After exploring, inventing, and developing new mechanisms in the world of the tourbillon over the last decade, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have now combined it with a new complication, the GMT, which they have naturally interpreted in their own way.
The new GMT model marks a significant milestone for the brand, as it is the company’s first timepiece to feature a complication other than a tourbillon. The
watch is distinguished by an eye-catching rotating globe offering a view of the time all over the world, as well as a 24 Seconds Tourbillon.
Nestled at 8 o’clock, the ‘flying’ globe is ingeniously secured at just one end of its rotational axis – the South Pole – allowing for optimal views of the intricate surface that has been crafted on the strong, yet lightweight, titanium sphere.
While the globe makes one complete rotation every 24 hours counterclockwise, the position of the continents can be neatly cross-referenced with the 24-hour, day-and-night indicator on the equatorial chapter ring.
The nighttime hemisphere is indicated by a blackened half of the ring around the globe, while the daytime hemisphere is indicated by a whitened portion. The latter is enhanced by a lateral window cleverly integrated into the caseband, which lets in light to symbolize daytime on the globe, and reveals more of the southern hemisphere.
The globe is complemented by the 12-hour second time zone dial at 10 o’clock, giving a precise indication of the time in a designated second country or city and is easily adjusted using the quick-set, dual-function pusher on the caseband at 10 o’clock.
Cascading clockwise around the dial-side are the main indications comprising a principal hour-minute dial at 1 o’clock, on top of which is a small seconds dial at 2 o’clock, while at 3 o’clock is a sectorial power reserve indicator.
The specially developed movement of the GMT features the 25° inclined Tourbillon 24 Secondes cage,
Graham, one of Greubel Forsey’s major patented inventions.
Turning over the GMT reveals the ‘worldtime’ disc bearing the names of 24 cities each representing one of the different global time zones. Aligning the relevant city with the local hour on the outer chapter ring – or inner ring for cities with summer time – sets the dial-side globe in the correct position.
Completing the display-back is a gleaming sun, providing a visual reference for midday on the worldtime disc and lighting up the movement.