Greubel Forsey copy combines ergonomics, technology and architecture to create the first sports watch.
When it comes to the field of complicated watches, Greubel Forsey is the absolute ruler of the land. Every year I sit at their SIHH press conference with pencil and notebook in hand, hoping I understand at least part of it. Granted, I’ve come a long way since my first Greubel Forsey press conference, when I just sat there in complete confusion, like I walked into an astrophysics class in anticipation of art history (by the way, I did it in college).
Anyway, enough rambling to cheer us up on the all-new Greubel Forsey GMT Sport.
Start from the outside
The new Greubel Forsey GMT Sport continues the sporty black design of the GMT Black introduced in 2015, however, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have redefined almost every element of the GMT Black to create something completely different.
Let’s start with a freshly shaped shell that puts comfort and ergonomics at the center. It features a lightweight and ultra-strong 45mm profiled titanium case that is rounded at the top but arched and oval when viewed from other angles for maximum wrist comfort. The case features one-piece lugs and a one-piece strap that fits perfectly. Just to give you an idea of the intricacies of this “small” system, it’s the subject of four patents.
The case features a satin-finished bezel engraved with Greubel Forsey‘s values and an oval sapphire crystal that perfectly reflects the new movement architecture.
New movement architecture
The GMT Sport is equipped with a new hand-wound movement with a power reserve of 72 hours (guaranteed by two coaxial barrels connected in series). The movement consists of up to 435 components, all finished to the highest standards in the Greubel Forsey workshop.
The 24-second tourbillon at 1 o’clock represents the third “fundamental invention” of the watchmaking duo after the 30° double tourbillon and the quadruple tourbillon. This new tourbillon stands out with a 25° inclined cage that makes one revolution every 24 hours. This inclination, combined with the increased speed, significantly improves the timekeeping performance of this single tourbillon system without increasing the height of the movement.
Dial Tour
In keeping with the sporty theme of the GMT Sport, the dial has been designed with an emphasis on legibility and efficiency. Hours and minutes are displayed by concentric curved skeleton hands that follow the curvature of the case and movement. The gear train is mounted on a suspended black-coated arched bridge that overlooks the globe and drives the hour and minute hands. A subdial between 10 and 11 o’clock shows the small seconds on a rotating disc and a second time zone. The power reserve differential at three o’clock has skeleton hands and red arrows.
GMT Mechanism
Greubel Forsey’s GMT complication debuted in 2011 and holds two patents. It works by reading a second time zone on a secondary dial between 10 and 11 o’clock, which can then be combined with the universal time display provided by a rotating globe. The earth is surrounded by a sapphire crystal ring with a 24-hour scale, so users can read the local time at all longitudes, as well as see if it is day or night.
summer
On the back side of the GMT Sport, the outer and center rings indicate UTC Universal Time and Daylight Saving Time for the 24 cities in the major time zones. This disc shows which time zones follow DST (light colors) and which time zones do not (dark colors). Two buttons located on the left side of the case change the second time zone and synchronize the local time with the earth.
final details
Water-resistant to 100 meters, the GMT Sport comes with a black or blue rubber strap and is limited to 11 pieces.
Well, that’s another magnificent creation from Greubel Forsey, with a new sporty look and feel, intuitive reading and exciting mechanics. I was told it wasn’t something they “finished” in a hurry either!
