Introducing Greubel Forsey’s Transparent $1.1 Millon Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire Watch

We are just going to jump right into this. Yesterday, Greubel Forsey – a brand we have written about often, here  — unveiled a $1.1 million U.S-exclusive watch: the Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire. Yes, sapphire — making the timepiecea almost totally tranparent and offering an nobstructed view of the movement parts and their interaction. Additionally, the brand — known for its unconventional watchmaking approaches — has machined the entire case, case sides and horns from a single sapphire crystal.

To clarify, the  396-part movement inside this Sapphire version is not new. It is the same beloved patented Double Tourbillon 30-Degree caliber we know and love.  As a reminder, the hand-wound movement houses one tourbillon cage inside the other — –each rotating at different speeds (the outer one rotates once every four minutes while the inner one rotates every 60 seconds). The movement is so chronometrically precise that it scored  915 out of 1,000 points at the International Chronometry Competition five years ago.

You can read all of the technical specs below.  Remember, only eight are being made in sapphire,  each retailing for a pure $1.1 million. How badly do you want a transparent Greubel Forsey watch?

NAME: Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire
Limited edition: 
8 pieces in sapphire
Hand-wound movement with patented tourbillon
Double Tourbillon 30° • hours and minutes • small seconds • outer tourbillon 4-minutes rotation • inner tourbillon 60-seconds • power-reserve
Movement dimensions
• Diameter : 38,40 mm • Thickness : 12,15 mm
Number of parts
• Complete movement : 396 parts
• Two tourbillon cages : 132 parts
• Total weight of the two cages : 1,17 g
Number of jewels: • 43
• Olived-domed jewels in gold chatons
Chronometric power reserve:  120 hours
Barrels
• Four coaxial series-coupled fast-rotating barrels (1 turn in 3,2 hours), one of which is equipped with a slipping spring to avoid excess tension
• Black finished 22k gold cover with relief engraving
Balance wheel
• Variable-inertia with white gold mean-time screws (10,70 mm diameter)
Frequency
• 21’600 vibrations/hour
Balance spring
• Phillips terminal curve • Geneva-style stud
Main plates
• Nickel silver, frosted and bevelled, with counter- sinks and straight-grained flanks, black chrome treatment
Bridges
• Nickel silver, frosted and spotted, bevelled with countersink and straight-grained flanks, black chrome treatment
• Gold plate engraved with the individual number
Inner tourbillon
• Inclined at a 30° angle, 1 rotation per minute
Outer tourbillon
• 1 rotation in 4 minutes
• Hand-bevelled and openworked cage pillars • Gold counterweight
Gearing
• Involute circle profile
• Conical gearing with profiled teeth
Displays
• Hours and minutes
• Small seconds
• 120-hours power reserve on a sector • 4-minutes outer tourbillon rotation
• 60-seconds inner tourbillon rotation
Exterior

Case
• In synthetic sapphire
• Bezel, case and case back machined in a block
of sapphire, completely polished • Three-dimensional, variable
geometry-shaped lugs
• Gold sight ring, engraved on the periphery
with the values of the brand, filled with lacquer • Engraving «Double Tourbillon 30°»
and «Greubel Forsey»
• Engraved individual number
Case dimensions
• Diameter : 49,95 mm • Thickness : 17,15 mm
Water resistance of the case
• Etanche 3 atm – 30 m – 100 ft
(norme NIHS 92-20/SN ISO 22810:2010)
Crown
• Synthetic sapphire with engraved GF logo
Dial side
• Multi-level synthetic sapphire hour-ring, galvanic growth hour indexes filled with lacquer, red «12» index, engraved and lacquered inner tourbillon rotation indicator
• Small seconds and power-reserve indicators in gold
Hands
• Hours and minutes in polished gold, with Super-LumiNova
• Small seconds, power reserve (red triangles)
• Engraved synthetic sapphire 4-minutes indicator 
Strap and clasp 
• Hand-sewn alligator or black rubber or transparent silicon 
• Titanium folding clasp, engraved with the GF logo