Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie

• The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain

Greubel Forsey launches the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain , which is characterised by its round case and the emphasis on the technical aspects of the movement, particularly the tourbillon.

With the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have once again challenged the frontiers of horological architecture in three-dimensions. The depth of vision is enhanced for the first time at Greubel Forsey by the royal blue finish of the plates and bridges.
The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain is a unique edition of 33 pieces featuring a titanium movement and platinum case.

• The Quadruple Tourbillon Secret

The Quadruple Tourbillon Secret represents a special link between Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and the collector. The ultimate refinement, this timepiece evokes to the passionate enthusiast the promise of an exceptional movement in which a magical mechanical ballet plays out on a hidden stage visible only through the display back.  The dial side redefines the expression of telling the time with its harmonious arrangement of multiple dials.

Ultra-exclusive, the Quadruple Tourbillon Secret comes in a unique edition of eight pieces in 5N red gold and eight pieces in platinum.

• Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 2

In ten years, no less than six significant inventions have sprung from Greubel Forsey’s EWT think tank, three of which (to date) have been celebrated by Invention Piece (IP). In 2007, IP1 paid homage to the Double Tourbillon 30°; in 2009, IP3 honoured the Tourbillon 24 Secondes; and today IP2 pays tribute to the Quadruple Tourbillon with a completely new architecture in which the focus is on its exclusive mechanism. The two double tourbillons systems are presented head to tail and coupled by a spherical differential. A sub-dial at 5 o’clock conceals triple mainspring barrels and features a red triangle indicating hours and a rotating disk indicates minutes. Small seconds dial at 10 o’clock and 56-hour power reserve indicator at 11 o’clock complete the dial.

A unique edition of 11 pieces in platinum and 11 in red gold.

• Greubel Forsey Le garde-temps GMT

Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have focused their energy on indicating a second time zone, a complication traditionally denoted by GMT. They offer a three-dimensional temporal representation: A rotating terrestrial globe offering a truly original view of time all over the world. This technical yet poetic marvel provides us with a completely new way of perceiving the different time zones.

While the globe makes one complete rotation every 24 hours anticlockwise – the Earth’s natural rotational direction – the position of the continents can be neatly cross-referenced with the 24-hour, day-and-night indicator on the equatorial chapter ring. The intuitively interpreted globe is complemented at 10 o’clock by the 12-hour second time zone dial giving a precise indication of the time in a designated second country or city and is easily adjusted using the quick-set, dual-function pusher on the caseband at 10 o’clock.

• The Double Tourbillon 30° Edition Historique

In the spirit of independence and exclusivity, Greubel Forsey decided in 2010 to end the Double Tourbillon 30° Contemporaine by creating two unique series, the “Edition Historique”:

• 11 pieces in 5N red gold, and
• 11 pieces in platinum.

The closure of the Double Tourbillon 30° Contemporaine is a strong symbol for the brand: This line is heavily steeped in history as it is the timepiece which launched the Greubel Forsey adventure and forms the foundation of legitimacy for the inventions that followed. The decision to cease the Double Tourbillon 30° Contemporaine after six successful years will also see Greubel Forsey channelling new energy in creating systems, inventions and to explore new avenues.

The complexity of this timepiece is not only limited to the tourbillon system, but is visible in other aspects including a new kind of dial. This exclusive gold dial integrates three sapphire-crystal plates. These complex insertions are engraved and enhanced by a 3D structured text.

The bezel with beveled relief gives an original look to this final edition, a new interpretation of the style of the earlier models while retaining the intrinsic design features of a Greubel Forsey timepiece.
Visually, you will discover the 3D structured text on the dial and engraved hand-decorated curved plates affixed to the sides of the case extolling the philosophy and skill of the inventor watchmakers.

• Double Tourbillon Technique

With the Double Tourbillon Technique, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have created a truly stunning timepiece that is faithful to their philosophy of technical visibility. Each and every element of the mechanism is enhanced and displayed without overshadowing others.

