Robert Greubel is a French watchmaker and entrepreneur who co-founded the Swiss high-end watch manufacture Greubel Forsey. Born in 1960 in Alsace, France, Greubel was introduced to the craft of horology at an early age through his father’s workshop, Greubel Horlogerie. He received formal education in watchmaking at the Ecole d Horlogerie de Morteau and later pursued specialized studies in complicated horology in Dreux.
In 1987, Greubel moved to Switzerland to join International Watch Company (IWC), where he was part of the team that developed the Grand Complication. He then joined Renaud and Papi SA in 1990 as a prototypist for complicated movements, eventually rising to the positions of managing director and partner. It was during his tenure there that he met his future business partner, Stephen Forsey.
Greubel transitioned to independent work in 1999. In 2001, he and Forsey co-founded CompliTime, a company dedicated to developing complex mechanisms for luxury watch brands. This venture laid the groundwork for the launch of their own namesake brand, Greubel Forsey, which debuted at BaselWorld in 2004 with the introduction of the Double Tourbillon 30 degree.
As a designer and creator, Greubel has focused on pushing the boundaries of chronometric performance and hand-finishing. Under his leadership, the brand has developed numerous proprietary inventions, including the Quadruple Tourbillon and the Tourbillon 24 Secondes. He is also a founding member of the Time Aeon Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving traditional watchmaking skills and passing them on to future generations. Today, Greubel remains a majority shareholder and a central figure in the brand’s ongoing commitment to technical innovation and artisanal excellence.