The balance wheel is the regulatory organ of a mechanical watch, which is expected to deliver a consistent frequency with a tolerance of as little as 0.001 percent. With so much at stake, why complicate things by altering a pure and simple geometric shape? Why reinvent the wheel? Here Ryan Schmidt presents five balances that reinvented the wheel.
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?
Dubai Watch Week and Christie’s partnered to bring the first International Horology Forum to London on September 11-12, 2018 with panels and discussions held at Christie’s King Street location in the heart of the St. James area of London. The panels, livestreamed on Facebook And IGTV (Instagram TV), brought thoughts and opinions from industry leaders to the greater watch world. You can watch all the action right here.
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.
Anyone who visits online watch forums with any frequency very likely comes across at least a few heated discussions of “finishing,” a topic that seems to fascinate, and divide, enthusiasts. What is it and why are opinions divided?
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?
“What, another watch?” she almost screamed in disbelief no sooner than WMMT had opened the front door to his little love nest. Rewind to last week. Hehad been looking for a Roger Smith Series 1 for some time now, and Jones, his watch dealer, happened to finally locate one. WMMT thought that he had played it pretty safe, so he really don’t know how she could have noticed. But what happened next changed the rest of his life.
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?