Greubel Forsey continues to hold a special place in the indie haute horlogerie scene. Where so many indie brands dive deep into a specific stylistic niche, Greubel Forsey’s catalog vacillates between traditional design codes and forward-thinking casual sports watches, all finished to the nth degree. Arguably, watches from Greubel Forsey are the true pinnacle of independent watchmaking, and with global recognition (and several GPHG awards under their belt), they remain highly covetable for those in the know. Leaning into their more casual aesthetics today, we have the Greubel Forsey Balancier Convexe S2 in Titanium — a “simpler” execution of the brand’s more sporting endeavors.
History
We’ve given you the founding history of Greubel Forsey (going back to 1999, and the first watch landing in 2004) several times now, but the historical anchor we’re leaning on today is a product of 2019 or 2020 — depending on whether we’re talking about the first prototype or first pieces actually “in market”. This date is significant, as it marked Greubel Forsey’s first venture into more sport-focused timepieces. Sure, their Grande Sonnerie was built to be extremely wearable and functional, however the GMT Sport arrived with an especially unorthodox case form and integrated bracelet; this was an obvious first for the brand, and a complete and total departure from the cases that came before it.
This marked the beginnings of the Convexe case, and what could safely be dubbed a new era of Greubel Forsey that led us to the Balancier Convexe S2.
Design Details
As we’ve already touched on, the casework and complex cut of its sapphire crystal hand over a substantial introduction, event before one can truly appreciate its inner workings. It’s genuinely difficult to truly appreciate the complex curvatures of this case and crystal without handling it in person. It photographs beautifully from some angles, and horridly from others — let’s be honest here — but the work involved to make these multi-plane curvatures work together seamlessly is a work of art in and of itself. The same can be said for what rests below its crystal as well. Its hand set curves downward at the tips. Its balance wheel rests at a 30-degree incline, and its chapter ring appears to float above it all. The fact that every last detail is finished so superbly is little more than icing on a perfect slice of horological cake.
Inner Workings
Complex movement design and extremely refined hand-finishing play a big part in the sales pitch for Greubel Forsey, however that’s still not the entirety of the appeal here — at least not for me. Given how far modern watchmaking has evolved, and for how adventurous the upper echelon of independent watchmaking has become, there are few brands out there who tug at my inner architecture nerd heartstrings quite like Greubel can. The dimensionality of the exposed inner workings, bridges, and geartrains. The subtle interplay between structured form of the movement and the organic fluidity of its casework. The caliber of the Balancier S2 is a quintessential example of art-meets-engineering. Yes, it’s remarkably precise, shock resistant, and generally just an impressive movement from a watchmaking standpoint, but to not speak of it in broader terms does a disservice to us all.
Versus The Competition
If we were talking about a more traditionalist reference from the brand it would be a different story, but when looking at the Balancier Convexe S2, the competitive pool is slim at best. On one end of the spectrum, I’d put it up against things like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Carbon and the Richard Mille RM 002-V2 (both of which we compared to one another, not so long ago).Both are technologically advanced sports watches that push the boundaries of their respective makers, However I do believe the finishing of the Balancier leaves these two wanting.
The more I dig, the harder it is to find a suitable comparator. Richard Mille is the only real player in the space at this level, shy of perhaps looking at the recent Evo variants of the MB&F LM Perpetual; both of which are designed with a more sporting life in mind. At the end of the day, Greubel Forsey stands apart.
Personality
Unlike finding its suitable competitors, finding the personality that jives with the Greubel Forsey Balancier Convexe S2 is a very easy task. You appreciate groundbreaking watchmaking. You know and appreciate the challenges of hand-finished perfection. You understand and appreciate both the brand’s vision, and the objective scarcity of watches of this level that are actually designed and manufactured to be worn on a daily basis. People throw around the word “grail” far too often, but in this case, it’s objectively justified.
Final Thoughts
I’m the first to admit that I appreciate a watch that makes a statement. That statement can be about subtlety and elegance, or it can be a statement of “fuck your big-box conglomerate luxo-brand status watch”. The Balancier Convexe S2 is in several ways the latter. It is a watch that needs to be worn, seen, and appreciated. With less than a few hundred going into the market each year, seeing one of these watches on anyone’s wrist is a treat for the watch community at large. With that in mind, I’ll end on perhaps a polarizing statement. If you buy a Greubel Forsey to subject it to the dark sadness of the back corner of a safe, your license to collect is due to be revoked without sympathy.
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