IntroducingGreubel Forsey Shows Off Its Worry-Free Perpetual Calendar With The QP Balancier Limited Edition

If there's one brand known for everything except simplicity, it's Greubel Forsey. They are masters of complications, of movement finishing, and of many other things, but it's always a refreshing moment when you see a new release from them that takes one of their impressive achievements and actually seeks to make it simpler.

This is very much the case in Greubel Forsey's new QP Balancier, the brand's new take on a perpetual calendar. It's based on the QP à Équation from 2015, an absolute showstopping achievement in complicated watchmaking, featuring a high-speed inclined tourbillon, an equation of time complication, and, most importantly, a worry-free perpetual calendar that can be completely set both forwards and backwards entirely through the crown. Its capabilities were attributed to Greubel Forsey's creation of what it called the Computer Mécanique, or mechanical computer, which can be analogized to essentially a mechanical brain that allowed all of the indications to be "computed" with all of the proper safety checks required so that the user would not worry about any damage while setting the caliber through the crown. The calendar is accurate until February 28, 2100, and after that point, you would send it back to Greubel Forsey for an adjustment to ensure accuracy for the next 100 years.

Bringing this mechanical computer over to the QP Balancier, we finally get a watch that's focused purely on the perpetual calendar complication and its ingenuity. This new release "only" has a few indications — hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve, day of the week, oversized double-digit date, month, leap year cycle, a 24-hour disc with day/night indications, calendar year (located on the caseback), and the current selected function for the crown. Simple, right? The movement shows off the ability to be adjusted at any time of day, while a red zone on the 24-hour disc indicates the danger zone. But not to worry, the mechanical computer locks the user out anyway during the danger zone. You can't damage it.

While the complication here certainly doesn't result in a simple dial, it's unabashedly Greubel Forsey in its design and asymmetrical layout, complete on the dial side with the brand's signature 30-degree inclined escapement with an oversized 12.6mm balance wheel. Though it might seem intimidating to read, the actual calendar indications are all in line with each other. And across the entire movement, both front and back, Greubel Forsey does what it does best with beveling, black polishing, frosting, or brushing, all done by hand for every single component. The prominent black polishing of the escapement certainly stands out among the anthracite-finished gold dial.

Though any watch nerd is sure to appreciate this bidirectional perpetual calendar, far fewer might actually wear it on their wrists (if we don't even consider the price tag). The case for this limited edition is crafted in white gold, featuring a domed sapphire crystal, and the back also boasts a curved sapphire crystal for enhanced ergonomics. The dimensions are very Greubel here, at 45.1mm in diameter and a height of 14.75mm, factoring in the sapphire crystals.

The Greubel Forsey QP Balancier is limited to 22 pieces in white gold, and priced at CHF 490,000.

When you think about watchmakers that have reinvented the perpetual calendar, not many come to mind, save for a few names such as Ludwig Oechslin and Stephen McDonnell. But with Greubel's introduction of this new mechanical computer ten years ago, the folks over in La Chaux-de-Fonds had something very different on their hands. And finally, I'm glad to see a watch from the brand that focuses just on the perpetual calendar. Might one day we see this entire complication shrink down to something supremely wearable? Maybe, though, I would understand if the mechanical computer had something to say about that.

At the price point of a Greubel Forsey like this, at almost half a million Swiss francs, it's safe to say that most people reading this won't see themselves in the target demographic for this watch. But at the same time, I absolutely love following the releases of pieces like this new QP Balancier. These are absolute mechanical marvels that continue to push ultra-high-end watchmaking along, and tossing aside any aesthetic preferences you may have, it's undeniable that this QP Balancier is an absolute force of watchmaking, both inside and out.

Brand: Greubel Forsey
Model: QP Balancier
Diameter: 45.1mm
Thickness: 14.75mm
Case Material: White gold
Dial Color: Anthracite-finished gold
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Hand-sewn textured rubber

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar, function selector, 24-hour indicator, power reserve
Diameter: 40.8mm
Thickness: 10.4mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 VpH
Jewels: 78 (Olived-domed jewels in gold chatons)
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: 612 total parts. 30°-inclined escapement, with in-house variable-inertia balance wheel. Phillips terminal curve balance spring.

Price: CHF 490,000
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: Yes, 22 pieces.

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