Shopping Cart

Greubel Forsey unveils its 10th fundamental invention

NOVEMBER 01 2024    |    Novelties

To celebrate the 20th anniversary (2004-2024), Greubel Forsey presents its 10th Fundamental Invention: the Nano Foudroyante EWT. The mechanism’s energy is managed at the nanojoule scale, significantly reducing the number of components and the overall dimensions. The result is a 37.9mm timepiece that combines the world’s first perpetual Nano Foudroyante with Greubel Forsey’s first flying tourbillon and manual wind flyback. This timepiece, set in a white gold and tantalum case, will be limited to just 11 pieces.

 

Legacy of innovation
The first Fundamental Invention by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey was launched in 2004, marking the Atelier’s commitment to research and invention. For over 20 years, this focus has been at the heart of all Greubel Forsey’s Fundamental Inventions and timepieces. Today, Greubel Forsey’s research is even more fundamental, aiming to completely rethink the approach to the conception of a timepiece. This endeavor demonstrates a major technological leap, comparable to the transition from tower clocks to wristwatches.

Originally, horological instruments were large and public. Over time, they became transportable (table clocks, marine chronometers), then portable with pocket watches, and finally wearable with wristwatches. This evolution reaches its peak today with nanomechanics—a revolution Greubel Forsey is pioneering. Thus, Greubel Forsey intro-duces its 10th invention: the Nano Foudroyante. This new Fundamental Invention is the most technologically disruptive—not only for Greubel Forsey but also for the universe of mechanical watchmaking.

 

Nanomechanics: a new horizon
What is nanomechanics? It is a realm beyond the miniaturization of components to the nanometric scale. When we talk about nanomechanics, we’re talking about controlling energy on a nanojoule scale within a mechanical movement. This revolution in energy management within a caliber allows for a drastic reduction in both energy consumption and the number of components.

 

A revolutionized mechanism
To demonstrate the feasibility of nanomechanics, Greubel Forsey has reinvented the foudroyante second. Its hand completes one revolution per second, dividing it into segments according to the movement’s frequency. In this Nano Foudroyante, each oscillation of the 3Hz balance wheel produces two beats, totaling six beats per second, allowing the hand to divide the second into six distinct segments. This is an energy-intensive complication by nature. However, by managing energy on a nanojoule scale, Greubel Forsey has radically rethought its design and construction. Compared to a traditional foudroyante that consumes 30μJ (microjoules) per jump, the Nano Foudroyante operates with only 16nJ (nanojoules) per jump, reducing energy consumption by a factor of 1,800. The mechanism’s volume is therefore reduced by 90%. Here, the focus is not just on measuring fractions of a second but as a proof of concept for a completely new approach to watchmaking, which is why this Nano Foudroyante was chosen to be a perpetual display.

It eliminates the entire gear train required in a traditional foudroyante to divide the second, as the information is sourced directly, distributing and managing the energy from the movement through a minimal number of low-inertia wheels. Fewer components mean less volume: this Nano Foudroyante EWT is very compact, with 428 components, and the movement measures no more than 31mm in diameter within a 37.9mm case (the smallest ever built by Greubel Forsey).

 

Horology at its peak
There’s more: true to Greubel Forsey’s passion for the tourbillon, this Nano Foudroyante is integrated within a flying tourbillon—the first ever made by Greubel Forsey. Finally, an additional innovation: although this flying tourbillon rotates constantly, the Nano Foudroyante’s dial remains permanently aligned towards twelve o’clock for optimal readability. Together with the flyback, these three features complete Greubel Forsey's 10th Fundamental Invention: a Nano Foudroyante, set within a flying tourbillon, with an oriented reading axis.

This is just the foundation and not the end result: this 10th Invention is powered by a manual-winding flyback movement. This complication presented by Greubel Forsey, includes column-wheel control within the strong architectural design and exceptional finishing, a signature of Greubel Forsey.

 

A limited edition masterpiece
The timepiece will be made in a limited edition of just 11 pieces in this inaugural, refined version, emphasizing its disruptive technical character and highlighting the personality of a timepiece brilliantly conceived in the EWT (Experimental Watch Technology) laboratory.

