Stephen Forsey is a prominent English watchmaker and entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of the Swiss high-end watch manufacture Greubel Forsey. Born in St Albans, England, Forsey developed an early interest in mechanics and engineering, influenced by his father’s passion for the field. This foundation led him to pursue a career in horology, starting in 1987 with a focus on antique clock restoration.
Forsey refined his technical skills at the prestigious WOSTEP school in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and later served as the head of watch restoration at Asprey in London. In 1992, he moved to Switzerland to join the complications specialist Renaud & Papi. It was there that he began a long-standing professional partnership with French watchmaker Robert Greubel. Working together on highly complex movements, the duo eventually transitioned into independent work in 1999.
In 2001, Greubel and Forsey co-founded CompliTime, a company dedicated to developing complicated mechanisms for various luxury watch brands. This venture served as a precursor to the launch of their eponymous brand, Greubel Forsey, in 2004. The brand debuted at Baselworld with the Double Tourbillon 30°, an invention designed to improve chronometric precision in wristwatches by utilizing two tourbillon cages at an incline.
Under Forsey’s technical leadership, the manufacture has become synonymous with “visible precision” and three-dimensional movement architecture. His work often focuses on Research and Development (R&D), exploring new ways to enhance the performance of mechanical watches through inventions like the Quadruple Tourbillon and the 24-second tourbillon. Beyond technical innovation, Forsey is a vocal advocate for preserving traditional watchmaking crafts, co-founding the Time Aeon Foundation to document and share artisanal knowledge.
Forsey is recognized in the industry for his commitment to uncompromising hand-finishing and mechanical innovation. His contributions have earned Greubel Forsey numerous accolades, including the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Today, he continues to oversee the technical evolution of the brand from its atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds, maintaining its position at the forefront of independent haute horlogerie.