By: Roger Ruegger
In 2026, Moritz Grossmann and the German Watch Museum Glashütte both get to celebrate the 200th birthday of Carl Moritz Grossmann (March 27, 1826 – January 23, 1885). The museum focuses “on Moritz Grossmann as a person in more detail than ever before and shows that he was much more than a gifted watchmaker” with the “Grossmann200” special exhibition. Moritz Grossmann, on the other hand, is introducing several limited anniversary editions throughout the year.
“200 years ago, on March 27, 1826, Moritz Grossmann was born in Dresden. He had a lasting influence on German watchmaking and established its international reputation. He was much more than an outstanding watchmaker. He was a successful manufacturer, an accomplished technician, a brilliant inventor and a passionate teacher. Moritz Grossmann also left his mark as an author and theorist. Throughout his life, he was also heavily involved in Glashütte at the municipal level, be it as a town councilor, as a founding member of the volunteer fire brigade or as the initiator of numerous associations.” – German Watch Museum Glashütte
The watchmaker’s second special edition for Moritz Grossmann’s 200th birthday consists of two 41-mm limited edition Tremblage models that were announced last April, one with a rose gold case (Ref. MG-003976), the other with a platinum case (Ref. MG-003975). Both models are limited to 8 pieces each and spotlight “Tremblage”, a “historical engraving technique” with a rose gold dial made out of a solid gold disc, from which the scales, numerals and typography are then cut from. While Moritz Grossmann has been working with Tremblage dials since 2021, using a solid rose gold disc is a first.
Tremblage is a special form of engraving done by guiding a cutter by hand in tiny movements back and forth. These movements are what gave the technique its name as the French word “tremblant” simply means “trembling”. Executing it successfully requires both patience and experience, as a more than 100-year old manual for the special engraving craft attests: “A good deal of practice is needed to be able to do it evenly.”
Movement is the manually wound 100.1 with 42 hours of power reserve. It consists of 198 parts and features a two-third plate in untreated German silver, but also a hand setting override and start of the movement with the lateral pusher (below the crown).
The watchmaker’s manual winding mechanism with pusher aims to eliminate two potential problems: avoiding the ingress of foreign particles during the adjustment process and altering the hands unintentionally when pushing the crown back into place. After a short pull on the winding crown, the mechanism switches to hand setting and simultaneously stops the movement. The crown immediately returns to its original position, allowing the hands to be adjusted precisely. The movement is then restarted using the pusher below the winding crown without having to move the crown again. At the same time, the mechanism is reset to winding mode.
Adjustments can be made with a Grossmann micrometer screw on cantilevered (and hand-engraved) balance cock. In terms of finishing, there is the grained train bridge; 3-band snailing on the ratchet wheel, raised gold chatons with pan-head screws worth mentioning, as well as the white sapphire bearing jewels worth mentioning.
The rose gold version retails for €73,500, the platin version for €83,300.
Moritz Grossmann Benu “Tremblage Gold”
Ref.: Ref. MG-003976 (rose gold) / Ref. MG-003975 (platinum)
Dimensions: ⌀ 41 mm , thickness 11.35 mm
Case: rose gold or platinum
Water Resistance: 30 m
Movement: Cal. 100.1 with 42 hours of power reserve
Strap: Kudu leather strap with pin buckle
Warranty: 24 months
Price: €73,500 / $83,300
An extreme diver's watch that comes with a surprisingly low price. Meet the most water resistant watch in Certina's history.
Read More
WatchAdvisor takes you to the best watch boutiques in one of the countries best spots for watch collectors: Geneva, Switzerland.
Read More
