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GREUBEL FORSEY UNVEILS HAND MADE 2: THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF TRUE HAND WATCHMAKING

JANUARY 21 2025    |    Novelties

Hand Made 2 embodies the ultimate pursuit of hand watchmaking. Every component, whether visible or hidden, is created, finished, and assembled by hand with unprecedented rigor. Over 5,000 hours are required to complete the 270 components of this four handed 40.9mm timepiece, 96% of which are entirely handmade. Only two to three such timepieces can be crafted each year, our commitment to the highest level of craftsmanship.

 

In a highly mechanised industry where the concept of "hand made" is often opaque, Greubel Forsey stands out with a transparent and very strict definition, showcasing exactly what "hand made" truly means to reach its standards.

WHAT HAND MADE MEANS TO GREUBEL FORSEY
For Greubel Forsey, "hand made" entails:

  1. All components, except five – sapphire crystals, case gaskets, spring bars, mainspring, and most jewels – are crafted by hand using traditional tools such as a precision lathe, a jig-borer, or a pantograph. A major milestone of the Hand Made 2 is the creation of a handcrafted conical jewel for the power reserve indicator, advancing handcraftsmanship even further.
  2. Each component is manually machined with tolerances of just a few microns, achieving a precision comparable to modern CNC machines.
  3. Every component, whether visible or hidden, is meticulously finished by hand.
  4. Each timepiece is assembled entirely by hand by a single watchmaker.

 

HAND MADE 2: PUSHING THE LIMITS
Distinctly Greubel Forsey yet revolutionary, Hand Made 2 pushes technical and aesthetic boundaries. Its large conical jewel symbolises this pursuit. In its workshop, Greubel Forsey preserves rare skills, develops unique expertise, and passes it on to future generations with an inexhaustible passion for innovation.

 

MASTERING THE BALANCE SPRING
Since 2012, Greubel Forsey has been rediscov¬ering traditional techniques for crafting balance springs, a key component for timekeeping pre¬cision. Each spring is made from a carefully selected alloy for its unique properties and individually adjusted by an expert watchmaker. This complex process, including coiling, cutting, and manually adjusting terminal curves, ensures perfect synchronisation with the balance wheel.

 

TIMELESS AESTHETICS AND EXCEPTIONAL RARITY
Hand Made 2 combines 18th-century elegance with Greubel Forsey’s signature modern innovation. The barrel and balance bridges create remarkable harmony, each enhanced by five artisanal finishes: frosted, black-polished, straight-grained, polished flanks and bevels, and the polished chamfers ac¬cented by olive-domed jewels set in gold chatons.

The hand-frosted German silver contrasts beautifully with the Grand Feu enamel dials for the hours, small seconds, and power reserve. Blued steel hands, deep red rubies, golden reflections of wheels and barrels, and the bright edges of polished steel bridges bring a vibrant chromatic depth to every component. Beneath a thin bezel, the architectural movement opens up to the ob¬server, offering a unique perspective throughout the timepiece. The case back extends this harmony, revealing a perfectly coherent mechanism where every detail reflects extraordinary handcrafts¬manship. The Hand Made 2 is not merely a watch; it is an invitation to admire excellence through a mechanical work of art.

 

EXCEPTIONAL RARITY
Each year, Greubel Forsey’s Hand Made workshop can complete only two to three Hand Made 2 time¬pieces, making it one of the rarest and most ex¬clusive creations from the Greubel Forsey Atelier.

 


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APRIL 01 2025    |    Novelties

A Star Fragment, Guardian of Time: The Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite

Time and space converge in the latest masterpiece of haute horlogerie: the Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite. This extraordinary timepiece is crafted from a genuine meteorite fragment—once part of an asteroid’s core, drifting through space for billions of years before falling to Earth 50,000 years ago. Now, this celestial relic has been transformed into an exceptional watch, uniting cosmic heritage with unparalleled horological innovation.

At the heart of this timepiece lies a groundbreaking complication: the Eccentric Planetarium, the only mechanical Grand Planetary Complication in the world that accurately displays all eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth and her Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—moving in real time around the Sun. This breathtaking mechanism captures the celestial dance of our Solar System with unmatched precision, making it a true marvel of both astronomy and watchmaking.

