This year, Revolution turns 20. Two decades of chronicling watches, people and ideas have given us a front-row seat to a remarkable story: how an age-old craft has both preserved its soul and reinvented itself for the 21st century. To celebrate, we’ve chosen over 100 names and milestones that, for us, define the era so far. From leaders to watches, you can see the whole list here.

Founded in 2004 by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, Greubel Forsey has quickly climbed to the top tier of independent watchmaking. Its reputation rests not only on finishing of the highest order — now a basic expectation among top independents — but also on an originality that blends modern and classical elements in a way few others have achieved.

Among the brand’s finest creations is also its very first: the Double Tourbillon 30˚. Introduced at launch, it remains a landmark both for Greubel Forsey and for modern independent watchmaking at large. This watch defined the brand’s DNA from the outset and continues to embody it two decades on.

Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30˚

The design is the first surprise. At a glance it feels classical, yet it is neither derivative nor stuck in the past. Instead, the layout is infused with modern clarity and a technical edge. The dial features a carefully conceived opening that reveals the depth of the movement. Many brands offer open dials, but Greubel Forsey approaches it differently: the movement itself is constructed to display the mechanism, so the view is clean and purposeful, focusing attention on the double tourbillon and its bridges.

The star, of course, is the movement. The double tourbillon became the company’s signature and the foundation for its later multi-axis creations. A conventional tourbillon cage makes one rotation every four minutes, while inside it a second cage is set at a 30-degree incline and completes a full turn every 60 seconds. The 30-degree angle is not decorative — it places the balance in a more favorable position during everyday wear, such as when the watch rests on the wrist at a desk, reducing positional errors beyond what a standard tourbillon can achieve.

A conventional tourbillon cage makes one rotation every four minutes, while inside it a second cage is set at a 30-degree incline and completes a full turn every 60 seconds

The 30-degree angle places the balance in a more favorable position during everyday wear

This isn’t just theory. A Double Tourbillon 30˚ submitted to the 2011 Concours International de Chronométrie scored 915 points out of 1,000, taking first prize and proving that Greubel Forsey’s concept delivers measurable chronometric gains.

The Double Tourbillon 30˚ sums up what Greubel Forsey is about. It takes traditional handwork to an almost obsessive level and pairs it with a mechanism that pushes beyond the usual pattern, making it a watch that the world of horology will remember for years to come.

Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30˚

Tech Specs: Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30˚

Movement: Manual winding Caliber GF02, with Double Tourbillon 30˚ mechanism; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds and double tourbillon
Case: 43.5mm × 15.76mm; 18K white gold, red gold, or platinum; water resistant to 30m
Dial: Partially open-worked, featuring outer tourbillon on four-minute rotation, and inclined inner tourbillon on 60-second rotation
Strap: Leather with folding clasp in matching metal