GUTTER CREDITS

164 OCTOBER 2019

rising from the ground

like a giant wedge of trans-

parent Swiss cheese slanting

into the grass, Greubel Fors-

ey’s manufacture is by far

the most unusual of its kind

in Switzerland’s La-Chaux-

de-Fonds, a UNESCO World

Heritage site that for centuries has been known for cre-

ating timepieces.

The cornerstone of the avant-garde atelier is a run-

down 17th-century farmhouse nestled atop a grassy

knoll, which was deteriorating from lack of use and

the passage of time when Robert Greubel and Stephen

Forsey purchased the building in 2007 as a step toward

establishing their eponymous business. Their own his-

tory dates back 27 years, to when they both worked on

complicated movements for Renaud & Papi, a renowned

watch supplier founded by two former Audemars Piguet

employees in the 1980s. Next year marks two decades

since they began working together as partners. In 2001,

they founded CompliTime SA, specializing in compli-

cated movements for high-end brands. But it would be

the farmhouse that would fully launch their careers,

simultaneously taking them back to the roots of watch-

making itself while establishing Greubel Forsey as one of

the industry’s most respected modern firms.

“We thought it just didn’t fit us to go into a factory

building,” says Forsey. “And this is where watchmaking

started. In a farmhouse like this, families would have

been working here in the winter, in one heated room.

They would gather around the fire and one person

would cut out the raw plates and they would have a sort

of jig or a guide to make them a certain size.” For that

reason, Greubel and Forsey took special care to ensure

that many of the features, from the original fireplace

to an old cowshed and even a weathered stone sundial,

remained intact. But the building, acquired from a local

fondue restaurant they often frequented, was in need

of a serious overhaul, so they brought in a local artisan,

Gilles Tissot, to have it painstakingly repaired.

“The most delicate part of the restoration was install-

ing the stones below the tuyé [the area for smoking

meats],” says Tissot. “They were brought from another

farm originally built around the same time. That farm,

called the Maltournée because of the unusual inclina-

tion of its roof, had burned down 20 years earlier, but

its remains had been stored all this time. However, the

site was a mess and there were no plans to the building,

so figuring out how the stones should interlock was like

putting together a big puzzle.”

The vaulted arches of the ceiling, also from

Maltournée and one of the building’s most dramatic fea-

tures, were an additional challenge because of their size.

The old cowshed now serves as a canteen for employ-

ees, while a space for arriving visitors sits just above the

stone remnants of a wine cellar. What looks like a former,

humble dining room is where Greubel and Forsey take

meetings. In the corner of that room, an original ceram-

ic-tiled masonry stove still depicts scenes of local farm

life, from a rabbit running through the fields to a woman

smoking a pipe on her chair and a man with his back-

pack setting off to sell his wares. “More than a choice

of restoration, I would say that this was an opportunity

for conservation and renewal,” says Tissot. It’s a fitting

home for Forsey, who, in his early years, cut his teeth by

servicing and restoring historic timepieces. (So many of

watchmaking’s modern masters began their careers in

restoration, including Philippe Dufour, Michel Parmi-

giani, François-Paul Journe, Vianney Halter and Felix

Baumgartner of Urwerk, to name a few.)

It’s a passion that has become central to the compa-

ny’s ethos. Greubel and Forsey are concerned with not

just preserving the past but passing on the knowledge of

their watchmaking ancestors. With the advanced tech-

nology of modern machines, much of the expertise once

acquired by candlelight centuries ago is being threat-

ened with extinction. Imagine if your 1955 Rolls-Royce

Silver Cloud could no longer be serviced because there

was no one left with the know-how to repair it. That’s

why Greubel Forsey, along with Dufour, Halter and oth-

ers, founded the Time Æon Foundation in 2008, an orga-

nization dedicated to preserving the type of expertise

that only a handful of people possess today.

“In 2005 in Basel, towards the end of the show, we

were talking with Philippe Dufour and Vianney Halter,

and we were talking about how difficult it was to find

people with these skills,” says Forsey. “The reason is

because the renaissance of mechanical watchmaking

came quite quickly together with a rush of new tech-

nology, so the industry no longer needed someone who

could machine one part on a traditional tool. The length

of time taken to train people also had to be reduced to be

more efficient and focused on what the industry needs—

what’s cut out is all of those basic skills.”

As an example, the first watch Greubel and Forsey

Hand-finishing a watch part is a

precise and painstacking task

Much of the

expertise once

acquired

by candlelight

centuries ago

is being

threatened with

extinction.

R

G2G_Oct_Feat_Forsey.indd 164 8/30/19 5:16 PM

164 OCTOBER 2019

risingfromtheground

likeagiantwedge oftrans-

parentSwisscheeseslanting

intothegrass,GreubelFors-

ey’s manufacture is by far

themostunusualofitskind

in Switzerland’s La-Chaux-

de-Fonds,aUNESCOWorld

Heritagesitethatforcenturieshasbeenknownforcre-

atingtimepieces.

