Watch Finishing: Dufour, Kari, Greubel Forsey

Bernard Cheong offers a provocative personal view on the finishing and philosophical approaches of top watchmakers, challenging conventional wisdom. His analysis spans the distinct directions taken by figures like Blumlien at IWC and Lange, Rolf Schnyder, Dufour, Richard Mille, Kari, and Greubel Forsey. This article invites readers to consider the diverse interpretations of horological excellence, from traditional aesthetics to groundbreaking innovation.

My personal view on finishing between the BEST

I know I have my own views on (1) the importance and relevance on external aesthetics.

(2) My own degree I place on how relevant a movement's degree and relative in house development is.

For example, during the time of Blumlien's career, he divided IWC and Lange's core philosophies into distinct directions which were VERY extreme.

He used ETA based movements in IWC, while at the same time, developed a pedigree calibre 5000.

Then, at Lange, he used specific movements for specific case shapes and sizes. When he could have simply used the ladies model movement, and modified it for ALL of the range before the Datograph.

(3) Rolf Schnyder used ETA bases for elaborate, and sophisticated movement orientated complications...that tracked star charts and tides.

(4) Dufour used old traditional movements to create wonderful musical rhythmic lines that drew attention away from complex arguments on timing, friction, gravity, metal interactions, everything! He was a purist for aesthetic beauty.

(5) Richard Mille threw the bath and baby out, and made his own quality and his own beauty. It succeeded. Tradition was used only to communicate his ideas, after he explained it at length.

(6) Kari. He did a Dufour. His way.

(7) Greubel Forsey, they were the ONLY people who took tradition, tackled it and improved it the best they could. They attacked the flanks, bevels, pinion leaves, undercuts, and much much more....and then attacked the tourbillion in force by renovating its physics and physical appearance. Then, as if in over kill, went on to combine traditional surface aesthetics from differing eras and cultures, and delivered this at the epoch of what was possible with BOTH machines and handwork that has rarely been applied to such a degree, if at all.

Now.

That is my take on Greubel Forsey's assault. My credentials are called into question.

I see life as a whole. Both the length of it, and its quality. In my job, I fix broken lives. Within me, lives envy and competitively that makes me a hypocrite.

I fix lives in the office, while often in trying to outdo others, I sadly may have broken lives.

That type of life changes me. Probably you as well.

To make it worse...I am insecure, boastful and evil. Not all the time. But occasionally.

I began life in poverty, and live with a chip on my shoulder. I hate people who disregard others on the grounds of status. In a world of watch making luxury, that's being deceitful...a hypocrite.

I live it...I try to control it.

I may have succeeded...and then maybe I fooled myself.

Now:

Did Greubel Forsey pull the long con...or did they take the world by its testicles and squeezed?

I believe they did do the GOOD and RIGHT thing. They changed what can be changed to its best that it can possibly be. No limits. Charged a fair price...at least I think so. It is expensive. BUT..Greubel Forsey will and in my part of the world, have taken bigger brands like Richard Mille and Patek and beat them flat out.

At any golf course or yacht club in Singapore...the status symbol winning hands down, no debate, is Greubel Forsey.

At any academic dinner or meeting, if you were given a FREE watch, many here will take the Greubel Forsey. I may be WRONG...but I doubt it.

Finally...between Kari/Dufour and GF....the prior has much beauty. BUT GF has BOTH beauty, often even MORE...and has technology built from aesthetics, not from pure science. This allows the element of immortality. Not ever being out dated, but becoming instead....iconic. Which I doubt Dufour/Kari will attain.

Nonetheless, they..Vianney, Dufour, Greubel and Forsey have joined forces. Arguments will soon be simply moot.

Pictures:

 Between Dufour and Greubel Forsey.

It is a fight between the VERY best possible of TEA ( the TOP stuff, simple, elegant, natural...and the human touch is the heat).

And the VERY best possible, from the best year of vintages and harvests and meat at the BEST Michelin restaurant that people will debate for ages.

Simple versus Complex. Both at the TOP finishing.

For that, even their prices are close...one is NOT a tourb yet...the other..a complex double tourb. 

Ironically: I have known both Dufour and Vianney for more thana decade easily...

I have only spoken with Greubel Forsey for a total of a few hours.

So...I can get bias out of my way.