Inauguration of new Greubel Forsey manufacture. Part 2: Showtime!Posted by IanS
In Inauguration of new Greubel Forsey manufacture. Part 1 we looked at the afternoon's preparations leading up to the arrival of approximately 500 invited guests at 5pm. Now it's Showtime!  Guests enter through the beautifully restored 18th century farmhouse  Then down and under to enter the new contemporary building  It was a much more orderly than it looks, but there were a lot of people to check in.  Once inside, the space opens out into the inner court, which is loosely modeled on Greubel Forsey's founding atelier at the Ancien Manége.   Phoebe and Stephen Forsey talking to Maarten Pieters (director of WOSTEP)   And still they came.  And while it was a little quieter in the farm building . . .  and near the watch display . . .  Xavier Dietlin, the man responsible for the display cases, found the best spot in town.  Guests touring the CNC machine rooms. Of course you recognize the man in light jacket on the left.  Kari Voutilainen   The staff checking guests in were still smiling.   The central court filling up before the speeches were due to take place  The woman with her back to us is master enameler, Anita Porchet.  Guests exploring the fine finishing department  Quiet please!  Emmanuel Vuille, CEO of Greubel Forsey, takes the stage while Stephen Forsey looks on (eagerly awaiting his turn on the podium no doubt)  Standing room only - literally.  Stephen Forsey takes explains the ethos behind the timepieces Robert and he develop.  This time Emmanuel looks one. What's that on his wrist?  The architect of the main building, Pierre Studer, explains some of the 1000s of trials and tribulations that went into realizing this building. The strong growth of Greubel Forsey all throughout the project meant that new authorization for an ever-larger building had to be submitted no less than 6 times!  Mr Studer's stories and explanations had the crowd listening intently.  Laurent Kurth, Conseiller Communal of la Chaux-de-Fonds responsible for construction.  Frédéric Hainard, Conseller d'Etat (Neuchâtel), Department of the Economy   Speeches over, many went to look at the timepieces. It is very rare to see so many Greubel Forsey watches in one place and it was a real treat.  Double Tourbillon 30°  Double Tourbillon Technique  Invention Piece 1  Invention Piece 3  Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné  Quadruple Tourbillon à Différentiel Sphérique  The rest of the action was behind the farmhouse and in a large hospitality tent accessed through a connecting tunnel.   Delicious local specialities were on hand to taste and . . .  . . . there were even local produces showing off their tasty wares. Sausages.  Fish  Honey  Wine  Needless to say they all went down very well.  Parked outside was even more local produce!  Ludwig Oechslin, Curator at the Musée International d'Horlogerie (MIH)  Ann Vuille and Anne Bieler, Press & Public Relations manager of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie    Robert Greubel, Philippe Dufour and Martial Fragniere  In the fine finishing department they are still working    But the evening is drawing to a close.  Independent master watchmaker Bernard Zwinz checking out  A great job well done . . .  . . . on both sides of the room  And it's good night from me. And if you missed part 1 which covers the afternoon before the main event, click Inauguration of new Greubel Forsey manufacture. Part 1 Ian Skellern Greubel Forsey forum and URWERK forum moderator www.facebook.com/underthedial twitter.com/underthedial Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2009 12:42AM by IanS.
if there was only one, then it would be this one... It is possibly hard to read, complex, yet there is something magnetic with this dial that puzzles me everytime I look at it (on pictures, so far...) Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2009 02:19AM by IanS.
In 2008 I shot this picture in Basel.  Every time I see this watch (foto) I will keep looking at it for quite some time  . It is so beautiful and it has a nice 3D look because of all the different levels of the dial side. |      | ||||||||
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