As the winner of the most coveted prize in watchmaking, the Aiguille d’Or, or “Golden Hand” at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève last year, the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision needs little in the way of introduction. This new model, presented just in time for this year’s GPHG, however, marks a change in strategy for the brand that is as discreet as the protruberance on the case back of this model that accommodates the inclined tourbillon.
All Greubel Forsey timepieces have thus far only ever been produced in one edition for each precious metal used in the case. This latest model of the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision, in platinum with a salmon-pink dial marks the first in a series of four models that will all use the platinum case. But this does not mean that production volumes at Greubel Forsey are about to explode. Only a handful of these platinum models will be produced each year. The painstaking decoration of the individual movement components, whether they are visible or not, means that the assembly of these movements cannot be rushed. The mirror-polished curved tourbillon bridge in particular requires hours, if not weeks, of polishing to achieve an end result without the slightest imperfection, to which the decorator then adds his or her individual signature.
The distinctive dial colour on this new model is achieved by a PVD coating on the white-gold dial. Since the three future models will also be produced in platinum, we can expect similarly different dial variations to enhance the collection with some new colours. Flip the watch over and you will see that, like on the dial side, everything has been done to guide the eye towards the tourbillon cage (visible beneath a sapphire crystal dome) and its fast animation, since it completes a full revolution in just 24 seconds. Aside from the mainspring barrel and the sectorial 72-hour power reserve indicator visible on the back, the inner workings of the movement are hidden behind two matte-finished bridges. Whether viewed from the front or back, the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision clearly lives up to its name.
