Greubel Forsey’s unveiling of their 10th “Fundamental Invention” feels like a Copernican revolution for the wrist. Just as Copernicus upended Ptolemaic dogma by proving the Sun as our cosmic center, Greubel Forsey’s new Nano Foudroyante EWT upends watchmaking orthodoxy through its nanojoule energy management. This disruptive nanomechanics invention, launched on the 20th anniversary of the maison’s founding, may be horology’s most emblematic evolution since the wristwatch ousted the pocket watch.

By harnessing energy at the nano scale, Greubel Forsey liberates the mechanical movement from the shackles of traditional design. This allows them to miniaturize components and revolutionize functionality. The new foudroyante second complication epitomizes this, with radical energy efficiency enabling it to indicate fractions of time directly from the oscillator rather than through an elaborate gear train. This breakthrough is the horological equivalent of unchaining Prometheus, unlocking creative possibility from the limits of energy consumption.

Yet like any mythic revelation, its power is proven through application. Greubel Forsey harnesses their newfound energy freedom by integrating their perpetual nano foudroyante into a flying tourbillon, breaking free from the gravity-induced errors of static tourbillons. This Icarus-like ambition is balanced by Daedalus-like artistry, with hand-finished movement architecture visible through the sapphire caseback. Limited to 11 pieces in tantalum and white gold, the “Nano Foudroyante EWT” may be Greubel Forsey’s most future-defining opus yet.

CHF 465,000, or about $510,000.