DEPLOYANT - Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles - Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles
The year 2017 will be remembered as a special one for all the folks at Greubel Forsey. For this year, they join an exalted rank of manufacturers – Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne and F.P. Journe, among others – that have accomplished a grande sonnerie wristwatch. Ask any watchmaker worth his salt and he will tell you that the grande sonnerie is immensely complex, even more so than a minute repeater, which is why only a small handful of manufacturers have managed this feat.
The Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie though, is more than just a watch with a grande sonnerie – it also has a petite sonnerie and minute repeater function. The grande sonnerie chimes the hours and the quarters at every quarter hour, while the petite sonnerie chimes only the hours. The minute repeater chimes the time to the nearest minute on demand, unlike the grande et petite sonnerie which chimes en passant. Here we bring you the details and our thoughts on the Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie, a horological giant that reportedly took 11 years of research and development.
The case, dial, hands
The case of the Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie measures 43.5 mm in diameter and 16.13 mm in thickness. In spite of its large size, the watch does not feel cumbersome on the wrist thanks to the use of lightweight titanium as the case material. The case is mostly round, although there is the brand’s signature case bulge at 8 o’clock to accommodate the tourbillon and another smaller one for the sonnerie power reserve indicator at 2 o’clock. On the case flank, you will find the crown located at the typical 3 o’clock position. On top of the crown is a pusher that activates the minute repeater mechanism. There is also a pusher a 4 o’clock that allows the user to toggle between the grand sonnerie, petite sonnerie and silent modes.
The Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie features user-friendly buttons for sonnerie mode selection and for activating the minute repeater.
The dial follows design cues reminiscent of preceding Greubel Forsey timepieces with the use of a single applied Arabic numeral ’12’ and stick indices to mark the hours, the lume-tipped large arrow hands, and the placement of the iconic 24-second inclined tourbillon at 8 o’clock. Right next to the tourbillon aperture is the seconds sub-dial, and next to that, a power reserve indicator. At 3 o’clock there is also a strike mode indicator that lets you know if the watch is set to grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie or silent mode. A power reserve indicator specific for the sonnerie mechanism can also be found at 2 o’clock – this is a useful complication to have as the sonnerie works are quite power hungry. An aperture spanning from 10-11 o’clock lets you watch the hammers in action when the sonnerie mechanism is activated.
Enthusiasts of Greubel Forsey will be familiar with the 24 second inclined tourbillon; hollowed, lume-tipped arrow hands; and the lone Arabic numeral 12.
The movement
Turn the watch to its back and you will be greeted with a sight that will make your knees go weak. [...]
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