Unbalancewheel
2
First comment - hi everyone!
I was recently invited to visit the GF manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. I too was concerned about a potential decline in quality of their decoration. I was insured by the account managers leading the tour and reassured by watching the decoration team working on all the individual parts that the quality has in fact stayed the same in the last years. I was told that the price decrease was mainly possible due to the less detailed case, the flat balance and a decrease in the total amount of parts used in the watch. Each and every single part is still handfinished up to the same, extremely high standard. Even a single screw can apparantly take up to 2 hours to decorate.
I was able to check out numerous timepieces, my highlights were the new Tourbillon Cardan, the Double Balancier in the smaller size with a Titanium case and the previous gen S2.
The tour put the final nail in the coffin for me and after freeing up some liquidity in 24 or 25 I'm looking at either the Double Balancier or the S2.
Below some pics of the Double Balancier. It's truly an outstanding watch, the depth and comfort are second to none. And so is the finishing - especially the broad, hand applied bevel on the "dial" (which is Titanium as well, very impressive imo). Please excuse the terrible image quality.
New Greubel Balancier 3
Their more affordable version of the Balancier. I had the chance to try a few of the Balancier models at an AD in CDMX recently and was really wowed by them in person. The curved crystals are very very cool and they wear nicely. When I did a bit more rese...
Having spoken to a person at GF,
They said that GF is very careful to maintain its standards of finishing. As m2 says, maybe the set up is simpler, but I think we'll see what's done is kept to a high level. We'll evaluate as pieces become available, should be fun!
Haha valid. Well, not $400k+ like the other watches
They lose quite a bit of value second hand too. I’m sure these will be like 100 - 120 2nd hand. Still not cheap by any means though lol
I'm waiting for the bubble to burst...
...so I can buy something halfway decent for a 'mere' $50k (peanuts, I know) : )
Fashion. Trend.
And probably still some element of them being a very easy means of avoiding currency controls.
Looks good in the picture
I like the simpler design and that big arm reaching down to the second hand looks cool. However, my first impression when seeing the picture was not GF but Grönefeld. Cazalea
On one hand I like the look of this one better then the previous versions.
On the other hand - there are way too many variations which spells trouble - the first balancier with the engraved bezel, then the smoothe bezel version, then various materials, then smaller sizes, now this ... Also despite the simplifications the price i...
Greubel is losing its soul
The inclined balance was the one thing that made this watch special. Now, it's just a very overpriced time-only watch, with questionable aesthetics. This is a huge miss in my book. The original balancier already trades well below retail for this new one, ...
My biggest beef (besides the size/cost)...
...is GF engraving Tolstoy novels on the movements...
Not all of the older models have the engraving
But yeah, that’s just part of the aesthetics. Polarizing for sure. You either like it or you don’t. As for the size, the older ones packed in so much into the movements, the sizes really are explainable.
Size...OK...
...if there is a lot going on. But even with my reasonably large wrist, the one I saw in person was just too much.
Yeah, size is one of the major reasons why I have stayed away from the brand
But I do admire them for what they are
They look incredible in person...
...and have whatever that special something is that make you notice them from afar...
I have medium-sized wrists, tried on 'inclined' balancier
With smooth bezel, and thought the level of comfort afforded to the wearer is brilliant. That piece changed my view of GF in a positive direction. I think tt was the S2 Convexe, but don't remember anymore. Chk
Agreed and with the limited outputs early on I see safe investments of those fortunate to get.
Have seen other brands constantly say “the early pieces” when constituting superior quality or good old days. GF is the king in my book.. at leas the early pieces back in the good old days
I haven't seen any GF in person yet, but initially I like this one from the pictures
Totally out of my range for a time-only and don't really love the "lugs" (from the pictures), but I'm sure that it looks good on the wrist.
If I want to pay top dollars for a watch, finishing and time-only, even plus power reserve is not enough. I love to have some grander complications.
I know some collectors are treating finishings like picasso / van gogh paint brushes, not me....I still feel if I hire an experienced watch maker, just to focus, do nothing else, just to polish, I can get similar end results.
Could handle some modern GFs and also these «entry level» ones. Was underwhelmed
by the finishing, the lack of visibility of the movement but overwhelmed by the price and the size. There are so many incredibly qualitative watches out there at much lower price points.
IMHO these are like Porsche SUVs, not for me but great if it helps GF survive
A Cayenne turbo is a monster of an SUV, I'd happily daily one of those but probably not with my own money and it won't ever be as special to me as a Porsche sports car. The GF sports watches are awesome but the pice is challenging and I think the classic ...
Thanks again for your post in the other thread I had made
Really helpful and killed my want for the watch unless secondary prices drop a ton. Now I know who to PM when my finger is itchy
Lol, I don't want to step on anyone's watch wants!
But yeah, they are screwing the collectors with so much supply. I can't believe after all the other convexe watches they announced this year and haven't delivered they dropped ANOTHER 176 watches. With the bubble bursting this is going to hurt. I still pr...
Funny, I was just in the Dubai Mall and it is almost like claiming I saw bigfoot since I didn't take a picture but I could swear I saw a sapphire double balancier convexe at Seddiqi.
Limited run of like 7 or 11 I think. I think all the convexe watches are also carrying "1 of XX" numbers plates instead of individually numbered watches which seems shady since then they can pull a Ferrari and really produce whatever they feel like withou...
I prefer the older “original” Greubel Forsey timepieces.
The level of finishing is superb AND the level of INTRIGUE is very high. I think the new management is clearly going a new direction. I believe Stephen Forsey now has less of a role and I miss him being there. ...
I could not agree with you more
And now these older Greubels can be had for increasingly attractive prices. The new stuff just leaves me so cold
100%
My favorite is the invention piece. Pic from Gary G. I am a couple hundred thousand short though lol. 😆 ...
Beautiful! Agree, pre-calce GF is where it's at, someday would like to add a technique too
The S1 has been my daily for the last couple years, barely wear my other watches ...
Sounds like Robert and Stephen are OUT 😢 Was just watching a WB interview from Dubai WW and when asked about Robert's and Stephen's roles in the new Tourbillon Cardan Calce made a yuge dodge
I was wondering if the Tourbillon Cardon might be a last work from the OG Greubel and Forsey since it was an actual new movement unlike all the other releases post Calce which have been repackaging but this is a product from the "management team" that has...
First comment - hi everyone!
I was recently invited to visit the GF manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. I too was concerned about a potential decline in quality of their decoration. I was insured by the account managers leading the tour and reassured by watching the decoration team wor...
Scenery
Like a country house, the property/estate is a combination of the houses, the interior, the gardens/park and the scenery, and removing either element could change your experience dramatically regardless of the quality of what remains unchanged. Place the ...
Bump
Anyone handle the balancier 3 yet? I don’t like that they got rid of the inclined balance but one of my favorite dealers has two that are used in stock and I think his pricing will be a lot more reasonable than sticker. Kinda tempted
Bump
I have the Balancier 3 as well as a Double Balancier and they are both brilliant for different reasons; the Double Balancier is technically and aesthetically beautiful to look at and is very well executed. The Balancier 3 is finished just as perfectly, wh...