Introducing The Platinum GMT by Greubel Forsey

Some two years ago, in 2011, Greubel Forsey introduced a rotating globe into their collection highly complicated timepieces with a choice of tourbillons. Like the rest of the collection, the new GMT (the name is kept simple, however the technical aspects are not that simple) features a tourbillon; it’s the 24 seconds tourbillon, which is inclined by 25° degrees. Today we’re introducing the new platinum GMT, with all its technical marvels against a beautiful black platinum backdrop.

On the dial side, at the 8 o’clock position, is miniature earth that rotates anti-clockwise in 24 hours, just like our own planet. While the small Earth looks marvelous and is beautifully detailed, it might not be the most precise indication for the time in different timezones. For a more exact reading of the time in the 24 main time zones of the world, Greubel and Forsey created a disk with 24 cities on the reverse side of the watch. This works just like a true worldtimer, and at the same time it makes clear which cities are on daylight saving time and which aren’t. This a rather nifty addition!

The light-colored background differentiate summer time (for cities which follow this system), while the cities on a black background don’t use Daylight Saving Time.

On the dial, above the rotating globe is a small 12-hour subdial, with a red triangular hand, which indicates the time in a second time zone. With the pusher, engraved with the letters “GMT”, this hour hand can be advanced with steps of one hour. So this small extra subdial gives a quick and easy reading of time in one particular time zone. For instance your home time, when you’re traveling. Combined with the rotating globe and the 24-city disk on the reverse side, the Platinum GMT is both a GMT watch and a worldtimer watch.

A lateral window set in the case offers a viewpoint over the Southern Hemisphere. The South Pole does not appear since it is the anchor point of the globe. The globe is executed in titanium, which is engraved with extreme precision in three dimensions, to represent the continents in miniature. The miniature Earth is seen from the North Pole down.

How does it work?

Just imagine, as executive editor for Monochrome Watches it is important to know the local time of our writers. Since they are located all around our globe, one might be be preparing to go to bed, while the other just snoozed the alarm clock for the third time.

Imagine Mario, who lives in Shanghai, is laying exhausted on the couch after a long day, iPad in one hand, remote control in the other. Evan, who lives in Manilla, is probably partying or working late at night on his MBA paper. Both aren’t able to do a quick article on a new timepiece that has just come out. Ilias, Brice and Robin, who all life in Western Europe, are probably about to start dinner and Max, who lives in the States, is just drinking his first coffee and has an entire day ahead of him. See, that’s how handy the new Greubel Forsey Platinum GMT is. Unfortunately it is “slightly” above budget of this humble executive editor, but you get my point.

Like on every Greubel Forsey, the finishing is unparalleled and features all kind of hand-finishing in the entire range of traditional techniques. The dial, and parts of the main plate are frosted, many of the steel bridges and German silver plates are hand-bevelled, hand-polished, and straight grained with flat black polished finishes.

The GMT is powered by two barrels providing a 72-h power reserve with a frequency of 21,600 vibrations/hour. The movement comprises 443 components. It features a 24-second tourbillon with 25° inclination, comprising 87 components for a total weight of 0.36 g. The Greubel Forsey Platinum GMT comes in platinum case, 43.5 mm wide and with a total height of 16.14 mm. For more information, please visit the Greubel Forsey website.

Here are a few photos of the white gold version, so you can get a better idea of the magnificent three-dimensional views of the Greubel Forsey GMT.