- Greubel Forsey
Infobox Company
company_name = Greubel Forsey
company_
company_type = Watch Maker
foundation = 2004
location = La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
key_people =
area_served = Worldwide
industry = Watch Making
products = Luxury Timepieces
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.greubelforsey.com www.greubelforsey.com]
footnotes =Greubel Forsey is a
watchmaking company specializing in very high-end complicated timepieces. It was launched in 2004 by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey and is based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.Company
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey first began working together in 1992 at Renaud & Papi, where they developed complicated watch movements. The two men launched [http://www.greubelforsey.com/ Greubel Forsey] [http://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/players/brands/greubel-forsey/history.html HauteHorologer.org History of Greubel Forsey] ] in 2004 at Baselworld with the introduction of their Double Tourbillon 30° (DT30). The company uses a development methodology called EWT to experiment, test and ratify their projects.
In 2006
Harry Winston presented the [http://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/players/brands/greubel-forsey/history.html?id_document=23583 Opus 6] by Greubel Forsey and theRichemont group acquired a 20% stake in Greubel Forsey’s share capital [http://www.fhs.ch/en/news/news.php?id=504 Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry- Richmont/Greubel Forsey] ] .In addition to the DT30° and the derived Invention Piece 1, Greubel Forsey has invented and presented the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné and the Quadruple Tourbillon à Différentiel. They are also conducting research into the Binomial, a mono material balance spring/balance wheel combination, and a constant force device called a Différentiel d’Egalité.
Partners
Robert Greubel
Robert Greubel grew up in Alsace/France and began his horological career by working with his watchmaker father in the family shop, Greubel Horlogerie. In 1987 Greubel moved to Switzerland to join IWC, where he helped develop their Grand Complication. In 1990 he joined Renaud & Papi SA (now
Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi SA) as a prototypist for complicated movements and rose to become managing director and partner.In 1999 Greubel began working independently, and in 2001 founded with Stephen Forsey [http://www.moneyhouse.ch/u/p/complitime_sa_CH-645.1.010.506-2.htm Complitime SA] , a company specializing in complicated movements for brands.
At the world watch fair at
BaselWorld in 2004, after many years in development, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey launched their first watch, the Double Tourbillion 30° (DT30°), under their own brand ‘Greubel Forsey’.Robert Greubel is a founding member of the Time aeon Foundation. [http://www.timeaeon.com/pdf/news_release_2008-04.pdf Time aeon press release] ]
Stephen Forsey
Stephen Forsey grew up in St. Albans/England, where he was inspired by his father's passion for mechanics and engineering. From 1987 to 1992 Forsey specialized in antique clock restoration and became head of Watch Restoration at Asprey’s in London.
From 1988 to 1990 Forsey attended two five-month courses at the WOSTEP watchmaking school in Neuchâtel and in 1992 joined Robert Greubel's team at Renaud & Papi SA (now Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi SA), developing complicated watch movements.
In 1999 he began working independently and, in 2001, formed with Robert Greubel [http://www.moneyhouse.ch/u/p/complitime_sa_CH-645.1.010.506-2.htm Complitime SA] , a company dedicated to developing complicated movements for up-market watch brands.
At the world watch fair at
BaselWorld in 2004, Stephen Forsey and Robert Greubel launched their first watch, Double Tourbillion 30° (DT30), under their own brand ‘Greubel Forsey’.Stephen Forsey is a founding member of the Time aeon Foundation [http://www.timeaeon.com/pdf/news_release_2008-04.pdf Time aeon press release] ]
Collection
* Double Tourbillon 30° (DT30°) Vision/Secret. The DT30° features one carriage, rotating in 60 seconds and inclined at 30°, rotating inside another carriage, which itself rotates every four minutes. Rotating one
Tourbillon inside another averages out errors on the balance induced by the force of gravity. The DT30° is available in two versions: ‘Vision’ and ‘Secret. Vision features an open dial displaying the complication, while Secret conceals the tourbillon mechanism behind the dial, but still allows viewing through the display back.* Invention Piece 1 (IP1). Though derived from the DT30° mechanism, Invention Piece 1 [http://www.robbreport.com/categories/watches/detail.aspx?productID=1057 Robb Report - Invention Piece 1] ] features highly modified displays, surfaces, architecture and aesthetics. Two triangular indicators - red hours and blue minutes - show the time, while a sub-second dial top left with a power reserve indicator to its right complete the dial layout. A large mirror-polished bridge supports the double tourbillon carriages.
* Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné (T24Si). TheT24Si is Greubel Forsey's third invention. In this watch the tourbillon cage undergoes rapidly changing positions with a high angular velocity. The materials Avional and titanium were chosen for their strength and lightness to minimize the higher energy consumption and stresses of the faster rotating tourbillon: Avional for the pillars of the tourbillon cage, and titanium for the carriage bridges. The 88 parts of the T24Si system weigh just 0.39 grams.
* Quadruple Tourbillon à Différentiel (QDT). The QDT uses four asynchronous tourbillons working independently, which contributes to the extremely high accuracy of this timepiece. A spherical differential connects the four rotating carriages. This differential acts like that in a car as it distributes torque between two wheels while allowing them to rotate at different speeds. The asymmetrical format of the two double-tourbillons provides clear visibility to all four carriages on the dial side, while the case design allows an additional lateral view.
EWT
EWT® (Experimental Watch Technology) [http://www.worldtempus.com/wt/1/11615/5668 EWT article published in iW magazine] ] is Greubel Forsey' proprietary research and development platform. It incorporates a laboratory, which enables in-house experimentation, testing and ratification.
Two inventions current in EWT are the ‘Binomial’, a mono-material balance-and-spring mechanism using isochronically stable materials, and the [http://www.horomundi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5291 Différentiel d’Egalité] , a constant-force device structured around the spherical differential.
References
External links:
* [http://www.horomundi.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=17 Independent Greubel Forsey discussion forum]
* [http://www.greubelforsey.com/ Greubel Forsey website]
* [http://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/players/brands/greubel-forsey/history.html Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie 'History of Greubel Forsey']
* [http://photos.revolution-press.com/ians2008/greubelforsey/forsey_interview/forsey.html Stephen Forsey interviewed by Jack Forster]
* [http://www.tp178.com/SJX/gf/greubelforsey.htm Interview with Stephen Forsey regarding the Richemont group stake]
* [http://www.worldtempus.com/wt/2/11615/4918 Worldtempus article on the Quadruple tourbillon]
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/04/opinion/rwatch.php International Herald Tribune on Greubel Forsey]
* [http://photos.revolution-press.com/ians/greubelforsey/background/gfa.html Revolution magazine article on Greubel Forsey]*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.