As the eminent grand prize of the GPHG 2015 testifies, Greubel Forsey 24 Secondes Vision is the best horological achievement of the year. The watch in question is a tourbillion piece presented in a smaller and slimmer housing whose creation was made possible with the inclusion of a glass dome on the rear side of its case. This original feature together with the overall exceptional level of technical capabilities, as well as of the craftsmanship which can be seen throughout the piece are the reasons why the watch was crowned with the prestigious Golden Hand award. The piece whose production was made in accordance with the main principles of sophistication and simplicity is made in a 22-piece limited series and sold at the steep price of just under $286,000.
The prize winning watch by Greubel Forsey shows off a clever architecture that allows the watch to be as slim as possible, despite the fact that it is supplied with a quite large tourbillion cage. In fact, it is the thinnest model in the brand’s selection. This was done with the addition of a glass dome on the rear side of the watch (which is just like the crystal at the front side made of sapphire). The dome that overlaps with the lower movement bridge naturally makes the case in that section a bit thicker (16 mm compared to 13.5 mm). However, this was compensated with the shape of the housing, or to be precise, its lugs that are curved to the lower side. Speaking of the housing and its dimension, one should mention that the perfectly round case is made of 18 K white gold and has the diameter of 43.5 mm.
The mentioned bridge that overlaps with the tourbillion features a unique architecture. Its arched structure replicates the appearance of a Romansque vault which is further enriched with top-notch finishes such as amazing black mirror-polish that speak about the amazing skill of the craftsmen who are employed by the manufacturers, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey.
By the way, the tourbillion that was used in the piece is the brand’s own patent and is considered one of the best on the market. It is a tourbillion which is 25 degrees inclined to the movement to maximize its performance. As the name of the piece suggests, this tourbillion completes a full revolution every 24 seconds.
Just like the tourbillion, all other components of the movement (288 in total) are engraced with demanding finishes which are commonly seen in high-end pieces. It should also be said that this is a manually-wound mechanical movement which operates at the rate of 21,600 vph. Moreover, It has a power reserve that lasts for three entire days. The state of the storage can be seen on the indication on the rear side of the case, next to the tourbillion dome.
Apart from the technical sophistication that is mainly visible in the structure, the embellishments and the technical excellence of the piece, there is another important principle that guided the creation of the piece. This principle is simplicity. It is mostly visible in the design of its lovely silver dial with galvanized palladium plating. The dial features a flange with bar-shaped markers that are made in a very intricate process where they are firstly applied and subsequently enameled with pure gold. Other elements of similar quality are the central hour and minute hands. These skeletonized hands are skillfully made out of blued steel which was naturally finished by hand.
A look on the silver dial with minimalistic design also reveals a large tourbillon opening (with the width of 14 mm) at the nine o’clock position, as well as a small second counter that sits on the opposite side, but is slightly moved down and located at the four o’clock place.
The watch with the reference number 9100 5850 is paired with a black alligator leather strap which fastens with a pin buckle. Due to the complexity and the multitude of demanding processes that are integral for the creation of the watch, Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision is made in the limited edition that consists of 22 pieces. Its price is actually lower than a competitions’ product in the same class, though it is still extremely high and thus unavailable to most mere mortals. The piece form the Greubel Forsey Vision collection has the price tag of about $285,750 (or to be precise 290,000 CHF).
