Greubel Forsey's Definition of Madness

Greubel Forsey is in its “less watches, even more luxury” era, and the Balancier Convexe S² is the latest model getting the respectful goodbye. After the Balancier Contemporain got its send-off and the brand’s leadership story shifted, this one feels like a clean full stop on the sportiest, most wrist-hugging Greubel from the last few years.

What just happened

They’re closing the chapter on the Balancier Convexe S² with two limited editions of 11 pieces each, one in white ceramic and the other in black ceramic with rose gold accents on the bezel and the caseback flange. It’s the kind of production number that basically guarantees you’ll see it twice in your life, once in a press image and once on someone’s wrist in a place with excellent lighting and suspiciously calm security.

Source: monochrome-watches.com

The case is the whole point, before the movement even starts showing off

The Convexe S² isn’t trying to be “a round watch but slightly edgy.” It’s a curved, variable-geometry sculpture that actually commits to the shape, and the crystal follows along like a bubble canopy. On paper it measures 41.5mm across the caseband, about 44mm across the bezel, and 13.25mm thick for the case, or 14.8mm if you count the full height of that tall synthetic sapphire crystal. In real life terms, it’s presence, but it’s engineered presence, not clumsy presence, and that distinction is the difference between “statement” and “mistake.”

The dial side is crazy

Greubel Forsey put most of the visible gearing up front, then hung the time display on a suspended arch bridge so your eyes have a reason to bounce around. The star is the 30-degree inclined balance system, which is very on-brand for Greubel, because they don’t really do subtle when it comes to regulating organs. It’s drama, but it’s the good kind of drama, like a perfectly timed dry one-liner in the middle of a serious conversation.

Source: monochrome-watches.com

And then there’s the finishing, which is where Greubel Forsey separates itself from “expensive” and moves into “why does this look like it was finished by people who are emotionally invested” territory. The surfaces, bevels, countersinks, and the overall layered architecture are exactly what you want from a high-horology piece that’s trying to be sporty without turning into a toy.

Flip it over and it calms down, but not much

The back is more reserved than the front, but it’s still a gold plate with the limitation number and a bunch of finishing work that most brands would save for an anniversary model. The movement runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour and uses two coaxial, series-coupled fast-rotating barrels, with one turn every 3.2 hours, plus a slipping spring on one barrel to avoid excess tension. It’s a properly engineered solution, delivering a 72-hour power reserve while keeping the watch manual wind, because this category of watches should feel like a ritual, not a convenience.

“Sporty,” but don’t get too confident

Water resistance is 30 meters, so yes, it’s sporty in the way a tuxedo is athletic if you run to catch a cab. The case and vibe are modern and aggressive, but it’s still complex watchmaking, and it wants to be treated like complex watchmaking.

Source: monochrome-watches.com

Price, and the kind of audience this is really for

The listed price is CHF 295,000, which lands at roughly €305,000 depending on the day’s exchange rate. At that level, nobody needs the “value proposition” speech, because this isn’t a purchase you justify; it’s a purchase you decide, like choosing art. You’re paying for the obsessive finishing, the architecture, the way the case is built, and the fact that Greubel Forsey still behaves like a small, stubborn atelier in a world that loves scaling everything until it tastes like nothing.

My take

This is a strong final edition because it doesn’t try to reinvent the watch, it just distils what made the Convexe S² such a monster in the first place. Ceramic makes the shape feel even more intentional, especially in white, which is hilariously bold for something this expensive, because white ceramic basically dares the universe to test your lifestyle. The black ceramic with rose gold is the more classic move, and it’ll probably be the one people regret not chasing.

Source: monochrome-watches.com

If you like the whole Richard Mille-adjacent silhouette but you want finishing that feels genuinely old-world serious, Greubel Forsey is still the brand that scratches that itch without feeling like it’s trying too hard. And if this is the last Balancier Convexe S², it’s going out exactly how it should, limited, very loud in craftsmanship, and completely uninterested in being reasonable.