Greubel Forsey Does Things the Old Fashioned Way

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Greubel Forsey Does Things the Old Fashioned Way

Stephen Forsey is a man with a mission. When the British-born exec co-founded the Greubel Forsey watch company with Robert Greubel 11 years ago, he had a plan to save the traditional skills of fine watchmaking from becoming extinct. In an interview with World Tempus, Forsey discussed his passion for watchmaking.

When asked the secret of the brand’s success, Forsey explained: “It’s a question of spirit, we have always questioned each existing fact and always want to overcome the limits of what was believed possible.

“Robert and I noticed when we started to work on our first timepiece that many skills and techniques – notably for hand finishing – were no longer practiced. So we were looking already then, ten or fifteen years ago, at the challenge to save these watchmaking skills and techniques from the dying out.”

Forsey claims that his favorite projects so far have been the Double Tourbillon 30°, the Invention Piece 1 (pictured) and the GMT, saying they “embody the true Greubel Forsey spirit.” He also has a soft spot for the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision, which he calls “a sublime piece, apparently simple at arm’s length, with the exquisite details and level of outstanding execution become more and more apparent the closer that you look.”

It’s obvious that Forsey loves what he does as he explained his passion for creating fine timepieces. “I love pushing back the frontiers of performance through our original research; to see a new invention burst into life and working for the very first time.”

When asked what he loves about watches, Forsey answered, “Time is invisible but governs our lives. The mechanical watch is the finest combination of art, science and mechanics I have ever found!”

Greubel Forsey may be an upstart in the field of watchmaking but fine craftsmanship and love for the art should keep the brand around for the long run.