Greubel Forsey
0models
10collections
7reviews
Greubel Forsey
High-endInclined multi axis tourbillons, extreme hand finishing, ten Fundamental Inventions
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland · est. 2004
part of Independent / owner-operated
$200,000 to $1,700,000
My tier · 2
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey met at Renaud & Papi, the complications specialist in Le Locle, where they worked together from 1992. Greubel, a French watchmaker from Alsace, had worked on the landmark IWC Grande Complication of 1990. Forsey, an Englishman, trained at WOSTEP in Neuchâtel and restored timepieces at Asprey in London.
More about Greubel Forsey
History
The pair went independent in 1999 and founded CompliTime SA in 2001, developing complicated movements for high end Swiss brands. In 2004 they launched Greubel Forsey at Baselworld with the Double Tourbillon 30°, a one minute tourbillon cage inclined at 30 degrees rotating inside a four minute outer cage.
The chronometric claims proved real. A Double Tourbillon 30° scored 915 of 1,000 points at the 2011 Concours International de Chronométrie, taking first prize, and in 2015 the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision won the Aiguille d'Or, the highest award at the GPHG. The Atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds produces only around 100 pieces per year.
The Fundamental Inventions
Greubel Forsey structures its research as numbered Fundamental Inventions, and there are now ten. The sequence runs from the Double Tourbillon 30° through the Quadruple Tourbillon, the fast rotating Tourbillon 24 Secondes, the inclined Double Balancier, the GMT with its rotating globe, and the Grande Sonnerie.
The tenth is the Nano Foudroyante of 2024, the maison's first chronograph and first flying tourbillon. Its lightning seconds mechanism manages energy at the nanojoule scale, a result of the Experimental Watch Technology program. In just over two decades the Atelier has produced more than 30 original calibres.
Ownership and Independence
Richemont bought a 20 percent stake in 2006, two years after launch. That stake was bought back in March 2022, returning the company to full independence.
After a turbulent period under CEO Antonio Calce, Michel Nydegger took over as CEO in 2024. In February 2025 ownership was fully consolidated between the two founders, with Robert Greubel holding the majority and chairing the board. Nydegger has signaled a push toward smaller cases and an eventual entry model around CHF 120,000.
Model lineup
| Collection | Identity | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Tourbillon | Advanced tourbillon systems without added complications | Double Tourbillon 30°, Quadruple Tourbillon, Tourbillon 24 Secondes, Tourbillon Cardan |
| Balancier | Pure chronometry with one or two balance wheels, no tourbillon | Balancier Contemporain, Balancier 3, Balancier Convexe S², Double Balancier Convexe |
| Complications | Complications built for clarity and reliability | Grande Sonnerie with 935 components, GMT Balancier Convexe, GMT Quadruple Tourbillon, QP Balancier |
| Hand Made | Components made entirely by hand with classical tools | Hand Made 1 at over 6,000 hours of work, one piece per year, Hand Made 2 at 40.9 mm |
| Mechanical Nano | Nanomechanics and extreme energy efficiency | Nano Foudroyante EWT, first flyback chronograph and flying tourbillon of the maison |
Why it stands out
- The finishing benchmark. Frosted surfaces, black polish, and bevelled interior angles executed by hand define the widely acknowledged summit of modern finishing.
- A real invention record. Ten Fundamental Inventions and more than 30 original calibres in about two decades, all built around chronometric purpose.
- Proven precision. Competition results like the 915 point Concours score and the 2015 Aiguille d'Or back the inclined tourbillon concept with data.
- True scarcity. Around 100 watches per year, with the Hand Made 1 limited to a single piece annually.
- Founder ownership. Since 2025 the company is again fully owned by Greubel and Forsey, with no conglomerate influence.
Weaknesses
- Extreme pricing. Entry sits near $200,000, so the audience is a thin slice of collectors even among haute horlogerie buyers.
- Wearability came late. Signature pieces like the GMT lines ran to 46.5 mm, and the shift to smaller cases only began recently.
- Governance churn. The Calce era, his exit, CEO turnover, and Stephen Forsey stepping back from the board created noise from 2021 to 2025.
- Soft secondary market. Many references trade well below retail, a real cost given the sums involved.
- Tiny scale. Minimal production caps revenue and keeps brand awareness limited to the collector core.
Summary
Greubel Forsey is the reference point for finishing and inventive chronometry in modern independent watchmaking. The inclined tourbillons, the Hand Made program, and the Nano Foudroyante represent a research depth that almost no maison of any size can match.
The cost of entry is brutal and the secondary market is unforgiving, so these are watches for conviction rather than investment. For the collector who wants the absolute ceiling of the craft, this Atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds is where it currently sits.