GaryG was delighted to take possession of an Invention Piece 1 with its inclined double tourbillon, while a good friend of his replied in kind with a purchase of the quadruple-tourbillon Invention Piece 2. Ever since, he has been dying to get these two gorgeous monsters side by side in the light tent. And the time has finally come!
Impressively, the cathedral chimes remained audible as Stephen Forsey closed his palm completely around the Greubel Forsey Grand Sonnerie in a (knowingly) futile attempt to silence the gongs.
But how? And what else does this exceptional timepiece, one that I might call the best in the world, hold in store?
There is something about interviewing people like Stephen Forsey, co-founder of Greubel Forsey, that makes it a unique experience. Not only is Forsey a great watchmaker, he is also an entrepreneur with his finger on the pulse of the industry. And here he shares many insights from the last 15 years of his company, one the best watchmakers in the world.
Joshua pontificates upon the unadorned cleanliness emphasized by the new Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision Enamel. The chapter ring and center inset are gone, and for good reason: enamel. This entire fresh dial is made of oven-fired enamel, with thinner numerals and markers harking back to classic pocket watches or vintage wristwatches, and a cutaway to admire the perfect finish of the 24-second tourbillon.
In the “Objects of Desire” series, I look at pieces that fall into the categories unobtanium and timenotrightium, as my Quill & Pad colleague Joshua Munchow might say. And, where better to start on the topic of desire than with the watches of Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey?
Many of you are likely to have come across at least a few heated discussions of “finishing,” a topic that seems to fascinate, and divide, watch enthusiasts. Like many people, GaryG’s starting point for serious watches was with a well-priced brand long known for its expertise in developing movements, justly viewed as offering good value for money – but not necessarily for the refinement of its movement finishing, at least on its less expensive pieces. Read on to discover what he has learned since then?
The Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon Blue features an entire dial that has been black polished. The sheer expanse of surface that is perfectly spotless without the hint of a blemish is absolutely incredible, not to mention that there are six individual pieces making up the dial that are perfectly black polished too. This must be seen to be believed!
One of the greatest watch brands that has emerged since the turn of the millennium is Greubel Forsey, who plays each “hand” as part of a larger strategy aimed at keeping it in control of the game it has chosen to play. One of the latest “hands” played is impressive: 2018’s GMT Earth.
If fewer people appreciate superlative hand-finishing, then fewer will pay for superlative hand-finishing, so there is likely to be less superlative hand-finishing on offer. Appreciate away!
The unabashed star of Greubel Forsey’s 2018 SIHH presentations was the GMT Earth, which enables a simultaneous view of three separate time zones and features an enchanting three-dimensional titanium globe showing universal time (both summer and winter) on the back. And the gorgeous new Différentiel d’Égalité is equally as technical. Check out these new watches from SIHH 2018 right here.