A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE · NICHOLAS AHLZÉN
Greubel Forsey is one of my favourite watch brands because it gives me a reason to keep looking. The shape of a bridge, the finish of an edge, the movement of a balance wheel: the closer the attention, the greater the reward.
Running Superwatchman means thinking about what makes a watch worth sharing. A striking photograph can catch your eye, but I want the object behind it to sustain that interest. Greubel Forsey does that through a combination of mechanical ambition, hand craftsmanship and a visual identity that feels entirely its own.
These are the qualities I want to explain when someone asks why the brand matters to me.
The finishing gives the details a purpose
For me, the strongest argument starts with the surfaces. Greubel Forsey describes hundreds of hours of manual finishing in each timepiece, including polished bevels and black-polished steel. Those techniques create different responses to light across a very small object.
That contrast is what draws my eye: a bright edge beside a restrained surface, a bridge whose shape becomes clearer as the reflection changes. It makes the workmanship part of the experience of reading and observing the watch.
I admire the patience that this approach demands. A small component can deserve an extraordinary amount of attention. That is a convincing expression of luxury to me, because the work remains there whether anyone else notices it or not.
The mechanics are worth understanding
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey launched their namesake atelier in 2004. Its first invention, the Double Tourbillon 30°, placed an inner cage inclined at 30 degrees inside a second cage. The inner cage completes a rotation in one minute; the outer cage takes four.
The purpose was to address the effect of position on mechanical timekeeping. That gives the spectacle a reason to exist. There is a question behind the construction, and understanding the answer adds another layer of enjoyment.
The Double Balancier explores a different route: two inclined balance wheels linked through a differential to average their rates. I find that willingness to pursue different solutions compelling. It gives a collector something to learn, discuss and return to long after the first impression.
A design language with real depth
The Balancier Convexe S² is a useful example of how these ideas become a recognisable watch. In the 41.5 mm titanium version, a curved case frames an exposed balance inclined at 30 degrees. The manually wound movement has a stated 72-hour power reserve.
What interests me is how the watch uses that space. The display has levels, open areas and sharply defined structures. Your eye moves through it. Even in a photograph, the relationship between the case and the mechanism is central to its character.
I value that kind of distinctiveness. A favourite brand should have a point of view strong enough to be recognised through its work. Greubel Forsey has one, and it leaves room for both the more classical pieces and the contemporary Convexe designs.
Greubel Forsey on familiar wrists
Watch spotting is another way into the story. Ryan Reynolds, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Zuckerberg have each been photographed or filmed wearing Greubel Forsey, with very different models on their wrists. Together, those appearances show how much range there is within the brand.
Ryan Reynolds — Balancier Contemporain
In our earlier feature on Ryan Reynolds, we identified the watch as the Balancier Contemporain in red gold. Its 39.6 mm case gives the exposed balance and layered dial a relatively compact setting. It is a good example of the more classical side of Greubel Forsey: measured proportions, warm gold and plenty to discover in the movement.
From Superwatchman’s Instagram archive. Original photograph credited to @michelknydegger.
Robert Downey Jr. — GMT Tourbillon
At the Los Angeles premiere of Avengers: Infinity War on 23 April 2018, Robert Downey Jr. wore a red-gold Greubel Forsey GMT Tourbillon. The appearance was documented by Men’s Journal and is also part of our own archive.
The GMT’s miniature globe makes the attraction easy to understand. It gives the time-zone display a physical presence, turning a practical travel function into something you want to observe. That mix of theatre and mechanical purpose is central to the brand’s appeal for me.
Mark Zuckerberg — Hand Made 1
Mark Zuckerberg brought another side of the atelier into the spotlight in January 2025. JCK identified the watch in his Meta announcement video as a Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1.
That appearance leads back to the quality I admire most: the human work behind the object. A familiar face can introduce a watch to a much wider audience. The rewarding part comes afterwards, when someone becomes curious about how it was made.
Admiration can exist without ownership
These are exceptional objects with prices that put ownership beyond most watch enthusiasts. Being one of my favourite brands does not mean every reference would suit my wrist, or that I would recommend every watch to every collector.
What earns my admiration is the standard of thought and work the watches represent. I can appreciate a mechanism, study the finishing and enjoy an ambitious design without turning the conversation into a purchase decision.
That is why Greubel Forsey has such a strong place in my view of watchmaking. It keeps the craft interesting. There is always another detail to understand, and that curiosity is a large part of why I love watches in the first place.
Nicholas Ahlzén
Co-founder, Superwatchman
From our archive: a closer look at the Double Balancier Convexe SHH Edition.
Technical sources: Greubel Forsey’s brand history, Art of Invention, Double Balancier history and 41.5 mm titanium Balancier Convexe S² specifications. Technical figures are manufacturer information. This article is a personal perspective, rather than a hands-on test.
