By buying back the shares held by Richemont, you have made Greubel Forsey entirely independent: what does this mean to you?
First of all, it means that Greubel Forsey is in very good shape, because we made this purchase on a self-financing basis. It also means that we have the confidence and vision of where we want to go, while increasing our agility and freedom of action. Especially since the relationship between me and Robert Greubel, the majority shareholder, is excellent, based on a very close relationship enabling us to work efficiently and flexibly.
You have doubled production your arrival in 2020
We did indeed manage to double both production and sales in just over a year. Demand from end customers is very strong, as is that of major players in distribution. This validates the choices we have made to reach this stage of maturity, our new price segments and a more contemporary identity based on the very distinctive convex case. We are also planning a further increase in 2023 to approach a total of 300 timepieces, and to stabilize production at just under 500 in the coming years. All this while maintaining the exceptional quality that has shaped Greubel Forsey’s reputation since 2004. This implies major projects, notably including a two-phase expansion of our teams and production space: by the end of the year we will occupy an additional workshop that we will rent, while organizing in parallel the construction of a new building that should be operational by the end of 2025
That implies significant recruitment...
Yes, and this will be the prerequisite for meeting demand, because excellence has always been a fundamental element for Greubel Forsey and no compromises can be tolerated. We are a major employer among the independent niche brands, with a workforce of around 100 and 20 more by the end of the year. We have about 20 people in R&D and the same number of decoration specialists, but we will need 33 to reach this new production milestone. The same goes for our watchmaking workshop, where we will need to hire several additional watchmakers, notably to support our growth. Finally, we have developed our management team and our organizational structure to support the development of Greubel Forsey.
Are your clients happy with this?
Yes, as mentioned earlier, and insofar as we are maintaining and continuing to develop a family of timepieces for the collectors who have followed us since the beginning. We have also introduced a range for connoisseurs aged 25 to 40: a more contemporary line in a price category that has opened the door to new customers. What these two types of client have in common is the excellence of the timepieces and the appetite for unparalleled expertise, impeccable precision, innovation, highly creative and accomplished design, as well as outstanding finishing at all levels.
Which model do you view as the most important of the year?
It was essential to introduce the brand to a younger clientele through a type of product and price that was new to us, and that is exactly what the Balancier Convexe S2 did, rejuvenating Greubel Forsey while respecting its DNA. This new dimension was subsequently confirmed with the Double Balancier Convexe and then the Tourbillon 24 Seconds Architecture, which retained its codes, and during Geneva Watch Days with the GMT Balancier Convexe, which is at once highly contemporary and extremely pure, yet which also corresponds to the very powerful Greubel Forsey codes.
What new product surprised collectors most this year?
Definitely the Tourbillon 24 Seconds Architecture. Who would have imagined a timepiece with a 7.40 mm high bridge? This arch that emerges from the mainplate and secures the barrel had never previously existed in watchmaking and we are thus veering completely off the beaten track! The same goes for the small seconds, which is embodied by a polished 360-degree cylinder. This achievement has had a significant impact on our collectors and connoisseurs. The GMT Convex Balance, with its sublime central globe, surrounded by a new type of hand-frosting and mirror-polished decorations around the inner flange, is also very aesthetically pleasing. All this has been done while maintaining the Greubel Forsey distinguishing characteristics and the overall coherence.
