Scenery

Apr 13, 2024,08:43 AM
 

Like a country house, the property/estate is a combination of the houses, the interior, the gardens/park and the scenery, and removing either element could change your experience dramatically regardless of the quality of what remains unchanged. Place the very same house in a very different setting, and the context is lost.


Earlier GF had this fantastic explosion of high tech modernity, organic shapes and contrasting details which no other watchmaker matched. With their present simplification, they have removed the scenery and the gardens, thus the drama is all gone, and the fantastic experience is lost with it. The challenge they will have is, when you have seen it naked, it cannot be unseen, and I believe their revised direction was a mistake,    

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New Greubel Balancier 3

 
 By: m2 : December 7th, 2023-16:30
Their more affordable version of the Balancier. I had the chance to try a few of the Balancier models at an AD in CDMX recently and was really wowed by them in person. The curved crystals are very very cool and they wear nicely. When I did a bit more rese...  

Or the lack of lugs.

 
 By: Thomas_3 : December 7th, 2023-17:25

Hence the " " ..... ;)

 
 By: amanico : December 7th, 2023-17:25

Having spoken to a person at GF,

 
 By: Spangles - Dr. Tabby : December 7th, 2023-16:58
They said that GF is very careful to maintain its standards of finishing. As m2 says, maybe the set up is simpler, but I think we'll see what's done is kept to a high level. We'll evaluate as pieces become available, should be fun!

Haha valid. Well, not $400k+ like the other watches

 
 By: m2 : December 7th, 2023-17:12
They lose quite a bit of value second hand too. I’m sure these will be like 100 - 120 2nd hand. Still not cheap by any means though lol

Agreed

 
 By: dedestexhes : December 7th, 2023-17:13

I'm waiting for the bubble to burst...

 
 By: mdg : December 7th, 2023-18:35
...so I can buy something halfway decent for a 'mere' $50k (peanuts, I know) : )

Can only hope :-)

 
 By: m2 : December 7th, 2023-21:16

Fashion. Trend.

 
 By: Jay (Eire) : December 8th, 2023-06:49
And probably still some element of them being a very easy means of avoiding currency controls.

Verstappen.

 
 By: mrds : December 11th, 2023-20:10

Looks good in the picture

 
 By: cazalea : December 7th, 2023-17:48
I like the simpler design and that big arm reaching down to the second hand looks cool. However, my first impression when seeing the picture was not GF but Grönefeld. Cazalea

On one hand I like the look of this one better then the previous versions.

 
 By: als1678 : December 7th, 2023-17:50
On the other hand - there are way too many variations which spells trouble - the first balancier with the engraved bezel, then the smoothe bezel version, then various materials, then smaller sizes, now this ... Also despite the simplifications the price i... 

Greubel is losing its soul

 
 By: Cozmopak : December 7th, 2023-18:20
The inclined balance was the one thing that made this watch special. Now, it's just a very overpriced time-only watch, with questionable aesthetics. This is a huge miss in my book. The original balancier already trades well below retail for this new one, ... 

True

 
 By: m2 : December 7th, 2023-21:16

My biggest beef (besides the size/cost)...

 
 By: mdg : December 7th, 2023-21:32
...is GF engraving Tolstoy novels on the movements...

Not all of the older models have the engraving

 
 By: Cozmopak : December 8th, 2023-14:23
But yeah, that’s just part of the aesthetics. Polarizing for sure. You either like it or you don’t. As for the size, the older ones packed in so much into the movements, the sizes really are explainable.

Size...OK...

 
 By: mdg : December 8th, 2023-17:41
...if there is a lot going on. But even with my reasonably large wrist, the one I saw in person was just too much.

Yeah, size is one of the major reasons why I have stayed away from the brand

 
 By: Cozmopak : December 8th, 2023-17:48
But I do admire them for what they are

They look incredible in person...

 
 By: mdg : December 8th, 2023-22:47
...and have whatever that special something is that make you notice them from afar...

Agree 💯

 
 By: Watchonthewrists : December 8th, 2023-08:43

Agreed and with the limited outputs early on I see safe investments of those fortunate to get.

 
 By: doubleup : December 23rd, 2023-02:42
Have seen other brands constantly say “the early pieces” when constituting superior quality or good old days. GF is the king in my book.. at leas the early pieces back in the good old days

I haven't seen any GF in person yet, but initially I like this one from the pictures

 
 By: 1WatchMan : December 7th, 2023-19:07
Totally out of my range for a time-only and don't really love the "lugs" (from the pictures), but I'm sure that it looks good on the wrist.

