65
Greubel Forsey X Philippe Dufour X Michel Boulanger
Naissance d'Une Montre 1 (N°1/11)
A spectacular and historically important hand made white gold tourbillon wristwatch number 1 of a limited edition of 11 pieces
Estimate
CHF400,000–800,000
€434,000–868,000
$501,000–1,000,000
Live 9 May, 2 PM Switzerland Time
Manufacturer
Greubel Forsey X Philippe Dufour X Michel Boulanger
Year
Circa 2016
Case No
01/11
Model Name
Naissance d'Une Montre 1 (N°1/11)
Material
18k white gold
Calibre
Manual, hand made
Bracelet/Strap
Leather
Clasp/Buckle
18k white gold Naissance d'Une Montre pin buckle engraved 01/11
Dimensions
45mm diameter
Signed
Case and buckle signed Naissance d'Une Montre, dial signed Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour, movement signed Michel Boulanger
Accessories
Accompanied by Owner's Book/ Certificate of Authenticity and leather folder.
Full-Cataloguing
Good To Know:
- A completely hand made tourbillon wristwatch
- Number one of a limited edition of only 11 pieces
- The only production piece with movement fully made and assembled by Michel Boulanger
- The only example with fully hand made case
- In stunning hardly worn condition and offered by its original owner
It is an honor and a privilege for Phillips Watches to offer Naissance d’Une Montre 1 after having offered Naissance d’Une Montre 2 (2023) and Naissance d’Une Montre 3 (2025). The present example bears the very coveted case number 1.
Founded in 2007 by Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, Philippe Dufour, Vianney Halter and Kari Voutilainen, the Time Æon Foundation was established with a clear objective: to safeguard traditional watchmaking skills at a time when industrial production and automation were rapidly reshaping the craft.
Rather than simply observe the gradual disappearance of hand techniques once passed from master to apprentice, the founders chose a direct and practical response. Their idea was straightforward yet ambitious—to train one watchmaker entirely in traditional methods and to have him construct a complete timepiece using only historically faithful, hand-operated tools.
After careful consideration, the Foundation selected Michel Boulanger, a teacher of watchmaking at the Diderot vocational school in Paris. Under the guidance of his mentors, Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and Philippe Dufour, Boulanger undertook a six-year journey to research, practice and ultimately master the techniques required to build a watch entirely by hand—from raw materials to finished components—without recourse to CNC machines or modern automated processes.
The result is the tourbillon wristwatch Naissance d’une Montre. Far from a stylistic exercise, it is a disciplined demonstration of method. Every bridge, wheel and screw was produced on manual machines; every surface was finished by hand. The project was not about complexity for its own sake, but about process—reviving a way of working that is increasingly rare.
Aesthetically, the asymmetrical dial layout reflects a contemporary approach, whereas the movement architecture and finish echo classical values. Hand-executed anglage, straight-grained steelwork and black-polished components underscore the integrity of its construction.
Unveiled in 2015 at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the watch marked the completion of the Foundation’s inaugural project. More importantly, it confirmed that traditional techniques—when taught, practised and respected—remain entirely viable.
The present example stands as a rare testament to that philosophy. It represents not only a superlative handmade mechanical watch, but also a tangible record of knowledge preserved and passed forward.
12 pieces of the Naissance d’Une Montre were made:
An unnumbered example fully handmade by Michel Boulanger named the "Montre École" and sold at auction to finance the Time Æon Foundation
N° 1/11 (the present watch) handmade and assembled by Michel Boulanger
N° 2/11 to 11/11 assembled by the teams at Greubel Forsey
The present example is also the only Naissance d’Une Montre timepiece ever made with a fully handmade case, per the owner’s request.
The Naissance d’Une Montre 1 was produced in a limited edition of 11 pieces in white gold, of which the present example—fresh to the market and offered by the original owner—is number 1.
- A completely hand made tourbillon wristwatch
- Number one of a limited edition of only 11 pieces
- The only production piece with movement fully made and assembled by Michel Boulanger
- The only example with fully hand made case
- In stunning hardly worn condition and offered by its original owner
It is an honor and a privilege for Phillips Watches to offer Naissance d’Une Montre 1 after having offered Naissance d’Une Montre 2 (2023) and Naissance d’Une Montre 3 (2025). The present example bears the very coveted case number 1.
Founded in 2007 by Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, Philippe Dufour, Vianney Halter and Kari Voutilainen, the Time Æon Foundation was established with a clear objective: to safeguard traditional watchmaking skills at a time when industrial production and automation were rapidly reshaping the craft.
Rather than simply observe the gradual disappearance of hand techniques once passed from master to apprentice, the founders chose a direct and practical response. Their idea was straightforward yet ambitious—to train one watchmaker entirely in traditional methods and to have him construct a complete timepiece using only historically faithful, hand-operated tools.
After careful consideration, the Foundation selected Michel Boulanger, a teacher of watchmaking at the Diderot vocational school in Paris. Under the guidance of his mentors, Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and Philippe Dufour, Boulanger undertook a six-year journey to research, practice and ultimately master the techniques required to build a watch entirely by hand—from raw materials to finished components—without recourse to CNC machines or modern automated processes.
The result is the tourbillon wristwatch Naissance d’une Montre. Far from a stylistic exercise, it is a disciplined demonstration of method. Every bridge, wheel and screw was produced on manual machines; every surface was finished by hand. The project was not about complexity for its own sake, but about process—reviving a way of working that is increasingly rare.
Aesthetically, the asymmetrical dial layout reflects a contemporary approach, whereas the movement architecture and finish echo classical values. Hand-executed anglage, straight-grained steelwork and black-polished components underscore the integrity of its construction.
Unveiled in 2015 at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the watch marked the completion of the Foundation’s inaugural project. More importantly, it confirmed that traditional techniques—when taught, practised and respected—remain entirely viable.
The present example stands as a rare testament to that philosophy. It represents not only a superlative handmade mechanical watch, but also a tangible record of knowledge preserved and passed forward.
12 pieces of the Naissance d’Une Montre were made:
An unnumbered example fully handmade by Michel Boulanger named the "Montre École" and sold at auction to finance the Time Æon Foundation
N° 1/11 (the present watch) handmade and assembled by Michel Boulanger
N° 2/11 to 11/11 assembled by the teams at Greubel Forsey
The present example is also the only Naissance d’Une Montre timepiece ever made with a fully handmade case, per the owner’s request.
The Naissance d’Une Montre 1 was produced in a limited edition of 11 pieces in white gold, of which the present example—fresh to the market and offered by the original owner—is number 1.