Greubel Forsey
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DETAILS
It took Greubel Forsey 12 years to evolve from its inaugural Double Tourbillon watch, presented in 2004, the year the company was officially founded, to the Signature 1, then the simplest model in the brand’s portfolio. Up to this point, Greubel Forsey had positioned itself as a master of complex mechanical watches with exceptional finishing, the brand’s main weapon for winning the hearts of fans. This weapon is particularly emphasized in the Signature 1 through the extreme functional simplicity of the caliber, where the masterful execution is not overshadowed by a double, high-speed, inclined, or quadruple tourbillon, a double balance wheel, or an even more complex interplay of these complications with additional mechanisms, up to the Grande Sonnerie, the most complex watch offered by Greubel Forsey.
Experts often compare the concept of the Signature 1 with perhaps the most famous simple watch by an independent watchmaker: the Simplicity by Philippe Dufour. Here, too, the focus is on robust, precise watchmaking and on the traditional fine craftsmanship of finishing every part of the watch, rather than on complicated movement functions. The Signature 1 also differs from all previous Greubel Forsey watches because, in this case, the name of the chief watchmaker responsible for the development and production of the watch is not hidden. His name appears on the watch along with the names of the brand’s founders, on both the dial side and the movement side: it is Didier J. G. Cretin, who has worked for Greubel Forsey since its founding.
The Signature 1 was launched in 2016. The watch was produced in four versions: platinum (11 pieces), white gold (11 pieces), rose gold (11 pieces), and, for the first time for the brand, stainless steel (33 pieces). The Signature 1 in steel could be pre-ordered in three versions: steel case, blue dial, and gray movement (Edition 1, limited to 11 pieces); steel case, black dial, and salmon-colored movement (Edition 2, 11 pieces); and steel case, black dial, and white metal–colored movement (Edition 3, 11 pieces).
REASONS TO BUY
This Signature 1 Edition Unique in rose gold No. 08/11 is a highly attractive proposition for collectors and enthusiasts of Greubel Forsey watchmaking, as it offers the chance to acquire an extremely rare timepiece produced in a unique series of only 11 pieces in rose gold. We are naturally impressed by the brand’s exceptional craftsmanship, clearly evident in the fine finishing of the movement, dial, case, and even the buckle – hallmarks of a brand that occupies one of the highest positions among luxury watch manufacturers. The charismatic design, with its large balance wheel, long black-polished balance bridge, and eccentric sub-dials, makes this watch both memorable and instantly recognizable. Equally important, with a case diameter of 41.3 mm and a height of 11.3 mm, the watch is one of Greubel Forsey’s most compact and thinnest models, which significantly enhances wearing comfort.
ABOUT THIS WATCH
For an ultraluxury watch brand’s collection, the Signature 1 is actually a very simple watch, with hour, minute, and small seconds hands, a classic lever escapement, and not a single additional complication. At the same time, the utmost care and attention have gone into the finishing of every part. A full description of all the finishing features would be very extensive, so we’ll focus on the sweetest and most important details. The main sub-dial and the small seconds sub-dial are made of 18k white gold with perfectly smoothed, mirror-polished bevels. The light, silver-colored main sub-dial has a double bevel, as it consists of two parts – a grained chapter ring and a center zone – while the small seconds sub-dial is a single piece. The engraved markings on both sub-dials are filled with Grand Feu enamel. The attention to detail is also evident in the circular arc cutout at the lower edge of the main sub-dial, which allows a completely unobstructed view of the large 12.6 mm balance wheel.
The balance wheel was specially designed for this watch. Greubel Forsey and Didier Cretin felt that a perfectly symmetrical, free-sprung arrangement with adjusting screws would be best suited to this project. This allowed for a beautiful layout featuring a Geneva-style stud cap with two screws and a balance spring with a Breguet overcoil, delivering optimal isochronism and highlighting the high-quality execution.
The balance bridge, with its flat top and very wide bevels, is one of the most beautiful and meticulously finished parts of the caliber. Many brands pay less attention to the finishing of the tourbillon bridge than to this balance bridge. On the Signature 1, the top of the bridge is black polished – one of the most difficult finishing techniques – which is an excellent achievement considering the considerable length of the bridge.
Another black-polished part can be seen on the back of the movement: the three-legged barrel bridge typical of Greubel Forsey watchmaking. The black- polished top of this bridge provides an excellent contrast to the textured grain finish of all the other bridges in the movement. Reportedly, the decision for this finish was made literally at the last moment before the model went into production, while the barrel bridge of the pre-production prototype has a circular brushed finish.
In addition, the bridges of the Signature 1 movement are finely beveled and polished. This work was carried out to the highest standards of modern watchmaking; the flawless finishing of the sharp corners, external corners, and especially inner corners deserves special mention. The hand-polished chamfers in the countersinks around screws, pins, shafts, and in the gold chatons are particularly appealing; the countersinks at the bases of the hands are especially beautiful, as hands with such elaborate finishing are extremely rare in modern wristwatches. Below the main sub-dial, the bridge decorated with Côtes de Genève stripes is also remarkable, as this finish was apparently used for the first time on a Greubel Forsey watch.
We observe a similarly meticulous finish, with a combination of polishing, brushing, and grained surfaces on the rose gold case and even on the strap’s pin buckle. The straight brushing on the caseband and the tops of the lugs is impeccable and pairs perfectly with the highly polished bezel and the chamfers on the case and caseback.
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