Watchmaker Stephen Forsey, co-founder of Gruebel Forsey, isn’t worried. This plain-spoken creator of some of the most complex and beautiful watches in the world sees the Swiss Watch industry to be in turmoil but not in peril. “They made too many watches,” he said simply. And now they can’t sell them.
When asked about the rise of the smartwatch, Forsey laughs. His company creates wildly unique timepieces which he calls “smart mechanicals.” His watches include tiny representations of the spinning earth and other unique complications that you won’t find on an Apple Watch. In short, there is a place for cheap plastic and a place for mastery. Forsey prefers to remain in the latter camp.
I talked to Forsey about the perceived doldrums in the industry and he was unconcerned. After all, people will always pay lots of money for beautiful things. Take a listen below.
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