It’s not all that often that you get to see a behind-the-scenes, actors-eye view of the Academy Awards.
But that is exactly what Aldis Hodge gifted his @aldis_hodge Instagram fans on Oscar night.
Aldis Hodge’s evening attire wristshot inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theater: a Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire at the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony (photo Aldis Hodge)
And if, as I did, you looked at Hodge’s Instagram account as things were unfolding, you may have had the same reaction, which was to drop the jaw and mutter something slightly profane in amazement: 30-year-old Hodge was rocking the Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire on his wrist, an insanely limited and incredibly expensive timepiece from the Swiss masters of inclined tourbillons.
Aldis Hodge with ‘Hidden Figures’ colleague Jim Parsons wearing a Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire at the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony (photo Aldis Hodge)
Though Greubel Forsey’s watches are usually quite transparent in order to showcase the unique and technical movement housed inside, the synthetic sapphire crystal case (the same scratch-resistant material that generally covers the dial on most high-end watches) affords the viewer a heightened degree of visibility.
‘Hidden Figures’ actor Aldis Hodge wearing a Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire at the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony (photo Aldis Hodge)
The bezel, case, and case back – including the angular lugs – are machined from one solid block of sapphire crystal, which is no mean feat. Most of the sapphire crystal cases we have been seeing (such as those in Give Me Five! Sapphire Crystal Cases At Baselworld 2016) are either made from several pieces that are carefully screwed together or – especially in the case of Hublot – made of an alloyed material that is not pure synthetic corundum like this one.
Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire
Even the Double Tourbillon 30° Technique’s crown is cut from sapphire crystal.
Hodge attended the Oscar ceremony in support of Hidden Figures, the incredibly moving story of NASA’s Katherine Johnson, which was nominated for best picture; the studied designer played a supporting role. Dressed in a Giorgio Armani tuxedo paired with a very visible lapel pin, the prevalent fashion magazines have generally counted Hodge among the best-dressed men at the 2017 Oscars.
Aldis Hodge wearing a Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire at the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony (photo Aldis Hodge)
For me, he certainly had the best-dressed wrist with that diaphanous wristwatch, one of the best examples of haute horlogerie on the market.
For more information, please visit www.greubelforsey.com/en/collection/double-tourbillon-30deg-technique-sapphire.
Quick Facts
Case: 49.95 x 17.15 mm, synthetic sapphire crystal (including the crown)
Movement: manually wound Greubel Forsey Caliber GF02 with two tourbillons, the outer one rotates at 4 minutes, the inner one inclined at 30° at 60 seconds; 120-hour power reserve; variable inertia balance
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; power reserve indication
Limitation: 8 pieces, available only from the U.S. distribution
Price: $1.15 million