The white gold case offers an additional surprise, with a bezel and back crafted from tantalum—a first for Greubel Forsey, who have never used this material before. Known for its gray-blue sheen and complexity in machining and finishing (with a melting point above 3000°C), tantalum requires rare expertise. The Atelier also preserves its essential aesthetic signatures, including polished relief engravings of “Nano Foudroyante” and “Greubel Forsey” on a hand-hammered background, hand-satin-finished white gold, and a highly architectural movement. This masterpiece displays the movement around its column wheel with rare 3D monobloc geometry, visible through the back.

The timepiece is engraved with “2004 – 2024” and “20th Anniversary” to mark this milestone.

 

Nano Foudroyante EWT

Technical Specifications

 

                                       

Hand-wound movement with 2 patents
Flying tourbillon with Nano Foudroyante, hours and minutes, small seconds, 60-second tourbillon rotation, 60-minute counter, Flyback function
11 pieces Limited edition
 
MOVEMENT
NUMBER OF PARTS
Movement: 428 parts
Tourbillon cage: 142 parts
 
NUMBER OF JEWELS
42
Olived-domed jewels in gold chatons
 
CHRONOMETRIC POWER RESERVE
One full day, with chronograph engaged
 
FREQUENCY
21’600 vibrations/hour
 
TOURBILLON
Flying Tourbillon with embedded Nano Foudroyante mechanism
Foudroyante dial, constant vertical indication
Titanium cage bridges, circlar-grained, polished bevelling, straight-grained flands with engraved GF logo
 
EXTERIOR
CASE
Tantalum and white gold with high domed synthetic sapphire crystal
Tantalum hand-polished bezel, transparent tantalum back
White gold caseband with hand-finished straight-graining
 
CASE DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 37,90mm
Height: 10,49mm
 
WATER RESISTANCE OF THE CASE
Water-resistant 3atm - 30m - 100ft
(standard NIHS 92-20/SN ISO 22810:2010)
 
DIAL SIDE
Multi-level in gold, rhodium-coloured, engraved and black lacquered hour-ring and minute-circle with a visual opening for the tourbillon
Small seconds and chronograph minutes counter in gold, polished bevel
Water resistance: 50m/5atm/160ft
Crown for winding and time-setting at 3 o’clock
Foudroyante, frosted, fractions of seconds engraved and black lacquered
 
STRAP AND CLASP
Non-animal material, hand-sewn
White gold pin buckle, hand-engraved GF logo

 

 

                                           


Related Articles

NOVEMBER 12 2025    |    Novelties

Neo Digiteur: Chronoswiss Revives the Mechanical Digital Icon

Chronoswiss proudly unveils the Neo Digiteur, a bold reinvention of an icon that first challenged convention two decades ago. Originally introduced in 2005 by founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, the Digiteur was a mechanical digital timepiece—a watch without hands—that defied expectations and celebrated horological artistry. Today, the Neo Digiteur returns sharper, stronger, and more modern than ever, crafted in stainless steel and infused with the pioneering spirit of its predecessor.

The design is architectural and tailored, with a rectangular case measuring 48 by 30 millimeters. Its sculptural lines are accentuated by sandblasted and polished finishes, while a reimagined onion-style crown ensures both elegance and ergonomics. At its heart lies a rare complication: a jumping hour regulator without hands. Time is displayed through three apertures—the jumping hour at twelve o’clock, digital minutes at center, and running seconds at six o’clock—creating a mechanical digital regulator that feels futuristic yet deeply analog.

Powering this display is the hand-wound Chronoswiss Caliber C.85757, beating at 3 Hz and offering a 48-hour power reserve. Developed entirely in-house, the movement features artisanal details such as hand-guilloché bridges and a sapphire crystal caseback that pays tribute to historic Fleurier calibers. Two limited editions express distinct personalities: Neo Digiteur Granit with an anthracite dial and Neo Digiteur Sand with a warm 4N sandblasted finish. Each version is limited to just 99 pieces, making the Neo Digiteur not a reproduction, but a true reinvention—a collector’s piece and a statement of mechanical artistry.

