since then – but ultimately, the GPHG, while not perfect, is absolutely the eminent award for fine watchmaking and something held in extremely high regard, despite not receiving participation from all the top brands each year. As a jury member, I sat in a room with all the pre-selected and nominated watches for almost 12 hours to discuss, debate, and then vote for the winners in myriad of categories. It is an incredible day surrounded by some of the world's great experts – and we have every single watch in hand to view in great detail. But it's really the quality of the jury that makes the GPHG so special. To give you an idea, my morning table consisted of Max Büsser, Vianney Halter, and Mohammed Seddiqi. You could say those three know something about watches.

After five categories, the tables would then be mixed around. My next grouping would include the likes of jury president Nick Foulkes and someone I've long wanted to meet – Mr. Naoya Hida of his eponymous, Tokyo-based watch company. The amount of knowledge in the room – not to mention passion – was really inspiring. And it was just a great excuse to see some old friends like George Bamford, Mark Cho, Daniella Dufour, Kristian Haagen, Brynn from Dimepiece, and more. Here is a small sampling of some watches that were in the running in the 2023 GPHG, with some thoughts here and there.

I have so many thoughts from that day of judging, and these 12-hour days always leave you surprised. Like, for example, how beautiful is Xvedet Rexhepi's watch? The watch, which I've been dying to see in the metal since renderings were shown earlier this year, is even nicer than I imagined. The long lugs (akin, in some ways, to what his brother Rexhep is producing with JP Hagmann), slender profile, and thoughtful complication exceed expectations. However, this was a prototype that wasn't yet working the way it should, which eliminated it from consideration in this year's GPHG voting – but I can say the future is bright for the younger Rexhepi and those who have placed deposits for this watch should feel confident about what's to come. And we will see him back in next year's GPHG, I am quite sure.

A few other thoughts? Studio Underdog's interpretation of a Seagull Chronograph is simply fantastic. As was this wildly charming Raymond Weil (which went on to win its category). I'm serious. This photo below does not do this watch justice – the case, and dial are so well thought out and executed, it was hard to think of anything else in the Challenge category.

Another standout watch was Petermann Bédat's split-seconds chronograph, which did end up winning the Chronograph category – and deservedly so. I will admit I did not love the case or the dial of this watch, but the movement is simply spectacular. These two are young and talented, and definitely one to keep an eye on in years to come. 

After the pre-selected watches were judged and voted upon, we broke for lunch. I sat with Naoya Hida, Mark Cho, Stefan Kudoke, Vianney Halter, Pietro Tomajer (of the Limited Edition), and Dominique Renaud – and the conversation ran across the board. But it was a conversation had here that again reminded me of how special the GPHG is – the knowledge on the jury is just incredible, while the perspectives are so incredibly varied.

After lunch, we reconvened at the Musée Rath to move on to all the write-in categories, which in some ways are the most heavily contested because anything goes. In some ways, the top prize, called the Aiguille d'Or, was perhaps the easiest to decide upon – though with private voting, you never know which way things will fall. I was quite sure that AP's Universelle RD#4 deserved the award, though other names mentioned here were Simon Brette (arguably the most buzzed-about independent of the moment and winner of the prestigious horological Revelation prize that night), and Petermann Bédat, along with Bovet. But the RD4 to me is everything the Aiguille d'Or stands for – true artistry, innovation, thoughtful design, and ne plus ultra thinking around watchmaking – plus in this case, a mega complication that is not only water resistant, settable without tools, but also self-winding. Here are some quick images of it below. 

The other hotly debated award was the special jury prize, which is given to a person or organization that we feel has contributed to the greater landscape in a meaningful way. We will come around to this one when we get to the ceremony part of this diary – but it made for one of the finest moments of the week, in my opinion. 

One of the stand-out experiences for me of the week in Geneva was getting to spend time with Naoya Hida, and of course, his watches. We met extremely briefly back during the launch of Hodinkee Japan in 2019, and though Mr. Hida has been a guest on Talking Watches (watch it if you haven't!), I wasn't incredibly experienced with his collection of watches. But, because I liked so much of what I had seen, I ordered one of his pieces site unseen when the lottery opened some months ago. It is, in fact, the first and only time I'd ever ordered a watch without seeing it in the metal first so it was a bit of risk, but man, was I blown away with what I saw and so thankful I took the chance.

