Greubel Forsey

Who are Greubel Forsey?

Greubel Forsey is a small Swiss watchmaker in La Chaux-de-Fonds, founded in 2004 by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey (Wikipedia). It makes high-complication mechanical watches, many of them with tourbillons set at an angle, and sells them through specialist retailers (Greubel Forsey). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Greubel Forsey watch second-hand in the UK.

The company says it has filed more than 70 patents and that its watches are finished by hand (Greubel Forsey). Output is very small, and sources give different figures: Wikipedia says about 100 watches a year, Europa Star reported 260 in 2022, and chief executive Michel Nydegger told Swisswatches Magazine in 2026 that the company had moved from 100 to about 200 a year.

The history of Greubel Forsey

The founders. Robert Greubel grew up in Alsace and worked with his father, a watchmaker, before joining IWC in 1987 and the movement maker Renaud & Papi in 1990. Stephen Forsey grew up in St Albans, specialised in restoring antique clocks and led watch restoration at Asprey in London from 1987 to 1992, before joining Renaud & Papi in 1992 (Wikipedia). Renaud & Papi later became Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi, the complications workshop now owned by Audemars Piguet.

Complitime and the first watch. In 2001 the two set up Complitime SA to develop complicated movements for other brands. In 2004 they launched Greubel Forsey at BaselWorld with the Double Tourbillon 30°, in which one tourbillon cage, inclined at 30°, turns inside another (Wikipedia). A year later they started EWT (Experimental Watch Technology), an in-house research programme (Wikipedia).

Inventions and new families. The Invention Pieces followed: Invention Piece 1 in 2007, Invention Piece 3 with the Tourbillon 24 Secondes in 2009, and Invention Piece 2 with the Quadruple Tourbillon in 2011 (Wikipedia). The GMT of 2011 was the first model with a complication other than a tourbillon, and the Double Balancier 35° of 2012 the first without a tourbillon (Wikipedia). The Hand Made 1 appeared in 2019 (SJX Watches); Greubel Forsey says about 95% of it, including the hairspring, is made with hand-operated tools (Wikipedia).

Prizes. Wikipedia lists Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève awards in 2009, 2010 (the Aiguille d’Or, for the DT30° Édition Historique), 2015 (the Aiguille d’Or, for the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision) and 2020 (Best Men’s Complication, for the Hand Made 1).

Growth. In 2023 the company announced an investment of about CHF 20 million to enlarge its workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds from 2,000 to 5,460 square metres, due to be fully working by 2026 (Europa Star).

What is Greubel Forsey known for?

Inclined tourbillons. A tourbillon is a rotating cage that holds the balance and escapement, intended to even out errors caused by gravity. Greubel Forsey’s tourbillons are tilted, doubled or quadrupled, from the Double Tourbillon 30° to the Quadruple Tourbillon, which joins two double tourbillons through a spherical differential (Wikipedia).

Research. The company says it has developed “ten Fundamental Inventions” and designs each one as a base for later models (Greubel Forsey). It also says its watches are designed to keep their daily rate within less than a second (Greubel Forsey).

Hand work. Every watch is finished by hand, which the company says takes hundreds of hours (Greubel Forsey). Wikipedia says each Hand Made 1 takes about 6,000 hours, and the company says the Hand Made 2 is made at three pieces a year (Greubel Forsey). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why who makes a movement matters.

Which Greubel Forsey collections are there?

Greubel Forsey groups its watches into five collections: Hand Made, Balancier, Complications, Tourbillon and Mechanical Nano (Greubel Forsey). The collections table on this page gives a line on each.

Two points help when you read listings. First, the company says it retires calibres on a set lifecycle to keep them rare (Greubel Forsey), so many second-hand watches are models that are no longer made. Second, model names such as Double Tourbillon 30°, Tourbillon 24 Secondes or QP à Équation describe the mechanism, so check the full name and reference rather than the collection.

Who owns Greubel Forsey?

Greubel Forsey is privately owned. Richemont bought a 20% stake in 2006 and sold it in March 2022, after which co-founders Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey and chief executive Antonio Calce held all the shares (FashionUnited). When Michel Nydegger replaced Calce as chief executive in 2024, the company said it would remain independent, with Greubel, Forsey and Calce continuing as shareholders (SJX Watches).

Swisswatches Magazine reported in March 2026 that Stephen Forsey had stepped back from day-to-day work around 2020, remains a shareholder and had recently left the board. Its interview quotes Nydegger as saying the company “aren’t in discussions with anyone” about a sale. How the shares are now divided is not published. Among independent high-complication makers at a similar level, Greubel Forsey is often compared with F.P. Journe, another small Geneva-area workshop that makes its own tourbillons.

Buying a Greubel Forsey watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch, such as the box, warranty papers and any service records, and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. The exact model. Many Greubel Forsey watches exist in small runs and several metals, and the company retires calibres on a fixed lifecycle (Greubel Forsey). Check that the reference, case metal and dial in the listing match the papers.

3. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and ask whether the company or one of its retailers can confirm the watch. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what an independent check involves.

4. Servicing and warranty. A watch with several tourbillons needs a specialist service, so ask when it was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. Greubel Forsey’s website did not show its warranty terms when we checked. See watch warranties explained.

5. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

6. Buying from abroad. Many second-hand Greubel Forsey watches are offered outside the UK. If you buy from abroad, VAT and duty can apply; our guide to import duty and VAT on watches explains how, and our guide to how watches are shipped and insured covers the delivery.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Greubel Forsey?

Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, who launched the company in 2004 (Wikipedia).

Where are Greubel Forsey watches made?

In La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (Greubel Forsey).

Is Greubel Forsey owned by Richemont?

No. Richemont held a 20% stake from 2006 and sold it in 2022 (FashionUnited).

What is the Double Tourbillon 30°?

Greubel Forsey’s first watch, from 2004, in which one tourbillon cage inclined at 30° turns inside another (Wikipedia).

How many Greubel Forsey watches are made each year?

Figures differ: Wikipedia says about 100, Europa Star reported 260 in 2022, and the chief executive said about 200 in 2026 (Swisswatches Magazine).

What is the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1?

A tourbillon watch unveiled in 2019 (SJX Watches), about 95% of which, including the hairspring, is made with hand-operated tools (Wikipedia).

Who runs Greubel Forsey?

Michel Nydegger has been chief executive since August 2024 (Europa Star).

What is EWT (Experimental Watch Technology)?

Greubel Forsey’s own research programme, set up in 2005, a year after the brand launched (Wikipedia).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Greubel Forsey.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.