Stephen Forsey (Ben Dauchez for Greubel Forsey)

In 1999, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey of Greubel Forsey began working together with the premise that all had not yet been invented in mechanical watchmaking, particularly with reference to the tourbillon’s use in wristwatches. They devoted years of research and development to devise new tourbillon systems for the 21st century, which have captured chronometry awards as well as the hearts and imaginations of mechanical watchmaking devotees worldwide.

Please explain the concept behind the tourbillon for those who may not be familiar with it.

The first single-axis tourbillon was invented for pocket watches in order to overcome accuracy problems associated with gravity, lubrication, and materials issues. The tourbillon averages for gravity-induced errors on the balance wheel oscillator by continually rotating the regulating system. This was particularly effective with the pocket watch because its balance was usually in a vertical position.

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Eric Ripert wearing a Vacheron Constantin Malte Chronograph

Why are so many chefs passionate about watches?

There are similarities between watchmakers and chefs. It’s about craftsmanship more than anything else. In watchmaking, artistry comes in the design and when they create different complications for calculating time. For chefs, the artistry is in the look of the plate and also in the way we create flavors. We find ways to control flavors to create a dish like they control time. Those similarities bring us together in some way subconsciously. A watch is very useful for us because we work under time restrictions, and it’s a beautiful object that we respect.

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Carole Forestier-Kasapi of Cartier

What are the biggest influences that shape your approach to watchmaking?

A very strong influence comes from my childhood. As a child, I played in my father’s watchmaking workshop in France. I was keen on dismantling mechanisms to understand their operation. It’s like going to school—you start by learning the alphabet before you can read.  When you work with a brand such as Cartier, you must relearn the alphabet of the house and study the history and codes of the brand. Then you use those elements to write the next page. The difficulty in all that is to arrive at the right things. Just because you know the alphabet doesn’t make you Shakespeare.

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Carol Brodie

What gets you excited in jewelry today?

I see two distinct trends: One is the use of unusual colorful gems that aren’t the typical sapphires, emeralds and rubies. Women are now more open to jewels like Paraiba tourmaline, morganite and rubellite. These gorgeous gemstones have a magnetic appeal—you are not sure why you fall in love with them, but you do. The other thing is rarity, especially anything that is an antique and has a story to tell, which all antiques do. I love antique jewelry, and it inspires me. I spend a majority of my time looking to remake fabulous older pieces. If it is too expensive to reconstruct, I work with my designers to create it in a more affordable version. I’m working on a collection of poison rings, but mine will be “love” rings filled with potent tokens of affection.

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Maximilian Büsser

What makes a watch a machine?

A mechanical watch is the ultimate machine! It is 100 percent made of metal, with tens or hundreds of moving parts, and the energy is also given (and stored) through mechanical processes. We call our timepieces machines because their primary focus (contrary to 100 percent of all other watches) is not to give time. The primary focus is to create a three-dimensional mechanical work of art, which by the way give time—but as a paradox, chronometry is, on the other hand, important for us. At MB&F we deconstruct the most beautiful traditional watch movements to reconstruct them as 3D machines. In fact the whole process of why we do this, and how we do it, makes up for at least half the interest of our creations.

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