Greubel Forsey bids farewell to what was once its smallest watch, the Balancier Contemporain, with a final edition in stainless steel with a blue dial. The brand aims to finish the run of 33 watches later this year, after which the Balancier Contemporain will be no more, marking the end of its just-under-40 mm case.

Notably, this is not a move away from mid-sized watches; in fact, the brand intends to double down on them with future launches.

Initial Thoughts

When launched in 2019, the Balancier Contemporain was the Greubel Forsey’s smallest watch – relatively speaking. The brand’s quality may be irreproachable, but wearability is another matter – several of its watches are well over 44 mm – and as consumers’ tastes gravitate back to mid-sized watches, Greubel Forsey was arguably in a tricky position with its near pocket-watch-sized calibres.

But the brand was prepared for that. Just last year, Greubel Forsey set a new direction with the Nano Foudroyante EWT, a flyback chronograph (and flying tourbillon with lightning seconds) that was just under 38 mm in diameter and 10.5 mm thick. And even before that, the Convexe sports model cases already helped wearability massively – I’d even say the nominally larger Balancier Convexe and Double Balancier Convexe wear better than the Balancier Contemporain. So while the Balancier Contemporain is still a great watch, I’m not sad to see it go. As Greubel Forsey transitions to small-diameter watches, I expect to see it replaced by something even better.

Nostalgic Styling

The stainless steel case uses Greubel Forsey’s traditional design language established by the Double Tourbillon 30° over 20 years ago, which the brand has strayed from with its recent sports models. At 39.6 mm in diameter, and 12.25 mm thick, it isn’t remarkably compact, but should appeal to a wide swathe of collectors.

Steel is an unusual material for the brand, but this the second Balancier Contemporain in steel; the first was a run of 11 watches for the North American market. Greubel Forsey also offered the comparably simple Signature 1 and Balancier models in steel.

While related to the Signature 1 in terms of construction, the Balancier Contemporain is a distinct movement and gains an up/down indicator, and a hack-lever to stop the watch during time-setting. The blue-treated German silver movement has remarkable depth, and a terraced layout of its bridges. On the lowest level are the escapement and specular polished balance bridge. The seconds sub-dial sits on the second, and the time on the third level.

The Balancier Contemporain uses the oversized balance introduced on the Signature 1, which is 12.6 mm diameter (40% wider than ETA 2824’s balance) and also made in-house – a rarity for independents. It’s appointed with six white gold screws for rate adjustment, and an over coil hairspring.

A black-polished white gold plate underneath the balance acts as a mirror, showing the underside of the balance and bridge. Another, monolithic, white gold plate on the back is black-polished and decorated with laser engraved text, revealing a trio of jewels set into gold chatons, and a gold plate engraved with the limited edition number.

Key facts and price

Greubel Forsey Balancier Contemporain

Diameter: 39.6 mm
Height: 12.25 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Balancier Contemporain
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, and power reserve indicator
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Manual wind
Power reserve: 70 hours

Strap: Textured blue rubber

Limited edition: 33 pieces
Availability: At Greubel Forsey retailers or direct from the brand
Price: CHF220,000 before taxes

For more information, visit greubelforsey.com.