If I want to pay top dollars for a watch, finishing and time-only, even plus power reserve is not enough. I love to have some grander complications.

 
 By: Clueless_Collector : December 7th, 2023-19:49
I know some collectors are treating finishings like picasso / van gogh paint brushes, not me....I still feel if I hire an experienced watch maker, just to focus, do nothing else, just to polish, I can get similar end results.

Could handle some modern GFs and also these «entry level» ones. Was underwhelmed

 
 By: hora12reborn : December 7th, 2023-19:55
by the finishing, the lack of visibility of the movement but overwhelmed by the price and the size. There are so many incredibly qualitative watches out there at much lower price points.

IMHO these are like Porsche SUVs, not for me but great if it helps GF survive

 
 By: Fastwong : December 7th, 2023-19:57
A Cayenne turbo is a monster of an SUV, I'd happily daily one of those but probably not with my own money and it won't ever be as special to me as a Porsche sports car. The GF sports watches are awesome but the pice is challenging and I think the classic ... 

Thanks again for your post in the other thread I had made

 
 By: m2 : December 7th, 2023-20:07
Really helpful and killed my want for the watch unless secondary prices drop a ton. Now I know who to PM when my finger is itchy

Lol, I don't want to step on anyone's watch wants!

 
 By: Fastwong : December 7th, 2023-21:25
But yeah, they are screwing the collectors with so much supply. I can't believe after all the other convexe watches they announced this year and haven't delivered they dropped ANOTHER 176 watches. With the bubble bursting this is going to hurt. I still pr... 

Same here

 
 By: m2 : January 14th, 2024-09:38
I wonder where these will settle 2nd hand? Any thoughts?

Funny, I was just in the Dubai Mall and it is almost like claiming I saw bigfoot since I didn't take a picture but I could swear I saw a sapphire double balancier convexe at Seddiqi.

 
 By: Fastwong : January 15th, 2024-19:37
Limited run of like 7 or 11 I think. I think all the convexe watches are also carrying "1 of XX" numbers plates instead of individually numbered watches which seems shady since then they can pull a Ferrari and really produce whatever they feel like withou... 

I prefer the older “original” Greubel Forsey timepieces.

 
 By: Chicolini : December 7th, 2023-20:22
The level of finishing is superb AND the level of INTRIGUE is very high. I think the new management is clearly going a new direction. I believe Stephen Forsey now has less of a role and I miss him being there. ...  

I could not agree with you more

 
 By: Cozmopak : December 7th, 2023-20:28
And now these older Greubels can be had for increasingly attractive prices. The new stuff just leaves me so cold

100%

 
 By: m2 : December 7th, 2023-21:06
My favorite is the invention piece. Pic from Gary G. I am a couple hundred thousand short though lol. 😆 ...  

Love this last one

 
 By: TeutonicCarFan : December 8th, 2023-00:10

Beautiful! Agree, pre-calce GF is where it's at, someday would like to add a technique too

 
 By: Fastwong : December 8th, 2023-00:14
The S1 has been my daily for the last couple years, barely wear my other watches ...  

Killer piece

 
 By: m2 : December 8th, 2023-13:50
I love the way they do their frosting on those

Sounds like Robert and Stephen are OUT 😢 Was just watching a WB interview from Dubai WW and when asked about Robert's and Stephen's roles in the new Tourbillon Cardan Calce made a yuge dodge

 
 By: Fastwong : December 9th, 2023-19:13
I was wondering if the Tourbillon Cardon might be a last work from the OG Greubel and Forsey since it was an actual new movement unlike all the other releases post Calce which have been repackaging but this is a product from the "management team" that has... 

I like the dial personally.

 
 By: Chronometer (aka yacomino) : December 7th, 2023-21:50

First comment - hi everyone!

 
 By: Unbalancewheel : December 8th, 2023-13:28
I was recently invited to visit the GF manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. I too was concerned about a potential decline in quality of their decoration. I was insured by the account managers leading the tour and reassured by watching the decoration team wor...  

Scenery

 
 By: Artago : April 13th, 2024-08:43
Like a country house, the property/estate is a combination of the houses, the interior, the gardens/park and the scenery, and removing either element could change your experience dramatically regardless of the quality of what remains unchanged. Place the ...