Greubel Forsey flexes its horological muscles with a host of firsts in its new Nano Foudroyante EWT
Russell Sheldrake- Greubel Forsey adds its 10th fundamental invention, the Nano Foudroyante EWT.
- The ultra-complex watch fits inside the small 37.9mm case with a flying tourbillon and flyback chronograph.
- With only 11 being made and it being priced at CHF 465,000, it won’t be for everyone.
Despite only being 20 years old, it feels like Greubel Forsey has done pretty much everything in watchmaking. Whether it be multi-axis tourbillons, ultra-high-end sports watches, or miniature globes inside its watches, the dizzying back catalogue of the young independent can feel all-encompassing when it comes to horological checklists. So it is understandable that when the press release for the new Nano Foudroyante EWT landed in my inbox and proclaimed a number of firsts for the brand, I was a little taken aback. Along with all of these firsts, we are also being treated with the 10th fundamental invention from Greubel Forsey.
First off, let’s tackle what a “foudroyante” (French for sudden or violent), also known as a flying seconds complication, actually is. This is a fairly rare complication due to it being incredibly power hungry where a seconds hand displays fractions of a second, usually making one full rotation every second. This can be linked to a chronograph, allowing you to measure the fractions of a second, but it can also run independently, as we have here. It will often also run in an incredibly rapid hacking motion that is linked to the speed of the balance. So here, the movement runs at 3Hz, so the escape wheel is released six times a second, meaning the foudroyante hand moves in six intervals around its sub-dial.
That’s the first novelty in this watch for Greubel Forsey, what are the others? The foudroyante sub-dial is floating above a flying tourbillon, one of the few types of tourbillon the brand had not yet attempted. And I say floating here for a good reason – the sub-dial rotates with the tourbillon cage, but maintains its upright orientation through the use of a differential gear. This is a real feat of micro-engineering when you consider the tourbillon construction uses 142 components, close to the number used for most time-only mechanical movements.
Then we move on to the next complication in this watch, the flyback chronograph, the first-ever chronograph of any kind for Greubel Forsey. A surprise, given how horologically deep the brand’s experience in complications is, but this flyback is a brilliant first venture, minimally laid out on the dial with a 60-minute counter at nine, and a centrally mounted chronograph seconds hand.
All of this complication is mounted inside the smallest Greubel Forsey case ever made at 37.9mm. Diminutive when it comes to Greubel proportions, but it just adds to the classical feel of this piece, despite it being made from the rather modern metal of tantalum, with white gold.
Turn over this monochromatic, bi-metal case to look at this deceptively complex movement that displays all of the hand-finishing we have come to expect from the brand. The sweeping bridges allow for an amazing view of the movement below that seems to hide some of the most complex components of its workings. While there is a column wheel and various levers and wheels on show, even those who know what they’re looking for will find it hard to find the flyback works, and many of the components for the foudroyante are located dial-side. There is still the characteristic relief engraving is on the chronograph seconds wheel for those who have a loupe to hand.
But the truly astonishing part of this watch isn’t all of the firsts that it represents for Greubel Forsey. It is the way in which the captivating foudroyante seconds has been optimised, and the clue is in the name that the brand has given it, the Nano Foudroyante. While nano refers to something that is one-billionth times scale, here Greubel Forsey isn’t working with nanotechnology, but has rather managed to shrink the components down so that they reportedly consume 1,800 times less energy than a normal flying seconds complication.
The construction was actually debuted by the brand back in 2017, but now we are getting to see it in this very limited run. To put this incredible efficiency into context, it only needs 1.6 nanojoules of energy per tick, whereas the standard foudroyante requires 30 microjoules. This means this watch is able to boast a 24-hour power reserve while running the chronograph. In normal terms, 24 hours is not a very good power reserve at all, but when you consider the how power hungry both the foudroyante and chronograph are, it’s pretty impressive.
As a brand, Greubel Forsey has always held the highest of standards when it comes to watchmaking, but many have bemoaned the brand’s move towards sports watches, seemingly focusing on these highly commercial designs. But while this is only a limited run of 11 pieces, it acts as a statement of intent from the watchmaker that it has not forgotten its haute horlogerie roots that were front and centre during the release of the Hand Made 1. It may cost just shy of half a million, and only a handful are being made, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still appreciate this small wonder, and take note of what it means for one of the industry’s leading independents.
Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT pricing and availability
The Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT is limited to just 11 pieces. Price: CHF 465,000 (~US$540,000, excluding taxes)
| Brand | Greubel Forsey |
| Model | Nano Foudroyante EWT |
| Case Dimensions | 37.9mm (D) x 10.49mm (T) |
| Case Material | Tantalum and white gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Textured silver |
| Bracelet | Non-animal material, white gold pin buckle |
| Movement | Manually wound, in-house |
| Power Reserve | 24 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback chronograph, flying tourbillon, foudroyante |
| Availability | 11 pieces |
| Price | CHF 465,000 |