A Call for Academic Integrity and Professional Standards in Horological Journalism
As the Founder, Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of WatchCollectingLifestyle.com, one of the world's top ten digital magazines dedicated to luxury timepieces, I write to you today with deep concern about the erosion of professional standards within our industry's most prestigious institutions. With 35 years as a dedicated watch collector, 25+ years as a horological scholar, and 12 years chronicling the evolution of our beloved craft, I have witnessed both the remarkable growth of interest in watchmaking and haute horlogerie and the troubling decline in the quality of discourse surrounding it.
The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève stands as the industry's most coveted recognition, while the Fondation Haute Horlogerie serves as its educational beacon. These institutions carry the responsibility of preserving and promoting the centuries-old traditions of Swiss watchmaking excellence. Yet today, I must address a critical issue that threatens to undermine the very credibility these organizations have spent decades building.
The Credibility Crisis
Our industry faces an unprecedented challenge: the proliferation of self-proclaimed "influencers" who lack fundamental knowledge of horology, yet wield significant influence over public perception and market dynamics. These individuals, armed with social media followings—many paid and without even a website—but devoid of horological education, spread misinformation that would make our craft's founding masters turn in their graves.
When individuals call themselves "influencers" yet lack understanding of how a mechanical watch functions, cannot differentiate between annual and perpetual calendars, or remain ignorant of fundamental dial materials like mother-of-pearl, they should not be granted authoritative voices in our industry. Too many PR executives and PR agencies have abdicated their gatekeeping responsibilities, providing brand access based solely on follower counts rather than horological knowledge or journalistic integrity.
More troubling still is the discovery that some of these unqualified voices have been granted Academy Membership status within the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève—1,050 members in 2025. This revelation strikes at the heart of what should be our industry's most sacred trust: the preservation of expertise and the recognition of true scholarship. As I cast my votes last Monday, August 11, 2025, for the 2025 GPHG, I cannot help but question the integrity of the results determined by a voting body that includes members lacking fundamental horological knowledge. With over 1,000 people having voting rights in what should be the most prestigious horological awards, the need for proper qualification standards becomes even more critical.
A related concern also involves the potential for conflicts of interest within the Academy. When voting members have commercial interests in the secondary market—such as pre-owned watch dealing in many cases—their ability to provide truly objective evaluations may be compromised. The horological community deserves assessments based purely on technical merit and artistic achievement, free from considerations of how awards might affect market values or personal business interests.
This is not to question anyone's integrity, but rather to acknowledge that even unconscious bias can influence judgment when financial interests intersect with evaluation responsibilities. The most respected award systems in other industries maintain clear boundaries between commercial activities and critical assessment to preserve the credibility of their recognition.
The Absence of Standards
The current system operates without gatekeepers, standards, or verification processes. There exists no examination of horological knowledge, no assessment of journalistic integrity, and no evaluation of an applicant's contribution to the field. This vacuum has allowed individuals with little more than Instagram followers and brand partnerships to assume positions of influence traditionally reserved for those who have dedicated their careers to understanding the intricacies of mechanical timekeeping.
When Academy Members lack the knowledge to distinguish between a co-axial escapement and a lever escapement, or cannot explain the significance of a tourbillon beyond its visual appeal, or something as simple as how a mainspring accumulates energy, we face a fundamental problem that threatens the integrity of the entire awards process and what we teach newcomers into watch collecting. How can such individuals competently evaluate the technical innovations and artistic achievements that define haute horlogerie?
The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever
This is not merely an academic concern. The horological industry represents billions in economic value and employs thousands of skilled artisans whose livelihoods depend on maintaining the prestige and credibility of Swiss watchmaking. When unqualified voices shape public opinion, they risk devaluing the very expertise that makes our industry unique.
Young enthusiasts entering the field deserve access to accurate information from qualified sources. Collectors investing significant resources in timepieces require honest, knowledgeable guidance. The craftspeople who dedicate their lives to perfecting their art merit recognition from peers who can truly appreciate their achievements.
A Path Forward
I respectfully call upon both the Fondation Haute Horlogerie and the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève to implement immediate reforms:
Establish Qualification Standards: Create a comprehensive evaluation process for Academy Membership that includes demonstrated horological knowledge, journalism experience, and meaningful contributions to the field. This could include written examinations, peer review processes, and portfolio assessments.
Implement Continuing Education Requirements: Ensure that Academy Members maintain their expertise through ongoing education and professional development, similar to standards maintained in other professional fields where a certification matters.
Create Transparent Selection Criteria: Publish clear, objective standards for membership that emphasize merit over social media metrics or commercial relationships.
Institute Regular Reviews: Establish periodic assessments to ensure that Academy Members continue to meet the standards expected of their position.
Develop Mentorship Programs: Create pathways for genuinely interested newcomers to develop proper expertise under the guidance of established professionals.
The Choice Before Us
We stand at a crossroads. We can continue down the current path, watching as unqualified voices continue to dilute the discourse and diminish the prestige of our industry's highest honors, turning certain brands and watches into fads, trends, hype material, or status symbols. Or we can take decisive action to preserve the integrity that has made Swiss horology the pinnacle of mechanical achievement.
The responsibility rests with institutions like yours to serve as guardians of professional standards. The collectors, enthusiasts, and craftspeople who form the foundation of our industry are counting on your leadership to ensure that expertise, knowledge, and genuine contribution to the field remain the criteria for recognition and influence.
I do not make these observations lightly, nor do I question the good intentions of those who have expanded access to horological education and appreciation. However, democratizing interest in watches must not come at the expense of maintaining professional standards. There is a crucial difference between welcoming newcomers and conferring authority upon those who lack the qualifications to wield it responsibly.
The prestige of Swiss horology was built over centuries by masters who understood that excellence demands not just passion, but expertise. As guardians of this legacy, the Fondation Haute Horlogerie and the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to ensure that this tradition continues.
I invite you to engage in dialogue about implementing these necessary reforms. The future credibility of our industry's most important institutions hangs in the balance, and the time for action is now. The world watches, quite literally, as we determine whether expertise and knowledge will continue to matter in the judgment of horological excellence, or if it will only be about trends, hype, and style.
Respectfully submitted,
Halim Trujillo
Founder, Editor-in-Chief & Publisher
WatchCollectingLifestyle.com
Note: This open letter represents the views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the positions of WatchCollectingLifestyle.com's partners and/or advertisers.
