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Lot Essay
Offered in excellent condition, this spectacular quadruple tourbillon ‘Invention Piece 2’ by the renowned horological geniuses Greubel Forsey is so complicated and requires so much time to create that production is incredibly limited. This particular edition in platinum is limited to 11 pieces only, of which the present example is number 1.
What immediately catches the eye is in fact the main feature – the two visible double tourbillons, which are presented asymmetrically and opposing top to bottom, the case is also shaped asymmetrically to accommodate them, the two double tourbillons are coupled (linked) by a spherical differential. The offset meantime dial at 5 o’clock conceals the three mainspring barrels, the red triangle pointer indicating the hours and the rotating disk indicating the minutes. An eccentric small seconds at 10 o’clock and 56-hour power reserve sector at 11 o’clock completes the dial.
The release of ‘Invention Piece 2’ did not occur until 2011, not in fact coming after ‘Invention Piece1’ but after ‘Invention Piece 3’ had been released. The delay was because of the sheer technical challenge of its construction and finishing meant that it could not be released until the required standard of perfection had been reached. Few watches are as complicated as the ‘Invention Piece 2’, the level of hand-finishing of the 594 piece movement is extraordinary and is worthy of close study, as is the two incredible double tourbillons which feature a system of dual carriages. The outer carriage turns once every four-minutes, the interior tourbillons, smaller in size and inclined at 30 degrees in relation to the first cage, revolve once every 60 seconds. To guarantee even more perfect time-keeping, this revolutionary complication permanently compensates the rate of gravity-related errors in all positions. The upper tourbillon is equipped with a sapphire crystal indicator which tracks the four-minute rotation period. On the case back, as is characteristic of Greubel Forsey’s most complicated pieces, there is a hand engraved personal message from the founders, which recounts to the owner the story and history behind the piece’s invention.
Greubel Forsey
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey’s working relationship of over 20 years is 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.
What immediately catches the eye is in fact the main feature – the two visible double tourbillons, which are presented asymmetrically and opposing top to bottom, the case is also shaped asymmetrically to accommodate them, the two double tourbillons are coupled (linked) by a spherical differential. The offset meantime dial at 5 o’clock conceals the three mainspring barrels, the red triangle pointer indicating the hours and the rotating disk indicating the minutes. An eccentric small seconds at 10 o’clock and 56-hour power reserve sector at 11 o’clock completes the dial.
The release of ‘Invention Piece 2’ did not occur until 2011, not in fact coming after ‘Invention Piece1’ but after ‘Invention Piece 3’ had been released. The delay was because of the sheer technical challenge of its construction and finishing meant that it could not be released until the required standard of perfection had been reached. Few watches are as complicated as the ‘Invention Piece 2’, the level of hand-finishing of the 594 piece movement is extraordinary and is worthy of close study, as is the two incredible double tourbillons which feature a system of dual carriages. The outer carriage turns once every four-minutes, the interior tourbillons, smaller in size and inclined at 30 degrees in relation to the first cage, revolve once every 60 seconds. To guarantee even more perfect time-keeping, this revolutionary complication permanently compensates the rate of gravity-related errors in all positions. The upper tourbillon is equipped with a sapphire crystal indicator which tracks the four-minute rotation period. On the case back, as is characteristic of Greubel Forsey’s most complicated pieces, there is a hand engraved personal message from the founders, which recounts to the owner the story and history behind the piece’s invention.
Greubel Forsey
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey’s working relationship of over 20 years is 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.