View Watch Gallery  
Image 1  Image 2  Image 3  Image 4
View More
JUNE 04 2026    |    Novelties

C BY ROMAIN GAUTHIER TITANIUM EDITION BRACELET LUMEN DIAL: LIGHT AS A CORE DESIGN MATERIAL

Independent manufacture Romain Gauthier illuminates its modern horological vision with the unveiling of the C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Bracelet Lumen dial (Ref. MON00585). For the very first time, the brand integrates a full Super-Luminova dial into its celebrated Freedom collection, using light itself as a core design material. Deliberately paired with the C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Bracelet—available for the first time in a limited edition of just 28 pieces—this creation redefines nocturnal legibility with ergonomic, everyday titanium luxury.

By day, the timepiece displays a refined, crisp white aesthetic anchored by sharp Grade 5 titanium numerals, indices, and hands. When darkness falls, the entire watch face transforms into a brilliant blue glow, creating a striking contrast that ensures effortless readability in any lighting condition. The integrated Grade 5 titanium bracelet—meticulously finished with alternating satin-brushed and hand-polished facets—flows seamlessly from the 41mm x 9.55mm case (47.8mm lug-to-lug), providing lightweight comfort and an uninterrupted, architectural silhouette.

Beneath the luminous dial lies an uncompromising expression of high-end Swiss watchmaking. Visible through the sapphire display back, the in-house hand-wound calibre crafted in natural Grade 5 titanium showcases Romain Gauthier’s heritage from the Vallée de Joux through modern "stepped" finger bridges. Each bridge is meticulously decorated with an exclusive hand-engraved dimpled texture, standing out against a hand-frosted movement mainplate while delivering a robust 60-hour power reserve.

Technical precision remains central to the manufacture's DNA, highlighted by the inclusion of a clever stop-seconds mechanism driven by a snail cam—a signature innovation inspired by the acclaimed Logical One. Pulling the off-center crown halts the balance wheel, while pushing it back in triggers the snail cam to deliver a subtle physical impulse, ensuring the movement restarts instantly. Strictly limited to 28 pieces worldwide, the C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Bracelet Lumen dial represents an extraordinary convergence of glowing nighttime drama and superlative independent watchmaking.

 

View Watch Gallery
Image 1






  
View More
FEBRUARY 24 2026    |    Novelties

Chronoswiss Unveils the SPACE TIMER GRAVITY — A New Exploration of Mechanical Cosmos

Chronoswiss expands its avant‑garde Space Timer collection with the new SPACE TIMER GRAVITY, a 44mm mechanical creation inspired by the invisible yet powerful force of gravity. Limited to 50 pieces, the watch transforms cosmic phenomena into a visually architectural dial experience.

A Dial Where Light, Matter, and Mechanics Interact
The dial features a partly hand‑guilloché surface finished with a colour‑shifting CVD coating that transitions between deep green and oceanic blue depending on light — evoking the sensation of viewing a planet from orbit. A striking moon at 9 o’clock is produced through sophisticated laser work based on an original NASA photograph, revealing cratered textures with exceptional depth.

Floating above the landscape are transparent ITR2 hour and date rings that appear suspended in orbit. Beneath them, the exposed gear train is framed by a baby‑blue bridge, echoing the hue of the seconds hand and adding contemporary contrast to the cosmic scene.

A Case Built for Orbit
The 44mm matte‑grey stainless‑steel case delivers a modern, technical presence while allowing the dial’s dynamic surfaces to take centre stage. It pairs with a light grey nubuck leather strap for a refined, futuristic aesthetic.

The Engine Behind the Cosmos
Inside beats the Chronoswiss Caliber C.308, an automatic movement operating at 4 Hz with a 42‑hour power reserve. Mechanics remain proudly visible, emphasising the interplay between the unseen forces of gravity and the precise regulation of time.

A Limited Universe
Limited to 50 pieces worldwide, each SPACE TIMER GRAVITY captures the dance of light across its shifting dial, making every piece uniquely personal.

View Watch Gallery  
Image 1  Image 2  Image 3  Image 4
View More
ENDLESS DISCOVERY IN YOUR INBOX
Join our mailing list to receive insider updates on our latest collections, invites to private events, and other personalized offerings.