Introducing: The Greubel Forsey QP quation In Red Gold With Chocolate Brown Dial

March 20, 2020

The QP quation from Greubel Forsey is one of the most complicated watches from one of the world's great complications and finishing specialists, so it's always worth highlighting. This latest iteration comes in a red-gold case, paired nicely with a chocolate-brown dial. It's a warmer take on the QP quation, and it might be my favorite colorway for the watch yet. The QP quation was first released at SIHH 2015, but the origins of the project go back much earlier than that. The idea behind the watch was to create a perpetual calendar that took the idea of measuring the long ebbs and flows of time to the next level. By including the Equation of Time complication, you get a detailed sense of where we are in time and space, from the years and seasons down to the minutes. It's a fantastic intellectual exercise and one that GF has executed in its typical maximalist way. Speaking of which, there's one of Greubel Forsey's signature angled tourbillons for good measure too. Why not, right?? In addition to the 15 complications that you get here (that's how GF counts them, though you could probably quibble and get that number up or down a bit), you're getting a watch made to the highest standards currently achievable. And I mean that literally: From the frosting on the movement plates to the black polishing on the tourbillon bridge to the hand engraving on the case and buckle, every bit of craft and artistry is pushed to the limits. Some people like Greubel Forsey's distinctive style, others don't, but you can't deny the objective quality and inventiveness of what they're doing. There's truly no other watchmaker quite like them, and this watch is further proof of that. Initial Thoughts I remember the first time I saw the?QP quation. Not all watches stick with me quite like this one has. I was chatting with Stephen Forsey at SIHH, and he had something under a microfiber cloth on the table between us. He gave me a bit of backstory, telling me about how it was the result of years of R&D and that it was something a bit daring, even for them. I honestly didn't know what to expect. When he pulled the cloth back, I might have audibly gasped. This watch is just ... so much. It's crazy complicated, it's insanely finished, and it's a thought experiment that only the nerdiest of watch nerds will truly appreciate. From moment one, I admired the combination of brains, hands, and guts that it takes to produce something like this. Regular readers would probably expect me to not be the biggest Greubel Forsey fan. Their watches are kind of the antithesis of the understated minimalism that dominates my personal watch taste. But those regular readers would be wrong. I love what Greubel Forsey does, despite the fact that my thin wallet and even thinner wrists will prevent me from wearing one anytime soon. I like that Greubel Forsey is doing its own thing and has developed both a design language and a conceptual approach to watchmaking that's in-your-face, but in a way that makes you want to lean in and learn more instead of making you jump back. The QP quation is one of GF's more poetic watches, and this new colorway might be its most approachable incarnation yet. The Basics Brand: Greubel ForseyModel: QP quation?Diameter: 43.5mmThickness: 16mmCase Material: 5N red goldDial Color: Chocolate brownCcolored goldIndexes: Applied Arabic numerals and batonsLume: Yes, on hands and hour markersWater Resistance: 30 metersStrap/Bracelet: Brown alligator strap with red gold folding clasp The Movement Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, 24-second tourbillon, 24-hour indicator, power reserve indicator, perpetual calendar with disc-based display, mode selector display, equation of time on reverse, year display on reverseDiameter: 36.4mmThickness: 9.6mmPower Reserve: 72 hoursWinding: Hand-woundFrequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)Jewels: 75, olive domed in gold chatonsTotal Components: 624Additional Details: Variable-inertia balance wheel with gold mean-time screws; balance spring with Phillips terminal curve and Geneva-style stud; tourbillon inclined at a 25-degree angle; two fast-rotating barrels running in series? Pricing & Availability Price: CHF 670,000Availability: ImmediatelyLimited Edition: No, but limited productionFor more, click here.