Greubel Forsey Specialists

Greubel and Forsey began their creative partnership in 1999 and founded CompliTime in 2001 to develop complicated movements before launching their own watch brand. The Double Tourbillon 30° made its public debut in 2004, and the brand was built around it.

The design puts one tourbillon cage inside another. The inner cage is inclined at 30 degrees and turns once a minute, while the outer cage turns more slowly, which is meant to average out gravity-related errors in a wristwatch. The original was hand-wound with a 72-hour power reserve, and the brand records 144 examples made between 2004 and 2010. Owners who want to understand the design better can ask the brand for the technical documentation on their reference, which is a far better starting point than a generic online description. The original 2004 watch measured 43.5 mm, and its proportions are part of what makes it a specialist's watch to set up. Ask the watchmaker to check the rate in several positions, since the cage arrangement exists to reduce positional error and that's the first thing to test after any work.

The early recognition came quickly. The Double Tourbillon 30° Edition Historique won the Aiguille d'Or at the Geneva Grand Prix in 2010.

Greubel Forsey directs factory service and warranty questions to its concierge in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which is the published contact for existing collections. Greubel Forsey doesn't publish a list of repair charges, turnaround times or warranty exclusions, so every job starts with a conversation and a written plan.

Be careful with independent overhauls. A tourbillon with nested cages and fine adjustments is a job for people who have worked on this design before, and the manufacture knows the reference best. An independent can still be a sensible second opinion on how the watch is running or on the case, particularly once the warranty has expired. Ask for specifics about what would be opened and what parts would be used before you agree. If you're sending the watch from abroad, arrange the return leg before the first estimate, not after.

Some auction lots come with a complimentary service and a renewed two-year owner warranty. Sotheby's and Christie's have both listed watches like that. Treat it as a feature of that lot and its terms, not a standard promise for every pre-owned Greubel Forsey.

Greubel Forsey doesn't publish a standard repair policy covering warranty exclusions, the warranty on completed work, or repair charges. Ask the concierge for written confirmation of your warranty status, using the reference, serial number, purchase date and papers. If the watch was sold at auction with a service or warranty term, check that the term is in your name before you rely on it.

Ask whether the repair goes through a retail partner or straight to the manufacture, and who pays for insured shipping, customs and the return. Get any diagnostic fee, a written estimate and your approval before work starts. Ask too whether polishing, refinishing or replacement of visible parts is proposed, because on a watch with this much finishing that decision changes the watch.

Parts and expertise are the practical limits here. If a component is no longer available, you want to hear that before the watch is opened, not after. Ask what happens to the original parts when they're replaced, and whether you can have them back. Keep a written note of who you spoke to, what they promised and the date, because a conversation alone won't help you if the watch returns with a different scope of work.

Greubel Forsey watches are well documented by the auction houses, so expect a detailed lot description. Read it for the reference, the serial number, the box and papers, and for any statement about service history. A lot essay is a useful starting point, but it's the seller's account, so check it against the watch. Ask the seller to walk you through the service history, and treat any gap in the story as a question for the authenticator rather than a reason to rush.

Pay attention to what a paper actually promises. A two-year warranty tied to a specific service, or a complimentary service offered on one lot, is a term of that sale rather than a general guarantee for the next owner. Confirm the terms in writing before you bid or commit.

A pre-purchase inspection should open the movement and check the tourbillon cages, the balance and the adjustments, with a written report. A visual check of the case doesn't tell you much about a movement this complicated.

For authentication, look for someone with real experience of high-end tourbillons, not a general luxury watch dealer. Ask how they would examine the movement, what they would check against the brand's documentation, and what they would write down. Ask for the report in writing, and ask for photographs of the movement taken during the examination, so you have a record that travels with the watch.

For insurance, an appraiser should record the reference, the serial, the materials, the movement and the condition, and explain how they reached the valuation. An auction result is one data point, not an appraisal, so don't let it stand in for one. Ask the appraiser whether they've valued other pieces from this brand, and whether they'd be comfortable explaining the result to your insurer.

If you need to send the watch to La Chaux-de-Fonds, contact the concierge first, confirm packaging and insurance, and keep a full photo record. Keep the warranty papers with you until the watch is back on your wrist, and check the return route before it leaves. Keep dated photographs of the case, the caseback and the dial, along with the box, papers and any service invoices, so the record stays with the watch from one owner to the next.