Swiss Watchmaker Greubel Forsey Introduces the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Architecture with a Remarkable Movement

The outstanding Tourbillon 24 Secondes Architecture, with a new calibre, was just unveiled by Greubel Forsey. The clock boasts a unique casing that stores components suspended in space and features a big hole on the dial side to provide a close view at even the tiniest element of the mechanism.

The case seems completely round when viewed from the dial side, however, it displays its convex form from other angles, coupled with its huge synthetic sapphire crystal ring which encompasses the full perimeter of the caseband. Previously, Greubel Forsey had never made a movement visible from above, below, and all sides of the caseband.

The case's convex form profile provides superior ergonomics and wrist relaxation. In the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Architecture, the diameter around the caseback (47.05mm) is broader than it is around the bezel (45.50mm) (45.50mm). It includes enough space to adequately highlight the movement architecture inside, while at the same time providing the appearance of being substantially smaller than it really is. The 50m water-resistant titanium case boasts three-dimensional, variable geometry lugs, hand-polished with handfinished straight graining, flowing flawlessly into a rubber strap.

The 354 elements of the movement are suspended in an unexpected three-dimensional plane. The Greubel Forsey movement includes the polished titanium bridges that weave their way through the movement to eventually impose themselves flush with the sapphire crystal. At 6 o’clock, the Tourbillon 24 Secondes is moored from a massive spherical and openworked bridge, whose foundation stays unseen by design. The watch employs a rapid rotation speed in addition to a 25° tilt. These two aspects lead to outstanding chronometric performance, particularly in steady situations.

The barrel bridge at 10 o’clock has polished spherical surfaces, coupled with polished beveling and countersinks. An engraved, lacquered, circular-grained barrel cover protects three fast-rotating, series-coupled barrels, one of which has a sliding spring to prevent strain. The caliber’s energy source delivers 90 hours chronometric power reserve, displayed by a moving red triangle over a conical disc at 3 o’clock. It, too, is supported by an aesthetically pleasing bridge made of polished titanium.

Two enormous, curved, open-worked, and polished steel hands are set in the middle of the dial on a Greubel Forsey-style tripod bridge. The time indicator is completed at 8 o’clock by a tiny second on a cylinder with polished sides.

The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Architecture will be restricted to to 11 pieces this year, then to 18 pieces a year between 2023 and 2025 for a total of 65 rare clocks overall.