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Lot Essay
This ‘Balanciers Inclinés’ watch is one of the remarkable high precision timepieces for which Greubel Forsey have become justly famous. To the best of our knowledge it is the only example of this small series of 6 watches to be offered at auction to date. Offering an incredibly rare opportunity to acquire one of the most exciting examples of contemporary haute horologerie, this watch is the most impressive trophy for those who hold the endless pursuit of timekeeping excellence in the highest regard.
A product of the company’s Experimental Watch Technology (EWT) department, what sets this highly exclusive edition apart from most other Greubel Forsey watches is that it does not have a tourbillon, instead it is designed with two inclined fixed balances at an angle of 20° and two escapements, back-to-back and on top of one another. One of the most fascinating aspects of this watch is the two seconds displays, one for each of the escapements, and in addition, an ingenious complication in the form of a third seconds display, which shows the average of the other two.
Stephen Forsey explained the philosophy: “When we started, we made it our mission to improve the performance of the wristwatch, the fundamental research we performed in the beginning led to the idea of the double tourbillon for which we have become known. But we also knew even at the early stage that we wanted to explore other avenues, and fixed inclined escapements quickly became important.”
The present ‘Balanciers Inclinés’ watch is the fruit of over four years of invention, creation and validation, a model of the escapement was unveiled in 2009. Representing Greubel Forsey’s first ‘Experimental Watch technology’ production, the movement was refined and released as a special edition of six pieces in white gold cases in 2011.
The purpose of the ‘Double Balancier’ fixed escapement movement was, in common with the tourbillon, intended to reduce or eliminate the effect of gravity on the watch in various different positions. Greubel Forsey’s aim has always been to mechanically produce an average of the different positional rate errors for better overall performance. The ‘Double Balancier’ movement has two balances inclined at 20° in respect to both the mainplate and each other. The specific angle of incline is most important because it means that the positional errors imposed upon one balance in any given position are then offset by those experienced by the other. The theory is that by having two escapements working in conjunction with each other provides chronometric performance equal to a tourbillon. The three small seconds displays show seconds for each of the two escapements and the third shows the average seconds overall from both escapements.
Greubel Forsey
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have been working together for over 20 years in a relationship founded on their shared technical creativity and quest for perfection. The two watchmakers are fabled for their exceptional and avant-garde horology, combining highly complicated mechanical functions with uncompromisingly provocative styling concepts.
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have become legends in the world of modern independent watchmaking. Working together since 1992, when they were developing complicated movements for Renaud & Papi, Greubel and Forsey decided to branch out on their own in 1999, setting up as the independents, CompliTime Greubel, la Neuveville and Bureau d’Etude et Prototype, le Locle, respectively. From this moment forward, they are focused on designing a new generation of tourbillons specifically developed to improve the timekeeping of the mechanical watch.
A product of the company’s Experimental Watch Technology (EWT) department, what sets this highly exclusive edition apart from most other Greubel Forsey watches is that it does not have a tourbillon, instead it is designed with two inclined fixed balances at an angle of 20° and two escapements, back-to-back and on top of one another. One of the most fascinating aspects of this watch is the two seconds displays, one for each of the escapements, and in addition, an ingenious complication in the form of a third seconds display, which shows the average of the other two.
Stephen Forsey explained the philosophy: “When we started, we made it our mission to improve the performance of the wristwatch, the fundamental research we performed in the beginning led to the idea of the double tourbillon for which we have become known. But we also knew even at the early stage that we wanted to explore other avenues, and fixed inclined escapements quickly became important.”
The present ‘Balanciers Inclinés’ watch is the fruit of over four years of invention, creation and validation, a model of the escapement was unveiled in 2009. Representing Greubel Forsey’s first ‘Experimental Watch technology’ production, the movement was refined and released as a special edition of six pieces in white gold cases in 2011.
The purpose of the ‘Double Balancier’ fixed escapement movement was, in common with the tourbillon, intended to reduce or eliminate the effect of gravity on the watch in various different positions. Greubel Forsey’s aim has always been to mechanically produce an average of the different positional rate errors for better overall performance. The ‘Double Balancier’ movement has two balances inclined at 20° in respect to both the mainplate and each other. The specific angle of incline is most important because it means that the positional errors imposed upon one balance in any given position are then offset by those experienced by the other. The theory is that by having two escapements working in conjunction with each other provides chronometric performance equal to a tourbillon. The three small seconds displays show seconds for each of the two escapements and the third shows the average seconds overall from both escapements.
Greubel Forsey
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have been working together for over 20 years in a relationship founded on their shared technical creativity and quest for perfection. The two watchmakers are fabled for their exceptional and avant-garde horology, combining highly complicated mechanical functions with uncompromisingly provocative styling concepts.
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have become legends in the world of modern independent watchmaking. Working together since 1992, when they were developing complicated movements for Renaud & Papi, Greubel and Forsey decided to branch out on their own in 1999, setting up as the independents, CompliTime Greubel, la Neuveville and Bureau d’Etude et Prototype, le Locle, respectively. From this moment forward, they are focused on designing a new generation of tourbillons specifically developed to improve the timekeeping of the mechanical watch.