Thecornerstoneoftheavant-gardeatelierisarun-

down 17th-century farmhouse nestled atop agrassy

knoll,which was deterioratingfrom lack ofuseand

thepassageoftimewhenRobertGreubelandStephen

Forseypurchasedthebuildingin 2007 asasteptoward

establishingtheireponymousbusiness.Theirownhis-

torydatesback 27 years,towhentheybothworkedon

complicatedmovementsforRenaud&Papi,arenowned

watchsupplierfoundedbytwoformerAudemarsPiguet

employeesinthe1980s.Nextyearmarkstwodecades

sincetheybeganworkingtogetheraspartners.In2001,

theyfoundedCompliTimeSA,specializingincompli-

catedmovementsforhigh-endbrands.Butitwouldbe

thefarmhouse thatwould fullylaunch theircareers,

simultaneouslytakingthembacktotherootsofwatch-

makingitselfwhileestablishingGreubelForseyasoneof

theindustry’smostrespectedmodernfirms.

“Wethoughtitjustdidn’tfitustogointoafactory

building,”saysForsey.“Andthisiswherewatchmaking

started.Inafarmhouselikethis,familieswouldhave

beenworkinghereinthewinter,inoneheatedroom.

They would gather around the fire and one person

wouldcutouttherawplatesandtheywouldhaveasort

ofjigoraguidetomakethemacertainsize.”Forthat

reason,GreubelandForseytookspecialcaretoensure

thatmanyofthefeatures,fromtheoriginalfireplace

toanoldcowshedandevenaweatheredstonesundial,

remainedintact.Butthebuilding,acquiredfromalocal

fonduerestauranttheyoftenfrequented,wasinneed

ofaseriousoverhaul,sotheybroughtinalocalartisan,

Gilles Tissot, to have it painstakingly repaired.

“The most delicate part of the restoration was install-

ing the stones below the tuyé [the area for smoking

meats],” says Tissot. “They were brought from another

farm originally built around the same time. That farm,

called the Maltournée because of the unusual inclina-

tion of its roof, had burned down 20 years earlier, but

its remains had been stored all this time. However, the

site was a mess and there were no plans to the building,

so figuring out how the stones should interlock was like

putting together a big puzzle.”

The vaulted arches of the ceiling, also from

Maltournée and one of the building’s most dramatic fea-

tures, were an additional challenge because of their size.

The old cowshed now serves as a canteen for employ-

ees, while a space for arriving visitors sits just above the

stone remnants of a wine cellar. What looks like a former,

humble dining room is where Greubel and Forsey take

meetings. In the corner of that room, an original ceram-

ic-tiled masonry stove still depicts scenes of local farm

life, from a rabbit running through the fields to a woman

smoking a pipe on her chair and a man with his back-

packsettingofftosellhiswares.“Morethanachoice

ofrestoration,Iwouldsaythatthiswasanopportunity

forconservationandrenewal,”saysTissot.It’safitting

homeforForsey,who,inhisearlyyears,cuthisteethby

servicingandrestoringhistorictimepieces.(Somanyof

watchmaking’smodernmastersbegantheircareersin

restoration,includingPhilippeDufour,MichelParmi-

giani,François-PaulJourne,VianneyHalterandFelix

BaumgartnerofUrwerk,tonameafew.)

It’sapassionthathasbecomecentraltothecompa-

ny’sethos.GreubelandForseyareconcernedwithnot

justpreservingthepastbutpassingontheknowledgeof

theirwatchmakingancestors.Withtheadvancedtech-

nologyofmodernmachines,muchoftheexpertiseonce

acquiredbycandlelightcenturiesagoisbeingthreat-

enedwithextinction.Imagineifyour 1955 Rolls-Royce

SilverCloudcouldnolongerbeservicedbecausethere

wasnooneleftwiththeknow-howtorepairit.That’s

whyGreubelForsey,alongwithDufour,Halterandoth-

ers,foundedtheTimeÆonFoundationin2008,anorga-

nizationdedicatedtopreservingthetypeofexpertise

thatonlyahandfulofpeoplepossesstoday.

“In 2005 inBasel,towardstheendoftheshow,we

weretalkingwithPhilippeDufourandVianneyHalter,

andweweretalkingabouthowdifficultitwastofind

people withtheseskills,” saysForsey.“Thereasonis

because the renaissance ofmechanical watchmaking

camequitequicklytogetherwitharushofnewtech-

nology,sotheindustrynolongerneededsomeonewho

couldmachineonepartonatraditionaltool.Thelength

oftimetakentotrainpeoplealsohadtobereducedtobe

moreefficientandfocusedonwhattheindustryneeds—

what’scutoutisallofthosebasicskills.”

Asanexample,thefirstwatchGreubelandForsey

Hand-finishing a watch part is a

precise and painstacking task

Much of the

expertise once

acquired

by candlelight

centuries ago

is being

threatened with

extinction.

R