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The Rules


 

Rules



     

    Participation
    1. The competition is open to all (both amateurs and professionals).
    2. The photographed watch must belong to the participant and must be a mechanical watch (automatic or manual), unless it is a ladies’ watch, in which case quartz is permitted.
    3. All photos entered for the competition must be in keeping with ethical and moral standards. The jury reserves the right not to publish any photos that may cause offence. Any reference to weapons or photos of a sexual nature will not be considered.
    4. Each month, a different theme will be announced.
    5. Entrants must upload their watch photo between the first and last day of the month at 11.59 AM (Swiss time) to the watch-photo-awards.com website (WPA).
    6. Each entrant may enter no more than one photograph. Once the photograph is uploaded onto the WPA site, the entrant may no longer change their photo for the current month.
    7. Each entrant must complete the brief entry form to validate the photo submission.
    8. Any entrant whose photo is selected automatically receives free entry to the Fine Watch Club and enjoys all the advantages of membership in the Three Hands category of the Fine Watch Club.
    9. All the photos submitted will be stored on WPA, where it will become part of the first virtual museum of watch photography.
    10. Every month the jury selects their ten favourite photos, which are then published. The public then vote for their pick of the ten.

     

    Awards
    1. The author of the photo with the most votes is declared the winner for the month, and is awarded a prize. The prizes are announced on the WPA website, along with the theme of the month.
    2. From time to time, additional prizes may be awarded to the authors of other photos that have received a large number of votes.
    3. All the selected photos are published on partner website WorldTempus.com. Other media partners, including watch magazine GMT, will also publish a selection.
    4. In October 2020, on the occasion of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the winning photographers will receive an invitation to attend the preview of the commemorative exhibition of 60 winning photos.
    5. The best photo of the year will be decided by a separate public vote. The winner will be awarded the WPA trophy, and will be invited to sit on the panel for the following year.

     

    Theme
    1. The monthly themes will be announced by the jury on the WPA website on the first of each month, every month from May to August, with the exception of March, when the theme will be announced mid-month.
    2. Relevance to the theme of the month is as important as meeting the criteria of creativity and technical accomplishment.

     

    Jury
    1. Each year, the organisers appoint an official jury comprising five watch experts.
    2. Each year, the winner of the WPA is invited to join the jury for the following year’s competition.
    3. Biographies of the jury members are available here.
    4. No jury members or their families may take part in the WPA.

     

    Organisation of the vote
    1. At the lastest 10 days after the end of the competition, each jury member selects their two favourite photos for the month, plus a further two in reserve, in case the same photos are chosen by more than one jury member.
    2. On the basis of the jury votes, ten photos are selected for each theme.
    3. Each month, the public votes for their favourite on the WPA website and Facebook page and on the website of media partner WorldTempus..
    4. At the end of the six-month competition, the public is invited to vote once again, to choose the best of the six winners, on the WPA website and Facebook page and on the website of media partner WorldTempus..
    5. Any suspected fraudulent voting will be rigorously investigated and we reserve the right to disqualify any photo concerned

     

    Photo copyright
    1. Entrants must own the copyright to all photos entered for the WPA. They agree to grant the organisers unlimited use without remuneration.
    2. WPA and its media partners are entitled to use entrants’ photographs without remuneration in all internal and external communications, including on social media.
    3. Entrants consent to their photo(s) being used in all documentation connected with the competition, as well as in publications and exhibitions.
    4. The name of the photographer shall be mentioned wherever the photograph is published or exhibited by media partners.

     

    Acceptance of the rules
    1. Participation in the Watch Photo Awards automatically constitutes acceptance of all the articles in the Rules.