The Balancier Convexe S²

Preserving and enhancing the most powerful elements of the original Balancier S, the new Balancier Convexe S² is all about contrast and power, instead of soft curves and a discreet aesthetic. It shares the movement of its predecessor but introduces a new case, new finishing and a new design. The Balancier Convexe S² features a diameter of 41.5 mm. Available in grey or blue, the watch is a veritable urban landscape, highly architectural and with ultra-fine contrasting lines, showcased within an unprecedented size.

In the blue version, Greubel Forsey plays with direct contrast. With a light-coloured mainplate, a midnight-blue hour-ring and elevated luminescent hour-markers standing out, the large balance and small seconds at 8 o’clock revealed on the inclined surface, the composition is as soft as it is contrasting.

For this watch, Greubel Forsey chose to accentuate the contrast – and therefore the legibility – of its dial, with an intense background that cuts through the balance bridge between 5 and 9 o’clock. The edges are sharp and the matt-effect handgrained finish allows the bridge and indices to stand out much more clearly. The latter have been reduced to their simplest expression, with 12 towering indices for 12 hours.

In the apex, the hour-ring is at its highest possible to the sapphire crystal. Enhanced in luminescent white, the hour and minute hands have never appeared so high. They almost seem to make contact with the glass, giving the illusion of being able to touch the time. We find the double openworked “arch bridge” with suspended wheels, whose architecture reveals the movement’s patented mechanics. Bridges, elevations, levels, contrasts, relief, vanishing lines: the piece is clearly inspired by a city, one of those contemporary metropolis explored by Greubel Forsey collectors, between skyline and waterfront.

Ergonomic and contemporary, the new titanium bracelet is in perfect continuity with the titanium case. The Balancier Convexe S² affirms its place in the fine watchmaking of today and tomorrow as a timepiece that sacrifices nothing to the excellence of artisanal Swiss watchmaking. Yet it is a timepiece designed for everyday use, not one to be stored away in a safe.

The new 41.5 mm Balancier Convexe S² in titanium will be produced as only 88 pieces of each version from 2023.

The Double Balancier Convexe

Greubel Forsey also unveiled its Double Balancier Convexe in a new diameter of just 42.5 mm. This new creation, in titanium, will be made as a limited edition of only 88 pieces and offers an unprecedentedly modern and architectural perspective of its Double Balancier movement and constant spherical differential.

The inaugural Double Balancier Convexe was presented in 2022 and was not then designed for a diameter of 42.5 mm. Underlining the disruptive nature of this creation, this reduction in diameter is particularly significant, taking note that the tolerances of a Greubel Forsey timepiece are adjusted to the micron. Averted collectors will fully appreciate this fact.

The smaller volume of the new 42.5 mm-diameter case houses the Double Balancier, the sixth Fundamental Invention from Greubel Forsey. Its prototype, patented in 2007, has continued to evolve ever since. It was first offered as an EWT (Experimental Watch Technology) prototype, in which the two regulating organs were superimposed and inclined at 20°. A second evolution of six pieces followed close behind, with the two regulating organs positioned on three-dimensional and inclined planes, this time at 35°. In 2016, Greubel Forsey presented the Double Balancier movement in its current form: the two balance wheels, both inclined at 30°, optimise performance, especially in stabilised positions, while the Constant Spherical Differential generates greater amplitude stability.

Preserving lines and comfort

Its new 42.5 mm diameter makes it possible to approach the Convexe case with a new configuration. Mathematically, with a smaller diameter, its curves should have been steeper. But the Greubel Forsey teams have reworked the convex profile, which is unique in the world, adapting its precise angles and proportions, rather than simple homothety. The new case has been completely redesigned to provide optimum comfort on the wrist and maintaining Greubel Forsey’s own expectations for ergonomics and excellence.

The result is an extremely comfortable timepiece with a more discreet silhouette that is resolutely harmonious. It’s an original design, eagerly awaited by collectors, and one that the Atelier took enormous care to refine to its renowned level of perfection.

New profile, new finishes

This new Double Balancier Convexe slips more easily under a fitted sleeve or can be worn casually on a bare wrist. Depending on their preference, collectors can hide or reveal the mechanics of the movement, without appearing ostentatious.

The finishing of this timepiece has been designed with this in mind. The case is made of natural titanium in a silky, luminous grey. The polished bezel features subtle satin finishes, contrasting shine and elegance through the plays of light so characteristic of the Convexe line. The lettering on the barrel cover blends seamlessly into the redesigned case while its new design creates an exclusive dynamic that evokes it rotating and simultaneously delivering 72 hours of chronometric power reserve.

The mainplate, also in titanium, is frosted – again, discerning collectors will note the ambition of this finish, titanium being a tenacious natural material and therefore by definition the most difficult on which to apply frosting. The same high standards apply to the bridge of each balance wheel, whose bevelling is also polished by hand – a particularly meticulous exercise requiring exceptional expertise, especially when the bridge in question is openworked and flat black-polished.

The inclined balance wheels are linked by the Constant Spherical Differential, visible between 6 and 7 o’clock. In 4-minute sequences, it delivers the best running average to meet the performance, precision, and reliability requirements that Greubel Forsey imposes on all its timepieces.

Available from June 2023, the 42.5 mm Double Balancier Convexe will be offered with a grey rubber strap or an integrated Greubel Forsey titanium bracelet.

The 41.5 mm Balancier Convexe S² and the 42.5 mm Double Balancier Convexe will be limited and only be available between 2023 and 2026.