Can a watch tell the time anywhere on earth? Well, Greubel Forsey GMT of course

Born for innovation
Founded in 2004 by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey on the premise that not everything in watchmaking has been invented, Greubel Forsey is known as a watchmaker who is constantly seeking to push the boundaries. 17 years later, GF is one of the best and most respected independent brands in the world.

While brands around the world often claim that their inventions are revolutionary, innovative or just completely new, we often find that this is just sales talk. In an industry rife with recycling designs, recycling mechanisms, and sometimes lacking the need for fresh ideas from the community intoxicated in social media echo chambers, Greubel Forsey is a breath of fresh air. Trying different things and challenging the status quo is what makes this indie game so successful.

Shake the core of the industry
Building on the need to accept their previous limitations, we know Greubel Forsey is serious when they say they have created something we have never seen before. So when Greubel Forsey released their latest version of GMT Earth in 2018, the industry pricked up their ears and paid attention to what they created.

While the name GMT is very understated compared to what other watchmakers have named their watches, there is no doubt that it is one of the most complicated watches the brand has ever made. Just looking at the watch face can be tiresome until I get to the complication, which is complex enough to give a brain teaser. Seriously, look at the dial and soak it in. This is the pinnacle of 21st century watchmaking, and for good reason.

Function and Design
Starting with the simplest functions, the overall dial layout of the GMT begins with a sapphire dial at 2 o’clock, indicating the hours and minutes in local time, which incorporates a small seconds sub-dial alongside a power reserve indicator. The second time zone is indicated by a red triangular hand at 10 o’clock and is operated by a pusher at 10 o’clock on the case. This completes the more “traditional” complications on this incredible timepiece.

Filling the lower half of the GMT display is the artistry that makes this piece so unique, and where it gets its name. From the 4 o’clock position, we have a 24-second tilting tourbillon. Tourbillons tend to ensure that the tourbillon is never in extreme positions: perfectly vertical or horizontal. Next, we have a 3D model of the Earth we call home (not the watch itself, though that would be beautiful). This model Earth rotates in real time, thus providing a view of universal time, acting as a kind of world timer.

24-second tilting tourbillon at 4 o’clock. The 3D model of the Earth rotates in real time, providing a global view of time.

While not very accurate, using the Earth model, we can calculate the approximate time anywhere in the field of view by drawing a line through the area to the hour ring around the Earth. The ring also provides quick day and night vision by using its two-tone nature, just like a traditional two-tone GMT bezel.

Turning to the case back, the complication continues with a “real” world timer, providing more accurate readings for 24 different cities around the world. By distinguishing between cities that are marked in silver and not marked as black, we can read the time of the listed cities by reading one of the two 24-hour rings, regardless of the time of year – summer or winter–. Sitting next to Universal Time is a sculpted sun, the Greubel Forsey GMT symbol.

Architecture and Aesthetics
Finally, pulling our gaze away from the intricacy of the mechanics at the heart of this incredible piece, we can see the beauty of GMT’s construction. The GMT replica watches online is housed in a 45.5mm white gold case, not a traditionally shaped watch. With the 7 o’clock position protruding to accommodate the Earth sitting there, we begin to understand what makes this timepiece unique.

As the brand puts it, its bezel is “engraved with an inscription that encapsulates the key values ​​of Robert Gaupper and Stephen Fauci,” and GMT won’t let your eyes rest for a moment. Rich in visual appeal, otherworldly finishes and a hypnotic duo of a 24-second tourbillon and a rotating model globe, the Greubel Forsey GMT seems to defy logic, but it’s there.

It takes a lot of confidence to wear a watch that is more expensive than most Ferraris. It takes a lot more confidence to buy and wear a watch like this when it doesn’t have anything about it—except maybe the name—that suggests it’s special. Then again, in the right circles, sometimes a name carries more weight than any public display of wealth, especially when the name is replica Greubel Forsey.

Now I bet that for most of you, if this name comes up in a conversation with your watch lover, images of complicated timepieces start popping up in your mind immediately. Incredibly wonderful exotic dial. This is not surprising, as the brand has become legendary for its innovative creations featuring two, three and sometimes even four tourbillons!

As you might expect, every timepiece takes months, if not years, of research and development to come to fruition, so it seemed only fair that the results of all that hard work be displayed on the dial for the world to see and appreciate. Plus, when a watch comes with a six-figure, and sometimes seven-figure price tag, it needs to stand out from the crowd to justify its extravagance for a new owner.

At least that’s the conventional way of thinking, otherwise why do you think supercars are so curvy? Aerodynamics are of course important, but turning heads is even more so. However, Greubel Forsey, like everything they do, chose to buck the trend on at least one occasion, and I have to say the results are pretty amazing.

However, this subtle beauty may not be immediately apparent to everyone, which is why today we will compare and contrast two of my favorite Greubel Forsey fake watches. The aptly named Secret Quadruple Tourbillon and the more technical-sounding (and looking) asymmetrical quad tourbillon.

Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon
As you might guess from the names, the two pieces presented in this article have many things in common, most notably the complex movement with four tourbillons. Don’t think Greubel Forsey is lazy, but in fact the opposite is true. You’ll see that the original GF03 movement that powers the asymmetric quadruple tourbillon actually took five years to develop and consists of 531 individual parts, each designed specifically for the timepiece.

The Secret Quadruple Tourbillon, released two years later in 2012, also featured an updated version of this incredible movement, incorporating the learnings of Grebuel Forsey during those two years. Called the Calibre GF03J, the movement consists of 519 individual parts, 11 fewer than the original, and reflects the company’s commitment to continuous improvement through innovation.

However, aside from minor changes, the actions are more or less the same, which is a good thing because they are spectacular. The main draw is of course the four tourbillons, although at first glance you might think there are only two (or in the case of the secret version, none at all, but more on that later.) This optical illusion stems from the fact that , there is actually a tourbillon inside the tourbillon, or in other words, both escapements are so-called “double tourbillons”. This means there is an outer tourbillon and an inner tourbillon, each rotating on a different axis. In the case of the quadruple tourbillon, the outer tourbillon completes a full rotation every four minutes, while the inner tourbillon – at an angle of 30° – completes a full rotation every minute. fashion watch

The primary goal here is to achieve the highest level of precision through a mechanical movement. This is why the two sets of tourbillons are coupled together via a spherical differential (visible on the back of the two components) to further enhance the overall performance. I won’t go into the details of the theoretical influence of the tourbillon on the effect of gravity on the movement of different positions, but suffice it to say that before the watch leaves the factory at Greubel Forsey, it changes by -1/+2 seconds per day. Compare this to the COSC requirement of -4/+6s and it quickly becomes apparent that Greubel Forsey puts itself on a completely different scale.

Still, this is where things get interesting, at least for me. On the asymmetric quadruple tourbillon, all of the above is clearly visible thanks to the openworked nature of the dial. You can see the two double tourbillon cages – each made up of 128 parts – in great detail, and it’s clear why this incredible timepiece comes with a seven-figure price tag.

However, the Secret replica Quadruple Tourbillon is something else entirely. As the name suggests, the fascinating complexity of the movement is completely hidden and its secrets are known only to the owner, who can admire them through the sapphire caseback. According to the brand, the Quadruple Tourbillon Secret represents a special connection between Greubel Forsey and collectors, the ultimate expression of sophistication and sophistication. It’s a watch you buy for yourself, not someone else.

There are four different variants of the quadruple tourbillon; the two versions of the Asymmetrical are in platinum and rose gold, and the two versions of the Secret, also in platinum and rose gold. All four are housed in the same asymmetrical 43.5mm case, and all four are spectacular.