The Art of Invention

The untold tale of how two rebellious master watchmakers learned their craft, met, established a brand, and in a few years created some of the most innovative, refined and sought-after watches in the world.

This volume marks the 20th anniversary of Greubel Forsey, specialist creators of handmade timepieces who have elevated their craft not only as an art, but also as a science and a philosophy.

In early 1992 Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey met at Renaud et Papi, a hothouse of new watchmaking ideas in the Swiss Jura. Robert comes from a traditional Alsatian watchmaking family; Stephen is an Englishman who originally trained as a musician. In 2004 they launched Greubel Forsey in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Going against the grain, they focused their energy on uncompromising innovation and the most demanding elements of hand finishing, bringing back a level of excellence that would rival the 18th- and 19th-century masters.

This is the story of Robert and Stephen's creative and technical adventures, their more than thirty unique and original calibres sought after by collectors worldwide, and their many inventions that have transformed modern watchmaking. Renowned by aficionados for uniting art, science and craftsmanship, Greubel Forsey's feats of watchmaking continue to push the limits of the possible.