Independents

SIHH 2010: Greubel & Forsey

 

Greubel & Forsey was present for the first time at the SIHH this year and I think it was a really good thing for both parties.

For the brand because it is an obvious gain of visibility and a sort of consecration. The Richemont participation in the capital of G&F contributed without any doubt to this presence but the overall quality and the exclusivity of the collection also made it possible.

For the Salon too because with G&F and Richard Mille, the presence of 2 major brands (in terms of horological contents) of the high-end segment brought a sort of bowl of fresh air and a new dimension in this sometimes too hushed atmosphere.

The creativity and the energy of these new brands were at the end welcome by all the attendees and visitors.

The only trouble for G&F this year was the lack of time. The negociation with the SIHH organisation finished at the beginning of the last quarter of 2009 so you can easily imagine that the end of the year was very busy in order to be ready for the Salon.

And I can tell you that G&F was ready because they presented us three new and interesting versions of already existing watches.

I propose you to browse them now.

Let's start with the Platinum Tourbillon Incliné 24 seconds. I must confess the Tourbillon Incliné 24 seconds is maybe my fav Greubel & Forsey. Because its apparent simplicity highlights the beauty of the single inclined (by 25 degrees) cage of the Tourbillon. Another captivating point is to see the difference of pace between the Tourbillon (which makes a full revolution every 24 seconds) and the second hand. At the SIHH, G&F presented a new version of the watch with two main differences:

• a new dial. The layout is basically the same but the power reserve indicator was reduced (the hand still has the same length) and the graduation of the small second indicator was increased (with the use of larger figures). The consequence of these changes is that, when we compare the dial of the new version with the previous ones, the second hand seems to play a bigger part on the dial. Other change is the presence of an engraved text with a horseshoe shape. The dial seems to be more refined, more subtle but it loses its simplicity.

• A new triangular Tourbillon bridge. I think this bridge will reinforce the reliability of the watch and brings a better support for the Tourbillon. But I prefer the design of the previous bridge. It is a question of taste, each bridge has its own personality.

Like any G&F watch, the platinum Tourbillon Incliné 24 seconds impresses by its finishings, by the visual impact of the Tourbillon and by its size (diameter of 43,6mm) and weight.

And hopefully, we still have the contrast between the dial and the sober layout of the back of the watch.

Let's stay in the Tourbillon Incliné 24 seconds context. G&F also presented a new version of the Invention Piece 3 with a platinum case. Here the novelty can be found in the combo: platinum case & pink gold engraved text. This use of colors brings a higher contrast between the text and the other parts of the dial. The specific time display with the 24 hours dial is the same than for the previous Invention Piece 3 with the « classic » red and blue hands also used with the Invention Piece 1.

Due to the strong presence of words on the dial explaining the philosophy of the two master watchmakers, the watch has a very original design and leads to clear-cut feelings: no mixed emotions here, you love its busy dial or you hate it.

On the caseback, the text can be personalised. It is the reason why I hide it for privacy reasons. Only the owner of the watch knows it. When you look at the back of the watch, you notice the very particular shape of the case. Case diameter and thickness are the same than for the Tourbillon Incliné: 43,5mm and 16,11mm.

Even if the key features of the caliber are the same (3hz frequency, power reserve of 3 days, Tourbillon Incliné), the number of parts used in the Invention Piece 3 is much higher than for the Tourbillon Incliné: 370 parts vs 280 parts.

Now, let's enter another dimension with the third novelty: The Double Tourbillon Technique with a Red Gold 5N case.

All the skills of Greubel & Forsey can be found in this watch: the Double Tourbillon (the inner cage is inclined by 30 degrees and does a full revolution every minute while the outer cage fully rotates every 4 minutes), the 4 coaxial barrels, the finishings of the details...

It is obvious: due to the presence of the two cages, the energy required in this context is high. It is the reason why the caliber has 4 barrels (the power reserve is 5 days).

The caliber has a diameter of 38,4mm, a bit bigger and thicker than the calibers used with the Tourbillon Incliné or the Invention Piece 3. The consequence is that the watch is also bigger with a diameter of 47,5mm and a thickness of almost 17mm.

Despite these huge dimensions, the Double Tourbillon Technique has a feeling of lightness. Where does this feeling come from? It comes from the absence of dial!

When you look at the Double Tourbillon Technique very carefully, you are in front of a true 3D watches: nothing is flat here. It is a true mysterious machine!

Of course, the watch is heavy and not dedicated to small wrists. I highly recommend to try it again and again to find the right positioning due to the weight of the watch.

But when the watch is on your wrist, it is an unforgettable horological show!

The back of the caliber was designed the same way with large openings.

It is not a skelotonized caliber, the lay-out of the caliber was designed to give this feeling of depth. You can spend hours watching this Double Tourbillon Technique.

With these 3 watches, Greubel & Forsey succeeded in their first presentation at the SIHH. There were not « pure » novelties but they are strong and interesting additions to the collection. My regret is that the Tourbillon Incliné lost a part of its simplicity but the Red Gold Double Tourbillon Technique totally seduced me by its beautiful 3D caliber.

I would like to thank a lot the whole G&F staff for the warm welcome.

Fr.Xavier

This message has been edited by foversta on 2010-02-16 10:42:08