he selection criteria are based on technical achievement, the search for complexity in their realization, the quality of craftsmanship as well as their sense of design and aesthetics. Applicants must have independently designed and created a timepiece or an horological construction. The 2026 Young Talent Competition winner receives a diploma and a CHF 50,000.- grant from The Hour Glass and F.P.Journe, which will allow him to purchase watchmaking tools or finance an horological project.

Shin Ohno, 27, a graduate of the National Institute of Technology, Toyota College in Japan, won the 2026 edition with his creation “Fuyu-Geshiki”. He received his prize from Michael Tay, Managing Director of The Hour Glass, and François-Paul Journe during a reception at the Manufacture, attended by members of the jury and former winners who had come to support him and share their experiences with him.

Inspired by the winter landscape of Nagano, his piece combines a grande and petite sonnerie, a quarter-hour repeater and a tourbillon. Shin Ohno handled the entire development process himself, from the design of the movement to the manufacture of the components in his workshop, without using a base movement. The strength of this creation lies as much in its technical rigour as in its design intent, evident in the movement’s architecture, the refinement of the sound, and the care taken with materials and finishes.

The jury of the Young Talent Competition 2026 is composed of key personalities from the international horological scene: Andreas Strehler, Giulio Papi, Marc Jenni, Michael Tay, Elizabeth Doerr and François-Paul Journe.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions : 59 x 41 x 14 mm
• Weight : 122 g
• Complications: grande and petite sonnerie, quarter repeater, tourbillon
• Power reserve: approximately 50 hours
• Total number of components : 395
• Case : ebony and brass
• Bridges : brass
• Wheels and hands: German silver
• Hammers, levers, and springs: steel
• Gongs : piano wire
• Finishes: frosted finish on the dial and bridges obtained by emery blasting, satin finish on the wheels and plates, mirror-polished tips of the wheel teeth
• Manufacture: with the exception of the 68 rubies, 11 ball bearings, crystal, 3 mainsprings, and hairspring, all parts were designed and manufactured by Shin Ohno in his workshop, with no base movement.