A Celestial Fusion of Science and Art
Master watchmaker Pim Koeslag has meticulously sculpted this timepiece, ensuring that its construction reflects the grandeur of its cosmic origins. The meteorite case, weighing 47 grams, is carefully crafted out of a 1.09 kg space stone. This extraordinary material shaped by the universe itself, features a unique Widmanstätten pattern, formed over millions of years of slow cooling in space, making each case truly one of a kind.

The dial is a celestial spectacle in itself: crafted from aventurine glass (goldfluss), it mimics the night sky, complete with zodiac constellations. The Eccentric Planetarium features hand-painted planetary orbits, while the meteorite dial ring, set between Mars and Jupiter, signifies the asteroid belt and contains real fragments of a martian nakhlite meteorite —a piece of another world encased within this exceptional timepiece.


A Timepiece Beyond Time
Encased in domed sapphire crystal, the 44mm meteorite case showcases the celestial ballet within. The sapphire crystal case-back reveals the movement’s intricate craftsmanship, while the dark blue hand-stitched leather strap and platinum folding clasp complete this cosmic masterpiece.

“The Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite is more than a watch. It is a link between humanity and the cosmos, a way to wear the universe on your wrist,” says Pim Koeslag.

This timepiece is a tribute to time itself. From a star’s death to an asteroid’s journey, from its fall to Earth to its transformation into an exceptional watch—each second it measures is an echo of the vast cosmic history it carries.

An Exclusive, Limited Edition for Collectors
The Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite is available in a strictly limited edition, with a maximum of 3 pieces, depending on the avaibility and quality of the rough meteorite material. So far, Christiaan van der Klaauw has been able to produce only 2 pieces from the available material, making this timepiece an exceptionally rare collector’s item. This extraordinary creation offers the unique opportunity to own a fragment of a star, forever marking the passage of time.

About Christiaan van der Klaauw
Christiaan van der Klaauw is one of the most prestigious watchmaking houses in the Netherlands, specializing in astronomical watches. Founded in 1974, the brand has distinguished itself by its ability to integrate astronomical complications innovatively and artistically into high-precision timepieces. The Grand Planetarium eccentric model is one of its most iconic Grande Complication, representing the quintessence of art and science.

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AUGUST 27 2025    |    Novelties

True Beat in Color: Arnold & Son Presents DSTB 42 Mint Green and Ascot Blue

Arnold & Son continues to push the boundaries of mechanical artistry with the launch of two new interpretations of its iconic DSTB 42 timepiece. The DSTB 42 Red Gold Mint Green and DSTB 42 Platinum Ascot Blue editions bring a fresh chromatic perspective to one of the brand’s most emblematic complications: the true beat seconds.

A tribute to the marine chronometers once supplied by John Arnold to the Royal Navy, the true beat seconds—also known as “deadbeat seconds”—is a rare and technically demanding feature. Unlike the sweeping motion of a conventional seconds hand, this mechanism causes the hand to jump precisely once per second, echoing the cadence of traditional precision timekeeping.

In these two new editions, Arnold & Son elevates the complication with bold color and refined materials. The Red Gold Mint Green model features a vibrant mint green dial housed in an 18K red gold case, while the Platinum Ascot Blue edition pairs a deep blue dial with the cool elegance of platinum 950. Both dials are grained for a rich, light-catching texture and are punctuated by a white opal subdial for hours and minutes, offset at 5 o’clock.

The true beat seconds mechanism is fully visible on the dial side, supported by three openworked bridges crafted in solid gold—red gold for the Mint Green edition and white gold for the Ascot Blue. The seconds hand travels along a railway track between 9 and 12 o’clock, orchestrated by a dedicated mechanism that mimics the precision of an escapement. The anchor-shaped counterweight, a nod to Arnold & Son’s maritime heritage, adds a poetic touch to the technical display.

Powering both models is the in-house A&S6203 automatic movement, beating at 4 Hz and offering a 55-hour power reserve. The movement is meticulously finished with Geneva stripes, perlage, polished angles, and a 22K gold oscillating weight.

Each watch is paired with a hand-stitched alligator leather strap—green for the red gold version and ink blue for the platinum—and secured with a matching pin buckle. Both editions are strictly limited to 18 pieces worldwide, underscoring their exclusivity and collectability.

With the DSTB 42 Red Gold Mint Green and Platinum Ascot Blue, Arnold & Son reaffirms its commitment to blending horological innovation with bold design. These timepieces are not only feats of mechanical engineering but also vibrant expressions of individuality and craftsmanship.

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