Poetry in Motion: An Ode to the 2023 Class of GPHG Finalists
On the eve of the 2023 GPHG awards ceremony, we’re celebrating the year’s most beautiful timepieces through the art of haiku.
The annual Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is a celebration of the world’s most remarkable horological creations. Every year, 84 timepieces are nominated, and although the awards are often called the Oscars of Watchmaking, it’s less about competition than an opportunity to celebrate the advancement of the art of watchmaking.
It’s also a global event with exhibitions of nominated pieces traveling to cities all over the world, showcasing the virtuosity of modern watchmaking. In fact, I was in New York when the GPHG tour recently stopped by Watches of Switzerland’s SoHo boutique. I watched as attendees quickly realized that these exceptional timepieces couldn’t be understood properly after just a glance at a spec sheet or a perusal of photos.
So why not try our hand at using poetry to describe the essence of these miniature pieces of art? Specifically, the goal is to express our reactions to a selection of this year’s GPHG finalists in the form of Haiku – a poem of 17 syllables presented in three lines of five, seven, and five.
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THE PIAGET HIDDEN TREASURES
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The hands of time can
Wear down the distractions that
Hide true elegance
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THE DE BETHUNE DB28XS STARRY SEAS
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Heavenly bodies
Hewn into an unfixed ocean
Held still by time
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THE GRAND SEIKO TENTAGRAPH
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This chronograph is
Forever stopping starting
Winding unwinding
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THE TAG HEUER CARRERA CHRONOGRAPH SKIPPER
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Looking at the past
Through the lens of a “glassbox”
You see the future
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THE STUDIO UNDERD0G WATERMEL0N
PERPÉTUEL LIMITED EDITION
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Let’s celebrate joy
Look at your wrist every day
And taste the colors
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THE CHOPARD L.U.C 1860
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Let us all agree
Salmon should be part of a
Healthy watch diet
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THE ARNOLD & SON ULTRATHIN TOURBILLON GOLD
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Essential essence
A complicated timepiece
That doesn’t show off
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THE PARMIGIANI FLEURIER TONDA PF
XIALI CHINESE CALENDAR
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The sun, moon, and stars
We chart our lives with the sky
It makes us as kin
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THE JACOB & CO ASTRONOMIA REVOLUTION
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Tom Petty once wrote
“Too much, baby, ain’t enough”
Petty never lies
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THE DOXA ARMY
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All I can say is
That this stainless steel sport watch
Got the assignment
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THE ANDERSEN GENÈVE X BCHH ARCTIC SUNRISE
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Collaboration
Where the land and the sky meet
Supernatural
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THE PARMIGIANI FLEURIER TONDA PF MICRO-ROTOR
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Even when stripped down
You can always spot objects
Made with human hands
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THE BULGARI SERPENTI CLEOPATRA
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Forget the Octo
This bejeweled hive reveals
Secrets of a queen
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THE LOUIS ERARD X KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN LE RÉGULATEUR
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We have all had days
When the dial of this wristwatch
Expressed our feelings
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THE VAN CLEEF & ARPELS ÉVEIL DU CYCLAMEN AUTOMATON
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Seconds and minutes
Are more meaningful to life
In flower gardens
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