The first thing to know about Naoya Hida, the man, is that he's grown up in this industry. Max Büsser, he told me, has known him for 24 years. Hida has worked at some of the most iconic brands in the world and was behind the launch of both Ralph Lauren and F.P. Journe in Japan. The latter, if you know the history of Journe, is all that you need to know about how serious and pedigree'd he is. He tried for decades to bring his taste to life at these brands, but at the age of 54, he decided to start his own brand making watches the way he wanted to. And results are simply divine. 

On his wrist most of the week was the 4A, which is his first 36mm case, and also first watch with a black (dark grey) dial. It is hand-wound, and features beautiful Arabic numerals, and an innovative, easy-to-use deployant clasp. The 1D, which was on his other wrist, takes the shape of a chronometer style watch with running seconds at nine o'clock and yellow-gold bezel. Just 10 pieces of the 1D will be made between 2023 and 2024, and just 15 of the 4A. Production is like that for Naoya Hida, after all, every detail is completed by hand, the old-fashioned way, and his entire company consists of four people. Total. 

There has been some debate among those that, well, like to debate about watches, about the value of Naoya Hida watches. The calibers inside these watches are not in-house, but rather heavily modified Valjoux calibers, and with prices in the low to mid 20s, it may seem steep. What I would say to you is that A), consider that the ultimate observatory watch also used a Valjoux caliber base; and B), a base caliber does not a watch make, as I've said many times. The level of detail put into Mr. Hida's watches are simply remarkable. They are so wonderfully proportioned and designed, and the quality is extraordinary. 

My personal favorite, and indeed the one I ordered site unseen a few months back, is the 3B. It features a German silver dial, lovely Roman numeral markings that are hand-engraved and filled with Japanese lacquer, and I think one of the best moonphase discs I've seen since the Rolex 8171 – which, yes, is also engraved by hand, and in 18k yellow gold. The 3B on the wrist, in steel, feels like a 6062. And if you know what that means, you know why I'm so in love with this watch. 

I cannot say enough good things about Naoya Hida the brand, or the man. He, like his watches, is subtle and elegant, but interesting and complex. Considering how few watches he makes per year, I would strongly recommend anyone interested to look into how his reservation system works well in advance. I have actually seen one or two hit the secondary market recently at around retail, and that, to me, is a bargain. The minute you see a Naoya Hida in the metal, or meet the man behind them, you will be hooked for life. You can see more about him here, and read our coverage here. I can also say that he has some incredibly exciting things coming in the years ahead...

To spend Monday evening with Naoya Hida and Tuesday morning with Rexhep Rexhepi is something of a blessing for any warm-blooded watch lover – and that's what this week in Geneva gave me. I'd seen Rexhep just a month or so ago when we filmed a video for his new collaboration with Louis Vuitton, but that was all about that watch, and today I wanted to hear all about his own watches. So I made my way across the river to old town Geneva for a visit to the beautiful Akrivia studio.

A watch I had not yet seen was his Chronometrie Amagnetique (RRCA), a watch he'd developed for Only Watch 2023 (now, presumably, Only Watch 2024). There are a few things to note about this watch that make it particularly appealing: it is the first watch in Rexhep's CC line to be housed in a steel case, and the movement, which at a quick glance is reminiscent of the CC1 and CC2, is in fact entirely new, in every single way. Architecture may be reminiscent, but that is for aesthetic continuity in the family – not derivation. 

For the greater detail of the RRCA, I'd encourage you to read Tony's introducing post here, and I should note that this watch pictured here has a prototype crystal in place that is not as clear as what you'll see on the final product but the results, as literally no one will be surprised to learn, are superlative. In Rexhep's continual pursuit of excellence, an argument could be made that the RRCA is in fact a step forward from even the RRCC2, which in my opinion, is a dramatic step forward from the RRCC1. 

To speak of casework alone, the case of the CC1 consisted of three components. The case of CC2 consists of 15, all made by the great JP Hagmann, and the extremely complicated, interesting case of the CCA, is 30 components, again courtesy of Mr. Hagmann. While the release of the RRCA originally said the steel, closed caseback could be removed with a tool, I can attest that it can be removed by hand with an incredibly satisfying click. If you've ever placed your palm on the back of an old screw-back Taubert case to open it up – that is how you'd remove the caseback here too. It is a truly lovely feeling.

