A Super-Watch Made to be Worn: the Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Convexe

Before we get too deep into this one, I need to make it very clear right upfront that I have never seen a Greubel Forsey watch in person. It’s a horological blind spot. In fairness to me, however, a Greubel Forsey is a whole different type of rare. If you go to enough watch meetups, and spend enough time working in the industry, you’ll encounter all kinds of crazy stuff. I’ve laid my hands on hyper rare vintage watches, ultra high end indies, and plenty of head spinning stuff that years ago I’d never thought I’d have the chance to see in person. But not Greubel. For most of the brand’s history (which only runs back to 2004) production was limited to no more than 100 watches per year. The brand’s new CEO, Antonio Calce, expects that to double in 2022, and eventually hit 500 watches per year several years down the line. While that would represent a dramatic increase for Greubel’s production, it’s still low production enough to ensure that you’re just not going to bump into someone wearing one of these at the supermarket. Even a brand like F.P. Journe, which makes around 800 watches per year, has an occasional presence in my local watch meetup in, I kid you not, New Hampshire. How many years will I have to go to Booze & Bezels meetups before someone walks in with a Double Balancier? I think I’d be a very, very old man. 

In spite of their relative inaccessibility (or, I guess, maybe because of it) these watches have become a point of singular fascination for me. As a brand, Greubel Forsey has a reputation for two things: inventive, tech forward complications that push the limits of modern watchmaking, always with a focus on old-school chronometry, and absolutely insane levels of hand finishing. People tell me that the quality of Greubel Forsey finishing simply has to be seen to be fully understood, and I’m prepared to believe that, and will happily report back to confirm or refute this assertion whenever I actually get my hands on one. 

Unlike the finishing of a case or movement, which is mostly an aesthetic endeavor, the watchmaking tech that’s showcased by a Greubel Forsey timepiece doesn’t necessarily need to be seen in the metal to be appreciated. One simply needs to grasp the most basic fundamentals of how a movement works to then see how much more advanced and special a Greubel Forsey creation is. So that’s what I’ll focus on here, using the new Double Balancier Convexe as a jumping off point. 

The Double Balancier is perhaps Greubel Forsey’s signature invention, and uses two balance wheels, inclined at a specific angle, to essentially negate the impact of gravity on the watch movement. If this sounds somewhat like the principal behind a tourbillon, that’s because it is. Basically, by keeping the regulating organs of the watch outside of the extreme angles they’d rest in if on a single plane, Greubel Forsey claims they’re able to achieve greater predictability in the average rate of their watches across multiple positions. Through a great deal of research and a nearly singular focus on this specific horological problem, Greubel Forsey has determined that a precise incline of 30 degrees is appropriate, at least for this particular watch (depending on a watch’s size, other degrees of incline, steeper or shallower, may be appropriate). 

Two balances are used for the purpose of averaging out the movement’s rate over the length of the power reserve,which comes in at 72 hours. Because both are inclined, the level of precision is that much more stable over the course of the watch’s running time. The balances are separated by a differential that effectively passes energy from the double mainspring barrels to both balances equally, making a full rotation once every four minutes.

Every Greubel Forsey watch takes the science of watchmaking incredibly seriously, and sometimes that results in a timepiece that isn’t exactly the best option for daily, casual wear. Greubel Forsey watches tend to be large and thick, and act as showcases for the brand’s own innovations more than they do as practical timekeepers. But with the new Double Balancier Convexe, Greubel has created a watch that could conceivably wear while scrubbing that lasagna dish, even if it wasn’t pre-soaked. This thing has 100 meters of water resistance, comes mounted on a bracelet, and is made of titanium, so I feel safe in assuming the 43.5mm case wears a bit smaller. While it’s hardly a sports watch, it’s fun to imagine wearing something like doing regular everyday things, as opposed to attending monthly James Bond Supervillain meetings, or stunting for the Cirrus sales guy so he knows you’re a serious buyer. 

And that brings me to my humble plea: help me fix this blindspot in my watch experience CV. Do we have a Greubel Forsey owner among the Worn & Wound readership? I’d love to do a hands-on review of your watch. It’ll be in the best of care. And this won’t be the typical Greubel Forsey review. I’m going to do real things with this watch, like take it through the Taco Bell drive-through for a spicy potato soft taco (or three). Maybe I’ll go bowling. And you can bet without a shadow of a doubt that I’ll be wearing it in line at the bank, and probably while I’m waiting to get an oil change. The possibilities are truly endless, so get in touch if you can help make my watch review dreams come true. 

The Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Convexe has a retail price of $385,000 on a bracelet, but if you’re pinching pennies you can get one on a strap at a savings of $45,000. A total of 66 pieces will be made between now and 2024. Greubel Forsey