Showing at WatchTime New York 2024: Moritz Grossmann Tourbillon Tremblage
Moritz Grossmann is one of the most revered names in the world of German watchmaking, celebrated for its precision, craftsmanship, and understated elegance. Founded in 2008 by Christine Hutter, the modern Moritz Grossmann brand is a revival of the legacy of Carl Moritz Grossmann, an eminent watchmaker from Glashütte in the 19th century. Known for his technical contributions to horology and his role in establishing Glashütte as a watchmaking hub, Grossmann, who taught at the famous Deutsche Uhrmacherschule Glashütte (German Watchmaking School of Glashütte) left behind a reputation that the modern brand carries forward with finesse.
This motto is particularly evident in the Tourbillon Tremblage, which will be on display during WatchTime New York 2024, the leading luxury watch event in North America, taking place from October 18-20 at the stunning Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan. The haute-horlogerie timepiece brings the innovations of outstanding watchmakers of yesteryear and the present day together with the finest finishing and decorating techniques as maintained at the Grossmann manufactory in Glashütte.
The dial, a sophisticated multi-part construction made of German silver in a symmetrical design, is a true gem of craftsmanship, with the ancient tremblage technique taking center stage. It is manually engraved by using a variety of burins: the tools are moved across the metal in a trembling motion, which is also where the name comes from, with the French ‘tremblant’ meaning ‘to tremble.’ The challenge is to achieve an even look to soften the incident light, making it appear wonderfully matt despite the grain-like surface. The other parts of the dial are matt opaline. All the parts of the dial are subsequently galvanized in ‘black-or’ – an expressive anthracite color. The processing of this elaborate watch face, from the engraving to the finishing, requires several days to complete.
Well, the effort is worth it, as it creates a magnificent background and for the exceptional mechanical program, comprising of a flying three-minute tourbillon with a stop-second function, a rare feat for a tourbillon since stopping the rotating cage is a real challenge. Adding to the exclusivity are the off-center hour display at 3 o’clock and second display at 9 o’clock. The hands are manually crafted from 750/000 gold in the pink gold version and from polished steel in the white gold version. Their shapes hint at their functions: the small second hand is more delicate, while the hour hand is stouter in design.
Quite a spectacle is watching the fine tip of the minute hand that sweeps past the minute scale around the dial’s outer perimeter. As the minute display is interrupted by the aperture for the tourbillon in the lower half of the dial, the minute hand has been extended beyond the center. Its counterpart now precisely indicates the minutes 25 to 35 on a scale between the sub dials. This twofold minute display is likewise a specialty of Moritz Grossmann and patented.
But back to the tourbillon: Moritz Grossmann unveiled their first caliber with a tourbillon more than ten years ago. The hand-wound movement which is finished and decorated to the highest standards, bears the company’s unmistakable signature as the manufactory does not settle for repeating the past, instead creating modern versions of traditional mechanics. This involves handed-down techniques being completely reimagined, such as the construction of the tourbillon in caliber 103.0, which offers an impressive power reserve of 72 hours.
What was created here was a generously sized oscillator which, influenced by Alfred Helwig, likewise a teacher at the Watchmaking School Glashütte who, together with his master class, invented the so called flying tourbillon that owns its name from its design. Mounted only on one side, it has an almost airy flair. The tourbillon is therefore visually impressive too, especially with its unusually large diameter of 16 millimeters and its reduced aesthetics. It additionally boasts a longer cycle time: whereas traditional tourbillons generally turn on their axis once a minute, the Moritz Grossmann design takes a full three minutes to perform a rotation. Other features include the filigree cage top resting on just two pillars and the characteristic V-shaped balance bridge, which is protected as a registered design.
The cage’s elaborate design with two triangular pillars is the prerequisite for another special construction feature. According to the Grossmann watchmakers’ understanding, the precise mechanics of a tourbillon first call for exact time setting. To halt the balance uninterrupted, this stop device needs to avoid the frame pillars. However, an elastic brush made of human hair can glide past the triangular pillar and gently slow the balance down at the rim perimeter. The patented stop solution rounds out the mechanism in keeping with a true Grossmann precision timepiece.
The devotion with which timepieces are constructed and manufactured at Moritz Grossmann is also seen at the highest level at the decoration stage: each and every component is individually finished by hand. The plates and the tourbillon cock are finished with hand-engraved Glashütte ribbing, while edges which are bevelled by hand and three-band snailing on the ratchet wheel are especially aesthetic. The polished screws are set in gold chatons and the jewels are white sapphire.
The Tourbillon Tremblage is premiering in two versions: with a 44.5mm case in pink or in white gold. The rose gold iteration is worn on a brown alligator leather strap, while the white gold version is combined with a black alligator leather strap. Both versions are limited to eight pieces each. Pricing is available per request.
To learn more, visit Moritz Grossmann, here.
And to secure your tickets to WatchTime New York 2024, click here.