Now everyone has opinions, and I am certainly included in that. To me, the most charming of the three CC watches is number two. CC1 was a revelation, and had it been Rexhep's only traditionally shaped watch, it would stand out as one of the finest. It only begins to lose shine when placed next to the CC2, which feels like a dramatically more resolved, nuanced evolution of the very same concept. The case is far sharper and more precise. So is the dial, while the movement follows suit with more complexity in an even more attractive package, and finer finishing yet. Having said that, the RRCC1 is made in half the quantity and will go down as Rexhep's first in what will certainly become his defining line of watches. 

The CCA, which again I've only seen once now and indeed in prototype form, didn't fit my wrist as well as the CC2 and in some ways, a watch with this high quality I would want to be in precious metal. I also happen to prefer the more romantic architecture of the CC2 to the more technical-looking caliber in the CCA. I must also say that the CCA is a prototype for Only Watch and we do not know exactly what it will look like when it reaches production, so it's hard to really judge it when the CC1 and CC2 are out in finalized, production form. And my god, they are all so good that picking one over the other feels a bit silly.

And yet, here I am. The Rexhep Rexhepi Chronometer Contemporain II is my favorite. By far. The hands, the case, the dial, the movement. Everything about it is better than you can imagine when you look at photographs online. The feeling you get when holding it in your hand is something I haven't experience since I first held a Simplicity in my hands over 10 years ago.

The case, in particular, which at first looked a bit too elongated in the lug department when seen online, is perhaps one of the watch's finest points. The long lugs, with steps, are simply perfect on the wrist, and highly reminiscent of the very best Patek cases of yesteryear as found on the likes of early 2499s and other Vichet-cased watches. 

The RRCC2, which will be made in 50 pieces in platinum and 50 pieces in rose gold, has now started delivery to end clients through a limited number of authorized dealers and directly from Akrivia's studio in Geneva, which was exciting news to hear. There are one or two that have started to appear slowly in the greater watch Instagram world, and I can say there hasn't been something as hotly anticipated as this in some time. What Rexhep is doing with his CC series is making watches that in many ways feel as if they are vintage watches – vintage Pateks, really – with subtle, elegant, but detailed hand-finished cases, soft and precise enamel dials – but with chronometer-grade movements that far exceed frankly anything made in the vintage era, with the exception of the very finest. To reference a watch I've already mentioned in this story, Rexhep Rexhepi is making watches as special as the JB Champion, in series – and as much as anyone might try to say there is too much hype around him at the moment, I would argue that there might not be enough.

Okay – maybe "hype" isn't the word – but "excitement" is. Because what he is doing and the level at which he is executing is simply changing the game, in my opinion. If Dufour or Journe were Steph Curry, Rexhep is a Wemby-like character of the independent watchmaking world (that is, of course, if Wemby delivers on what the world thinks he's capable of) – someone who will completely change the game forever. And after sitting with him in Geneva, and a few other times recently, I can say with utmost confidence, he is just getting started. And I think that's another interesting point about Rexhep in the greater context of how collectors view him and his watches. With the RRCC1, the RRCC2, the RRCA, and some things that you will see in the coming years, there are no plans to slow down production and Rexhep has an interesting, if admirable (or frustrating, depending on who you are) policy that says if you own, for example, the CC1, then in theory, you will not be eligible for the CC2. His goal is to share his watches with as many people as possible and he's seen too many horror stories of small independents becoming "in the pocket" of just a small group of collectors, which leads to questionable decisions later down the road. Rexhep Rexhepi is breaking the mold. 

Before I left his studio, I had to do it. Sometimes you take the photo simply because you can and this would be one of those cases. Here's my Daytona next to an RRCC2 that is about to be delivered. Not a bad two watch collection.

Oh, and did I mention that Rexhep quietly informed some clients that they would have the opportunity to have their platinum RRCC2 with diamond indices? SJX has detailed photos of this insanely special watch here and my goodness, just when you didn't think a watch could be any better... talk about vintage Patek vibes!

After spending the morning with Rexhep, I had lunch with my friend Nick from TAG Heuer, and then hopped in a car to head up to Le Brassus, a small town in the Vallee de Joux known mostly for its most famous inhabitant, a company called Audemars Piguet. I'm not going to share what we got up to there, but I'll share a photo or two. 

My Wednesday was one I spent in and out of meetings – but a highlight was stopping by for a coffee with Austen of Wristcheck and Gene, AKA @watchfalcon on Instagram. They were, of course, wearing serious stuff.

