Greubel Forsey History

Greubel Forsey History

Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have been working together for nearly 20 years in a relationship founded on their shared technical creativity and quest for perfection.

In 1999 they began working on a new generation of tourbillon specifically designed to improve the timekeeping of the mechanical watch. Four years later they unveiled 'Greubel Forsey' and stunned horological aficionados with their innovative 'Double Tourbillon 30°', a timepiece clearly demonstrating their twin goals of innovation and excellence.

In 2004, they founded Greubel Forsey.

Robert and Stephen continue to build on their deep traditional knowledge gained with four decades of combined experience in high-end complicated timepieces, by inventing and developing technically valid horological complications to rigorous aesthetic principles.

Inventors

Robert Greubel

Robert Greubel grew up in Alsace, France. He began his horological career somewhat precociously by observing and working with his watchmaker father in the family shop, 'Greubel Horlogerie'.

In 1987, after studying complications, he moved to Switzerland to join IWC where he worked on their Grand Complication project. In 1990 Robert joined Renaud & Papi as a prototypist working in complicated watchmaking, and rose to joint managing director and partner of the firm.

He left in 1999 to work independently and, in 2001, co-founded Complitime with Stephen Forsey, to develop and craft complicated movements for prestigious brands.

Stephen Forsey

Stephen Forsey grew up in St. Albans, England. His father's passion for mechanics and engineering inspired Stephen's love of horology and from 1987 to 1992 Stephen specialized in antique clock restoration and after-sales service.

He became head of the prestigious Watch Restoration department at Asprey's in London in 1988 and left in 1990 to attend the WOSTEP School in Neuchâtel.

In 1992 he joined Robert Greubel's team at Renaud & Papi, working on extremely complicated movements.

Stephen left in 1999 and in 2001, co-founded Complitime with Robert Greubel, to develop and craft complicated movements for prestigious brands.

Inventing

Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey are first and foremost inventors. Their exquisitely finished timepieces are validations of the underlying fundamental inventions they develop. EWT®, or Experimental Watch Technology, is Greubel Forsey's proprietary research and development platform, unique in the field of haute horlogerie.

This fully equipped EWT® facility enables Greubel Forsey to experiment, test, ratify and manufacture virtually every type of component, so new inventions can be continually and efficiently improved.

Inventions currently progressing through the EWT® pipeline include the Binomial mono-material balance and spring, and the Différential d'Egalité constant force device.

Inventions

Greubel Forsey's finished inventions are the result of years of stringent development and exhaustive testing. One common denominator of all Greubel Forsey's inventions, besides their sublime beauty, is that they all reliably improve timekeeping precision.

The 'Double Tourbillon 30°', Greubel Forsey's first invention, features two tourbillons, one rotating inside the other.

In the second invention, four asynchronous tourbillons independently contribute to the extremely high accuracy of the 'Quadruple Tourbillon'

The third fundamental invention, the 'Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné', masters positional errors using a single ultra-light inclined tourbillon cage rotating with high angular velocity.