Greubel Forsey: history, models and value

Founded

2004

Founder(s)

Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey

Headquarters

La Chaux-de-Fonds

Owner / group

Independent

Greubel Forsey: origins and founding

Greubel Forsey was launched in 2004 at the Baselworld fair with its first watch, the Double Tourbillon 30°. The two founders had already set up a company called Complitime in 2001 to develop complications. The brand is based in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss Jura.

Founders and family

Robert Greubel grew up in Alsace, France, and learned watchmaking from his father. He worked at IWC on its Grand Complication and later at the complications specialist Renaud & Papi, where he became a partner.

Stephen Forsey grew up in St Albans, England. He restored antique clocks, ran watch restoration at Asprey in London and trained at WOSTEP in Switzerland. He joined Greubel at Renaud & Papi in 1992.

Greubel Forsey history and milestones

• 2004: Launch with the Double Tourbillon 30°.
• 2006: Richemont buys a 20% minority stake.
• 2011: The GMT, the first model with a complication other than a tourbillon.
• 2012: The Double Balancier 35°, the first model without a tourbillon.
• 2020: The Hand Made 1 wins the Men's Complication prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.
• 2022: Richemont sells its stake. Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and CEO Antonio Calce now own 100% of the company.

Famous Greubel Forsey models

• Double Tourbillon 30°: The founding model, with one tourbillon inside another, tilted at 30 degrees.
• Quadruple Tourbillon: Two double tourbillons linked by a spherical differential.
• GMT: A tourbillon watch with a second time zone and a rotating three-dimensional globe.
• Double Balancier 35°: Two inclined balance wheels linked by a differential.
• Hand Made 1: A tourbillon watch made about 95% by hand, which takes roughly 6,000 hours to complete.

Movements and technique

All Greubel Forsey watches use the brand's own movements. Its trademark is the inclined tourbillon or balance, meant to reduce timing errors caused by gravity in different wrist positions. The brand is equally known for very high-level hand finishing and for engraved explanations on the dial or case.

Greubel Forsey today

Greubel Forsey is fully independent again and still works in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It sits at the very top of the haute horlogerie segment. Production is around 100 watches a year.

Greubel Forsey prices on the pre-owned market

Because so few watches exist, Greubel Forsey pieces rarely come up for sale and each one is valued largely on its own merits. The model, metal, limited-edition status, condition and a complete set with box, papers and service history all matter. Watches sold by specialist dealers and major auction houses tend to achieve the best results. As with many very expensive independent watches, resale prices can be below the original retail price for some models, while sought-after or unusual pieces can do better.

How to recognise a genuine Greubel Forsey

A genuine Greubel Forsey is a very complex, hand-finished watch, and the movement is visible through the caseback. Fakes of brands at this level do exist, but they cannot reproduce the finishing and technical design. Make sure the papers match the watch, and ask the manufacture or an authorized service center to confirm the piece before you buy or sell. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers the basic checks.

What is your Greubel Forsey worth?

For a first, no-obligation idea of value, send us photos of the dial, caseback and papers and get a free watch value estimate. If you need a signed document for insurance or an estate, we also offer a written watch appraisal.

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