The other highlight of Wednesday was dinner with some guys you might recognize from around this very website – all of whom now reside in Switzerland! Yup, our old pals and H editors Arthur Touchot, Logan Baker, and Cole Pennington. Arthur and Logan are now over at Phillips, and Cole at Tudor, and they are, to borrow a term from the youth of today, living their best lives. It was such a treat to see these guys.

Oh, and to give you an idea of how small Geneva is, in particular this week – who do you think we saw at dinner? Yup, Rexhep Rexhepi and Co., out to dinner with Chris Daaboul and a few collectors.

I spent the first half of Thursday at the annual meeting of the FHH's Cultural Council, a rather impressive group of personalities from around the industry whose job it is to help the FHH as something of a think tank and advisory board. The FHH is something of a governing body for "haute horlogerie," or "fine watchmaking." It has served many roles over the years and it is in something of a transitional period at the moment – but its purpose remains true, and that is to simply help as many people understand fine watchmaking as possible via various training tools, educational moments, and events. For example, they put on the FHH Forum this past week in Geneva with a very impressive group of speakers. You will hear more about what they're up to soon enough, but one highlight was indeed this incredible Patek 130 spotted on the wrist of a fellow cultural council member. This is the type of thing you just see in the wild during this week – and this watch was definitely one of the most charming pieces I saw all week.

The majority of the hours-long cultural council meeting was spent debating some new endeavors for the FHH that are too early to discuss here, so we'll leave it at that for now. I departed the Intercontinental Hotel to head back down by the lake to prepare for the week's main event.

I made my way down to the theater for a dry run of the night's events – all jury members present an award on stage. I quickly met Anish (of Watch Anish) and George Bamford. We made our way in and posed for a few photos, and received instructions on what to do, and similarly, what not to do. The "red carpet" before the event was definitely one of the most fun periods of the week – seeing just about everyone there is to see in the greater watch industry all in one place. For example, have a look at the snaps below. 

The ceremony, hosted by French actor and comedian Edouard Baer, is long but not overdrawn. The long-time host does a good job at keeping things light and moving along while adding a dose of seriousness at the right moments. He has been hosting the GPHG for as long as I've been involved – which is to say over a decade now. And as for the awards themselves? I would say they were mostly as I expected, with a few surprises here and there. The biggest surprise to me, frankly, was actually the award that I presented with the great Daryn Schnipper of Sotheby's (also known as the woman who has sold the Henry Graves Supercomplication, twice) – which was the "Iconic" award. In this category, the list of potential icons included the AP Offshore on its 30th birthday, the IWC Ingenieur, the Breitling Navitimer, the newly (and excellently) re-designed TAG Heuer Carrera, and others that I think most of us would agree are iconic to the average watch consumer. When we opened the envelope, the award went to the UN Freak! 

The Freak is absolutely an icon of watchmaking, and I think that was the interpretation by the jury if I had to think about it. The others are perhaps more iconic in terms of the greater collecting and societal arena, but the jury indeed was made up of many watchmakers and industry insiders, and there is no question that the Freak has played an important role in the world of fine watchmaking over the last 20 years or so. Still, goes to show you how varied perspectives are even on the jury of the GPHG.

Some notable awards from the evening included Tudor winning the Sports category (again), the Raymond Weil I mentioned above winning the challenge category, a big win for Petermann Bédat, a surprising win for Laurent Ferrier in the Tourbillon category, considering the Tourbillon itself used wasn't necessarily anything new, and a well-deserved win for Ferdinand Berthoud in Chronometry. I would say one of the "biggest" wins of the night went to Simon Brette for his Chronomètre Artisans in the "Horological Revelation" category. 

This was an incredibly meaningful win for a young brand – and though some might say the win was inevitable, I would say it was anything but. As early as the public introduction of his watch, there has been some rumblings that a win here was pre-ordained. I can say with great certainty it was not – and though the broader jury was in great support of this new take on an artisinal watch, I thought perhaps the perceived inevitability of a win here might work against him. I was pleased to see him win, and I will speak more about Simon shortly because I actually visited his studio early the following morning.

