A History Still Being Written: 2025 GPHG Challenge Watch Prize
Words by: Joshua Matvichuk
Every so often, there’s a moment that makes you pause. A moment to briefly reflect and look back at what has been achieved. For us at Dennison, that moment came in Geneva in 2025, when our ALD Natural Stone Tiger Eye in Gold was awarded the Challenge Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. It’s a recognition we’re incredibly proud of and grateful for, as it reflects our original vision: to create impact without excess, through refinement, restraint, and elegance.
When we began designing the ALD Tiger Eye in Gold, our starting point was the case. With a long history rooted in case making, shapes are where our thinking naturally begins. Only once the case design felt right did the natural choice of dial follow. Tiger’s eye stone has a quiet energy to it. It shifts in the light. Much like the case, it is dynamic, changing as you move. Each dial has its own grain, its own rhythm. There was no need to decorate or overwhelm. It felt like something to frame, set within the silhouette of the case to depict the stone’s natural beauty.
Emmanuel Gueit (Designer of the ALD Collection) standing ovation during the acceptance speech.
Design restraint is central to our ethos. In watchmaking, it’s easy to keep adding more detail, more complication, more explanation. Instead, our aim was to create a classic where less is more. We feel the Challenge Watch Prize recognised that feat. This award is for watches that balance design, mechanical integrity, and accessibility. Not just beautiful, not just well designed, not just evocative, but importantly a timepiece that makes sense.
Stephane Cheikh (Co-Managing Director) and Toby Sutton (Founder & Director)
Dennison’s history stretches back to 1874, and the work we do today is simply an evolution of what came before. This GPHG Award marks another important moment in the brand’s history and reinforces our approach. It is not only for Dennison, but for the people who wear our watches. A small nod of recognition of their taste, or a quiet “told you so” to friends. Your trust and support are what mean the most to us, and this win is shared and celebrated by us all.