At the heart of the timepiece is the Double Tourbillon 30° mechanism ; however, to perpetuate the art of horology and contribute to its 21st century development, several additional technical elements have been added, including four fastrotating co-axial barrels guaranteeing 120 hours of autonomy.

Admirers can even enjoy the sight of the barrels rotating while winding and unwinding. Coupled to these barrels is the visible spherical differential that drives the power reserve indicator. The hours are displayed on a transparent sapphire crystal ring fitted inside the inner circumference of the bezel to ensure full visual access to the astonishingly three-dimensional depth of the mechanism. Transparency is also
reflected in the luminous openworked signature Greubel Forsey hands and both the power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock and sub-seconds dial at 9 o’clock are strikingly enhanced by their red triangular pointers.

By virtue of its fully visible mechanism, the Double Tourbillon Technique is a showcase for Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey’s unique blend of technical mastery coupled with superb aesthetic finishing. The timepiece reinforces their commitment to absolute quality and fine craftsmanship, also expressed in the discreet message from the inventor watchmakers engraved around the case band.

• Tourbillon 24 Secondes

Over two centuries after the brilliant idea of the Tourbillon was first conceived by Abraham-Louis Breguet, Greubel Forsey are tackling the flaw in equilibrium and the effects of gravity on balance for a third time. The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné (Calibre GF01) is the result of an innovative approach respectful of aesthetic harmony and technical perfection.

Entirely in tune with the Greubel Forsey philosophy, this third invention is intended to be timeless, spectacular and magical: totally detached from its gear trains, the system appears to be moving in complete freedom and may be observed in full from both front and side. The shape of the rounded-off steel Tourbillon bridge further broadens the visual access to the mechanism and provides a view of the carriage in titanium and the pillars in Avional. The use of these low-density, high-resistance materials borrowed from the aviation industry was the only means of coping with the huge stresses imposed by the cage’s high rotation speed.

The rotating cage is composed of 88 parts weighing 0.39 grams in all. A graduated 24-seconds circle placed beneath the system serves to quantify the impressive progress of this record-breaking timepiece.

The asymmetrical case construction offers the wearer of the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné a unique and personal view of the fast-moving operation of his timepiece, since the openings in the dial and along the central band of the case are optimally placed for his line of vision.
The various items of information regarding the modus operandi of the model appear on an exquisitely velvet-finished gold dial. A small seconds sector complements the Tourbillon rotation indication placed beneath the inclined cage, while a power-reserve sector provides a constant update on barrels’ winding level.

A convex asymmetrical crystal sets the finishing touch to this exceptional watchmaking accomplishment, while the case-back enables one to admire the superlative finish of the frosted nickel silver bridges and plates, as well as the olive-domed jewels placed in gold settings.

• Invention Piece 3

To pay homage to their third invention, the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have taken on the challenge of housing a watch mechanism, combining complex and innovative techniques within an unprecedented architectural setting.

The third invention consists of a single tourbillon cage inclined at a 25° angle and performing a rapid rotation in 24 seconds. This utterly original mechanism guarantees the watch maximum efficiency and optimal performance on the wrist.

Invention Piece 3 features a totally unconventional display with the plates themselves serving as the base for the timekeeping indicators.
The four gold plates are engraved with a por tion of a personal message from Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey providing an insight into the complex process involved in creating the extraordinary mechanism of this third invention.

In a league of its own, Invention Piece 3 shows the time on a large 24-hour display taking up most of the space on the dial side. The minute display is concentric to the hour dial, with the hours distinguished by a red indicator and the minutes by a blue one. The power reserve, offset at 2 o’clock, is visually balanced by the tourbillon at 8 o’clock and provides linear reading of the indications. A sub-seconds dial at 5 o’clock ensures the overall equilibrium of the timepiece. Turning the watch over, the tourbillon, supported by a distinctive arrow-shaped bridge, provides an aesthetical link between the front and back of the watch and it can also be admired via the lateral convex sapphire crystal on the side of the case.

Unique series of 11 pieces in white gold, 11 pieces in red gold and 11 pieces in platinum