The grand finale of the night is the presentation of the Aiguille d'Or, or golden hand, which is presented to the watch that represented the absolute pinnacle of watchmaking this year. It was no surprise that the award went to Audemars Piguet and its RD4 Universelle Grand Complication. Frankly, had it gone to any other nominated watch this year it would be a great tragedy because the Universelle is absolutely ingenious and far and away the most impressive watch of the year. On a personal level, it was also a great moment for Francois Bennahmias, who has but one month left as the Chief Executive of AP, a brand that he quite literally built up from effective irrelevance not so long ago. To receive this award in front of all his peers after 29 years with AP, I am sure was meaningful to him. His speech was thoughtful and filled with gratitude, and he made several mentions of how impressed he has been with incoming CEO Ilaria Resta, who he's been working alongside for months already. I can also assume that to win watchmaking's highest award for a watch in the Code 11.59 family was also a great moment of retribution for what was easily the most criticized launch from a big brand in the last five years. All in all, a great moment for Francois, AP, and the industry at large.

Another powerful moment from the awards was the presentation of the Special Jury Prize to Svend Anderson and Vincent Calabrese, as the founders of the AHCI. These are not names that get collectors salivating like Rexhep, FP, or Dufour, but their role in the independents movement can not be overstated. They established the AHCI back in 1985 and have been fighting the good fight ever since – and it was a reminder of just how far interest in independent watchmaking has come. Their speeches were heart-felt and sincere. And their win was one of those moments that could warm even the most jaded of watch industry pundit's heart.

All of the GPHG award winners can be found right here and as I said above, I think we as the jury got things mostly right this year. After the ceremony was over, some people left, others went out to their own dinner, and still others went upstairs to something of a dinner gala. I'll spare you yet more unnecessary details, but a highlight for me was having Rexhep (who was at my table, along with Vianney Halter, Alfredo Paramico, and Jean Arnault) compare his watches to Naoya Hida's, who stopped by to say hi as well. There was a lot of appreciation between the two, who hadn't yet met before that moment.

I've surely made my point about Geneva and the world of watchmaking being a small one – but waking up Friday to go pay a visit to Simon Brette's small workshop proved it once more. I entered the address into Uber, and as my phone told me we were approaching the destination I looked up and saw a giant green building with the Rolex sign on top. I thought I must've entered the wrong address – but in fact, I had not. Simon's small workshop, which he rents from a shared office space, is literally behind Rolex HQ. Like, across the street. As in could not be closer, and yet these two watchmakers could not be further apart in just about anything but geography.

Before I go into my own thoughts, I'd encourage you all to read Mark's excellent story on the Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans from launch this year. Okay, now you know the backstory so I don't have to explain that – but I will say I was looking forward to this meeting all week not because I thought he might win a GPHG award, but because I have so many friends that I trust who just think the world of Simon. In fact, some of them were part of his 12-piece Souscription series that you may have seen on Instagram. I'd seen their watches in the metal once or twice, but to hear Simon's story right from the source definitely changed things for me.

The story is one of a belief in doing things the right way, and pointedly, helping to support a small but vital chain of artisans who rely on projects such as his to survive. He is not technically a watchmaker in the way that a Philippe Dufour is, but rather an engineer who has an innate ability to conceive ideas and find the right people to bring them to life. His goal is to publicly name and support the artisans that help him achieve his products – you can see them all right here. If you think that this sounds something like what Max Büsser has done from the early days (the "&F" in MB&F stands for "and friends," after all), you'd be right. In fact, Simon spent some years of his career working directly for Max at MB&F. There are worse people in this world from which to learn.

The other thing I'll say about the Chronometre Artisans is that it doesn't hit you over the head with want the way Rexhep's watches do, or Dufours, or something from Kari, for example. The architecture of the movement is seemingly more simple, and the fine finishing far more subtle. It is very attractive, don't get me wrong, but the details of the quality seen in Simon's work takes, frankly, a loupe and an explanation. 

For example, the image above is one I took through a microscope at Simon's studio. The screw on the left is unfinished and raw, while the screw on the right is finished – it's concave and black mirror polished, to be specific. The ring you see in the right screw is actually the light from above in the microscope – if you were to view it with a naked eye, it would look something like this:

The dial side is also a huge part of the Chronometre Artisans story – on the 12 souscription watches, there is hand-made "dragon scales" done by a woman named Yasmina Anti, who engraves for the likes of Dufour and other fine independent watchmakers. It looks fantastic with the naked eye, but again, under the loupe, you can see the incredible detail. 

A Zirconium case and the "dragon scale" pattern are the two attributes the define the 12 Souscription watches and they will be unique to them, for always. On the open series watch, which is cased in titanium, the dial will feature tremble which may look similar from afar but indeed something very subtle and special when louped. And about production...

