Our workplace, which is also importantly a living space, is forged in our own image. It perfectly reflects our duality, our commitment both to our heritage and to ground-breaking innovation. Greubel Forsey was previously divided over ten sites in La Chaux-de-Fonds but, in 2009, we brought all our activities under one roof, in a unique but dual-purpose setting.
Firstly, there is the Farmhouse, a splendid 17th-century listed rural building, painstakingly restored by local artisan, Gilles Tissot. We have retained the spirit of the building in the vaulted cellar, the beams and even the sundial. For our visitors, the Farmhouse is their first point of contact with the world of Greubel Forsey. It is a welcoming space where the understated combination of stone and wood creates a warm atmosphere.
Directly linked to the Farmhouse, a second building, designed by architect Pierre Studer, houses the Atelier – the actual development and production workshops. This building combines wood, metal, concrete and glass. Its sloping green roof gives the impression that it could have risen from the ground like a mountain. At the same time, it blends naturally into the landscape.
From a technical point of view, its double-skin glass façade acts as a natural thermal buffer zone meaning that the building heats or cools itself. It guarantees a constant temperature all year round, which is vital in developing our timepieces. Set in the mountains at an altitude of over 1000 m, La Chaux-de-Fonds is the highest city in Europe and is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our Atelier is therefore the first building of this type built at this altitude.
