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

JUNE 24 2025    |    Novelties

Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold – Cliff Grey Edition

Arnold & Son unveils the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Cliff Grey Edition, a poetic tribute to the cliffs of Cornwall and the legacy of John Arnold, the renowned marine chronometer-maker. This limited edition of 28 pieces in 18-carat red gold reflects the brand’s deep connection to celestial navigation and English heritage.

The dial is adorned with the exclusive Stellar Rays motif, a textured pattern that plays with light through layered transparent lacquer. Its Cliff Grey tone evokes the misty British coastline, while the moon phase display—among the largest in watchmaking—glows in mother-of-pearl enhanced with Super-LumiNova. Set against a midnight-blue sky, the moon is surrounded by hand-painted constellations, Ursa Major and Cassiopeia, symbols of guidance and exploration.

The case, measuring 41.5 mm in diameter, is sculpted with refined lugs and a slim bezel that opens up the dial to its full celestial display. On the reverse, a secondary moon-phase indicator allows for precise adjustment of the moon’s age.

Inside, the manually wound A&S1512 calibre offers a 90-hour power reserve and tracks lunar cycles with remarkable precision. So accurate is its mechanism that it would take 122 years of continuous operation to accumulate a single day’s deviation from the actual lunar cycle.

Crafted entirely in-house in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the movement is finished with Geneva stripes, blued screws, and circular graining. The watch is completed with a warm grey alligator leather strap and a matching red gold pin buckle.

The Cliff Grey Edition is a refined expression of Arnold & Son’s dedication to craftsmanship, astronomy, and timeless design.

 

View Watch Gallery
Image 1 Image 2
View More
JULY 15 2026    |    Novelties

A New Pulse of Colour: Armin Strom Unveils the Mirrored Force Resonance Red

Armin Strom has masterfully fused its revolutionary resonance technology with a bold, contemporary aesthetic in the new Mirrored Force Resonance Red. Limited to just 15 pieces worldwide, this rare masterpiece introduces a striking off-centre guilloché dial in vibrant red. By pairing traditional hand-crafted artistry with the brand’s signature open-worked design, this timepiece breathes dynamic new energy into Armin Strom's celebrated dual-balance mechanism, creating a captivating dialogue between classic hand-finishing and cutting-edge mechanical architecture.

The brilliant red dial is hand-crafted on a traditional, manually operated rose engine lathe, engraving a radiating pattern that catches and plays with light in captivating reflections. Encircled by black azuré (蝸形紋) chapter rings and topped with faceted, floating index markers, the dial's layout creates a stark, three-dimensional contrast that maximizes both visual depth and legibility. Housed in a polished 43 mm stainless steel case, the movement's technical architecture is framed by anthracite-coated bridges and paired with a dark grey Alcantara strap—ensuring that the vibrant red dial and the synchronized dance of the resonance mechanism remain the undisputed center of attention.

At the heart of this technical marvel lies the in-house Calibre ARF21, a hand-wound movement that integrates two completely independent movements within a single calibre. Connected via Armin Strom's patented Resonance Clutch, the two opposing balance wheels transfer vibrations to enter and maintain a perfect state of harmonic resonance. This physical synchronization significantly improves chronometric stability and rate consistency over time. To let wearers witness this horological phenomenon in action, a pusher at 2 o'clock activates a flyback mechanism, resetting both independent seconds hands to zero simultaneously so their perfect synchrony can be monitored in real-time.

Every millimeter of the Mirrored Force Resonance Red showcases Armin Strom's uncompromising dedication to haute horology standards, featuring meticulous hand-polished bevels, perlage, circular graining, and mirror-black polished screws. On the reverse side, the main plate features technical inscriptions rendered in three-dimensional relief, rising directly from the metal's surface. As is tradition for the Swiss manufacture, each watch is assembled twice to guarantee absolute precision. For collectors seeking the pinnacle of independent Swiss watchmaking, this 15-piece limited edition represents a perfect harmony of mechanical science and artistic expression.

 

View Watch Gallery
Image 1






  

 

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.