The "open series" Chronometre Artisans, which will be officially unveiled next month, will be made in titanium and sell for about 65,000 CHF. Just 12 watches will be made in 2024. In late 2024, he plans to unveil a new iteration of the watch, and just 12 of that watch will be made in 2025 – bringing the total production of Simon Brette for 2025 to 24 pieces. He hopes that by 2026, he will be able to produce 36 pieces, but always just 12 of any particular watch in a year. By 2027, the ambition is 48 pieces per year. You get it. As he adds new creations, he hopes to be able to produce just twelve of them per year. 

My thoughts on Simon and watch? Simon is kind, warm, and humble. It was a great pleasure to spend the morning after his GPHG win with him at his studio and I could tell the appreciation, or rather disbelief, was sincere. I think he is wrestling with all the newfound attention – something that is frankly challenging for anyone to get used to unless they're born into it. He was a simple engineer working in watchmaking a few years ago, and now he's getting mentions from close friends of Jay-Z, and Mr. Wonderful himself. That's a big change. There is real buzz around him, and though there is some mild criticism out there from friends like SJX, the watch is objectively very high quality, and in some ways, even a value relative to what others are charging for similarly finished, small batch watches. I can say that I am a believer in Simon and his work. If I were to criticize something about the Chronometre Artisans it would be highly subjective, but I think both zirconium and titanium are too light of materials to properly present a movement and dial as special as what he's created. This watch in a gold or platinum case with a bit more contrast on the dial I think would really be incredible. I basically said the same thing about Rexhep's steel RRCA, so maybe I just don't like finely finished watches in light metals? I didn't know that about myself before today, but now I do.

I left Simon's studio excited and inspired, and thoroughly contemplating my own finances to see if I could justify asking Simon for a watch in the years to come. The Ben of old would be dying for one of his watches – but I'm a father of two now – and as such, trying to be slightly more reasonable with my expensive watch purchases. I still may fold on this one though – we'll see. I think it's also just so fun that these watches are being built at a pace of exactly 12 per year, or one a month, in the shadow of Rolex HQ, who is making 12 watches every few minutes. You can see more from Simon here.

After departing Simon's workshop, I went to go meet my old friend Michael Friedman for lunch. Michael is no longer with AP, but instead doing some consulting and working on a few things for himself. Not much to report there yet, but I've known him a long time and it was great to see him and catch up as real friends, not just watch friends. Our lunch quickly turned into a small tour of two of the best boutiques in town: Patek Philippe's historic salon, and AP's beautiful boutique.

That day happened to be the day Patek Philippe announced the new 1938P alarm, repeater in honor of Philippe Stern and we were able to see it in the metal.  No photos were allowed but like with all modern-day Pateks, it over-delivers in real life. Only 30 are being made and we were told they will be offered only to close friends and business partners of Mr. Stern. I am quite sure they're all sold by now. On our way out, we ran into FP Journe himself coming to take a look at the new Patek. Again, this is a small town.

From there, we made our way over to the AP boutique – Michael's former stomping grounds. They had some incredible things to show too. The star of the show for me was the 11.59 Onyx Tourbillon. I can not overstate how amazing this watch is in the metal. 

Like, so good I almost want it. And if I were a man of more means, this would be on the list, no question. It was just another reminder – the day after the 11.59 RD4 Universalle took home the most prestigious award in all of watches – just how far AP has come with Code 11.59 since that first batch of watches. 

My final meet-up of the full seven days in Geneva was with two American friends who both happen to be owners of Simon Brette Soucription watches, plus a new Italian friend who bought probably the coolest thing I saw all week – a Reverso ring! We had dinner together in a fitting ending to an extraordinarily busy week in town.

I have to say, I hadn't spent a week like last in a long time. I threw myself fully back into the heart of watchmaking and it felt amazing. It's so easy after a certain amount of years doing this to become jaded at the speculation and hype around pricing, the incessant insta-commentary that surrounds literally everything, and the changing dynamics of the entire industry. But then you have a week like I just had and you realize that there are people out there still fighting the good fight, doing things the right way. And that there's still so much to love about watches, and it has nothing to do with the secondary market price of anything. 

I hope you enjoyed this little survey of my seven days in Geneva and if you did, let me know and I'll be sure to do it again sometime soon. Until then, stay tuned for our teams' rundowns from Dubai coming to you very soon!