Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Greubel Forsey · GMT
Greubel Forsey GMT 42 mm Meteorite Sapphire
Reference 87156OR.17
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Greubel Forsey
- Collection
- GMT
- Model
- Greubel Forsey GMT 42 mm Meteorite Sapphire
- Reference number
- 87156OR.17
- Year / era
- 2004 · 2000s — modern production
- Complication
- GMT / second time zone
- Movement
- In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor
- Case material
- Sapphire crystal case
- Dial type
- Meteorite
- Strap / bracelet
- Milanese mesh
- Water resistance
- 150 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 42 mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6 mm
- Case material
- Sapphire crystal case
- Bezel
- Fluted 18k gold
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Meteorite
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- Milanese mesh
- Clasp / buckle
- Titanium deployant clasp
- Water resistance
- 150 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 4C — In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
- Number of jewels
- 40 jewels
- Complications
- GMT / second time zone
- Functions
- Flying tourbillon, power reserve
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2004 – 2019
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Greubel Forsey GMT 42 mm Meteorite Sapphire sits within Greubel Forsey's GMT line, introduced in 2004. It carries the house codes established since 2004 — sapphire crystal case case, meteorite dial and in-house automatic with 22k gold rotor — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
Greubel Forsey
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 2004
- Founder
- Robert Greubel & Stephen Forsey
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Ultra-Luxury & Haute Horlogerie
- Major collections
- Double Balancier, Hand Made 1, GMT, Tourbillon 24 Secondes, Balancier
- Signature technologies
- Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement · Hand-applied guilloché dials
- Famous movements
- In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor · In-house automatic micro-rotor · In-house manual-winding, hand-finished · In-house tourbillon, manual-winding
- Notable watches
- Greubel Forsey Double Balancier 40 mm Salmon 18k (2004) · Greubel Forsey Double Balancier 37 mm Blue Sapphire (2004) · Greubel Forsey Double Balancier 41 mm Silvered 18k (2004) · Greubel Forsey Double Balancier 42 mm Black 18k (2004)
Brand history
Greubel Forsey has spent more than 22 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Double Balancier, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Robert Greubel & Stephen Forsey established Greubel Forsey in 2004, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Greubel Forsey calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
2004
Robert Greubel & Stephen Forsey founds Greubel Forsey in Switzerland.
2024
Greubel Forsey continues to produce Double Balancier, Hand Made 1, GMT and other icons in limited numbers.