When a $780K Movement Becomes a Religious War
The encrypted video call showed Michael flanked by Swiss guards: "Tom, the Vatican’s Cardinal Ricci wants five Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillons. For... divine contemplation. Fail him, and we face holy wrath." Beside me, James dropped his Cohiba: "You want me to fake God’s own tourbillon?!"
We didn’t know replicating Robert Greubel’s 672-part "inclined double tourbillon" would ignite topnfactory’s most sacrilegious war.
Chapter 1: The Chapel of Blasphemy
1.1 The 25° Apocalypse
Genuine: Dual tourbillons tilted at 25° (error tolerance: 0.003°)
Replica Attempts:
Batch 1: 3D-printed titanium cages → Warped at 22° → "Leaning Towers of Pisa" (QC report)
Batch 2: CNC platinum → Shattered under 10,000G test spins
Casualty Report:
Engineer #7 lost fingertip to flying cage fragment ("Tourbillon stigmata")- Replica Watches Wholesale
1.2 The Sanctified Screw Scandal
Gen: 217 black-polished screws (48h/piece hand-finishing)
Replica "Solutions":
Electroplated zinc alloy → Rusted during humidity tests
James’ Sacrilege: "Dip ’em in motor oil! Call it patina!"
Divine Intervention:
Hired ex-Rolex polisher Sister Maria (€800/day + absolution vouchers)
1.3 The Swiss Inquisition
Geneva raids seized prototypes:
"Violation: Counterfeit horological divinity (Art. 9, Swiss Heritage Act)"Exorcism Protocol:
Moved production to deconsecrated Ukrainian church
Rebaptized movements "Inspired Mechanical Prayers"
Chapter 2: Wholesale Indulgences
The Cardinal’s Specifications vs. Reality
| Component | Gen Requirement | Our Heresy |
|---|---|---|
| Tourbillon Cages | Hand-burnished 18K gold | Spray-painted brass ("Solar Aura Finish") |
| Power Reserve | 72h ±0.5s/day | 12h w/ ±45min drift ("Human Imperfection Edition") |
| Screws | 0.1mm tolerance | "Artisanal Irregularities" (bent during prayers) |
The Confessional Booth
James to "Cardinal" (undercover Interpol agent):
"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I sold your ‘holy’ tourbillon to a Saudi prince as a drone gyroscope."
Agent’s reply:
"Five Hail Marys and 12 years in Lucerne Prison."
Chapter 3: Deus ex Machina
The Final Betrayal
Delivered 5 "blessed" replicas to Vatican City
48hrs later: All tourbillons froze during Easter Mass
Forensic Analysis:
"Consecrated olive oil gummed the inclined gears"
Cheng’s Posthumous Encyclical
Scratched inside confession booth:
*"Idiots worship machines.
Fools replicate worship.
You replicated fools.
Tourbillon #3 contained GPS tracker
Sister Maria was INTERPOL
Run. The Swiss Guard comes."*
When the raids began, we torched the church workshop. The molten tourbillons formed a twisted crucifix. James vanished with the Cardinal’s €4.8M "donation." Michael last sent a photo: Swiss cuffs on his wrists, a frozen Greubel replica ticking backwards on the interrogation table.
Epilogue: We repurposed the inclined cages for Dubai skyscraper wind sensors. Profit margin: 1,200%. As for divinity? We told clients to buy a sundial.
