Greubel Forsey QP á Équation Perpetual Calendar In Red Gold

Greubel Forsey is known for taking functions a step further. They look at the way other brands have dealt with such complications, scratch that, and reinvent the way we see or use the “same” thing.

Greubel Forsey consistently receives positive reviews. The brand’s revolutionary approach has proven to be successful in the past, especially with the QP á Équation, which has won 2017’s GPHG award for the Calendar Watch Prize.

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it — or so says the proverb. Few industries take this mantra to heart as ardently as our own. So, what happens to a watch that doesn’t see fit to change fundamentally? It will be released with a twist, of course! In the case of the Greubel Forsey QP á Équation, that twist is a new case material; 5N red gold with a chocolate-colored gold dial. But what is it about this watch that made such an update worthwhile? Let’s dig into the nitty-gritty to find out.

QP á Équation

The main goal of the QP á Équation is to integrate the Equation of Time function into the perpetual calendar. It was also crucial for Greubel Forsey to make the watch more user friendly and practical with new features and indications that would enhance clarity. To simplify the whole perpetual calendar display, the brand went above and beyond. They also managed to integrate the entire setting process into the bi-directional crown.

For this, Greubel Forsey used their patented invention, the Mechanical Computer system. The said mechanism consists of cams of movable fingers that shift the indications on both the dial side and the case back. The whole system is integrated into the movement. The presence of the Mechanical Computer changes the conventional way we set these complications but also does it simultaneously on the front and back of the QP á Équation.

Indications

The QP á Équation offers 15 indications on both the dial and the case back side of the timepiece. Let’s start with the dial side. The large calendar display at five makes the complication extremely readable. It gives you the day and month on the sides of the sub-dial and the big date in the middle. Next to it at six, you can find the leap year indication and, squeezed between seven and eight, the 24-hour display.

Following the dial round in a clockwise direction will bring your eyes to the going seconds sub-dial next. Above that is the most arresting of the many featured complications: the tourbillon. Across the dial between 1 and 2 o’clock, the 72-hour power reserve indicator resides. To its right, sitting just above the 3 o’clock index are a pair of windows. These While just over the 3 o’clock index is the crown pusher function selector. H/M is for hours/minutes adjustment. QP stands for perpetual calendar bi-directional rapid correction.

QP á Équation case back

The indications continue on the case back with an Equation of Time indicator. This displays months, seasons, solstices, and equinoxes, as well as the calendar year. The year is the most apparent aperture and is located at 6 o ‘clock. Find that and remember it. Remember also how simple life seemed before this watch came into it…

The rest needs a bit of an explanation. The colorful ring around the display shows us the months (in letters J to D) and the seasons (highlighted by colors). You can also find the solstices (two circles) and equinoxes (two semi-circles) as each of them occurs twice a year. The center of the display is to show the Equation of time, indicated by discs.

Equation of Time

But what is the Equation of Time? In Greubel Forsey’s own words: “horology seeks to measure time as regularly as possible; however, the Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical path. As the Earth sweeps close past the Sun, the period between successive solar zeniths, or the solar day’s length, changes. This causes the difference between solar time and mean time to vary from a few seconds to as much as 16 minutes during the year. The Equation of Time is the conversion factor between solar and the meantime.”

We can all agree that while this is a mind-boggling complication. In daily life, it is not as useful as the calendar function, for instance. This is why Greubel Forsey put those “useful” indicators on the dial side, while the back is reserved for the crazier Haute Horlogerie complications. But the artistry and technical mastery with which they have been applied is really something special.

Chronometry in gold

The most important feature of every timepiece is timekeeping performance. For the Greubel Forsey QP á Équation, it comes with yet another one of their inventions; the Tourbillon 24 Secondes. We are talking about an enhanced tourbillon complication with a single fast rotational speed and incline angle. It has been conceived to “solve” the problem of critical positions of the oscillator concerning gravity.

And lastly, let’s talk a bit about the case. A beautiful 5N red gold case paired up with multi-level chocolate-colored yes gold dial. It is an almost romantic touch in comparison to the unapologetic technicality of the watch overall. And all of this comes in a manageable 43.5mm case that is 16mm thick. A water-resistance of 30 meters and a hand-sewn alligator strap with matching gold folding clasp and hand-engraved Gf logo mark this as the dressiest of dress pieces. But you’d hardly need to know sidereal time at the bottom of the ocean, would you… If you wish to visit Greubel Forsey’s website, please click here.