Moonstruck By The Dreamy Moritz Grossmann Tefnut Sleeping Beauty (Live Pics)

One of the top five Glashütte brands today, Moritz Grossmann produces exquisite watches with an emphasis on manually crafted details and high-quality in-house movements. Moritz Grossmann is one of the oldest and youngest players on the Glashütte block. Founded by Moritz Grossmann in 1854, it fared an unfortunate fate after the untimely death of its founder in 1885 – until it was resuscitated in 2008 by watchmaker Christine Hutter. Although the brand might be better known for its men’s watches, a genuine sleeping beauty is tucked away in the Tefnut collection. Designed by Michael Koh in 2017, the Tefnut Sleeping Beauty reveals its dreamy poetic spirit on the outside and reserves a horological made-in-Glashütte treat on the reverse side of the case.

Crescent Moon

Award-winning Singapore designer Michael Koh’s design for the dial is an engaging study of asymmetry constructed around crescent-shaped motifs. The first detail that will catch your eye is the large off-centred sub-dial on the right housing a fairy tale man-in-the-moon face. Depending on the case material, the smiling face of the man on the moon is painted in brown tones on the rose gold model and in blue-grey ones for the white gold, both depicted against a white mother-of-pearl background.

To create the appealing asymmetry, Koh’s sickle moon is framed by a crescent-shaped ring of 62 brilliant-cut diamonds that are larger and wider on the left and taper to studs on the right. This sensation of imbalance is further underscored by the radiant guilloché pattern in the centre and the raised crescent chapter ring with graduated black Roman numerals. You’ll notice how the chapter ring is wider and higher on the left and tapers almost into invisibility on the right. Time is indicated by refined heat-annealed hands in the brand’s characteristic violet hue, handmade and finished in Moritz Grossmann’s manufacture. Completing the poetic dial is an off-centred small seconds sub-dial with a sailed interior.

Certainly one of the most original and idiosyncratic case constructions, the Tefnut Sleeping Beauty transposes the crescent-shaped motifs on the dial to the case. Measuring 37mm across and available in either white gold or rose gold, the left side of the case looks like other Tefnut models, but the right side of the case dispenses with the lugs and secures the strap with gold caps set with cabochon gemstones mirroring the crown. What is even more surprising is the fact that the case is thicker on the left (9.8mm) than on the right (7.1mm), creating an alluring slope. To highlight this intentional imbalance, the crescent-shaped bezel is set with 60 brilliant-cut diamonds that vary in size. The diamonds on the left side of the case are larger and gradually decrease in size as they advance towards the right side of the case.

Grossmann calibre

Although the crescent-shaped moon dictates the design of the dial and case, the Tefnut Sleeping Beauty is not equipped with a moon phase complication; the moon is purely decorative. Renowned for its impressive handcrafted finishings and commitment to Schönstes Deutsches Handwerk (the most beautiful German craftsmanship), Moritz Grossmann has also demonstrated incredible technical prowess and developed 16 in-house calibres since its revival.

The movement powering the watch is the compact calibre 102.0, measuring 26mm across with a height of just 4mm. Conceived for the unusual sloping case of the Tefnut Sleeping Beauty, it is smaller and flatter than other Moritz Grossmann movements. A classic pillar movement, the 3/5 untreated German silver main plate is decorated with broad Glashütte ribbing. The manual-winding movement has characteristic Grossmann calibre elements such as the cantilevered balance cock, the Grossmann poising screws, the raised gold chatons, the separately removable winder module, and the mass-optimised Grossmann balance.

Due to the higher frequency of the smaller balance, it is fitted with an escape wheel with 18 slender teeth for optimal transmission ratios. The wheel train of the calibre 102.0 also reflects an unusual concept in that jewel bearings support the barrel to reduce friction and optimise energy. It comes with the index adjuster of the brand that allows it to quickly correct the daily rate without jeopardising the integrity of the balance. Like other Grossmann movements, all the engravings, inscriptions and decoration on the fourth wheel and balance cock are done by hand.

Availability & Price

Five different alligator strap colours are available for the Tefnut Sleeping Beauty watches, paired with white or rose gold pin buckles. Both models are limited editions of 118 pieces and retail for EUR 45,200 (excl. tax). It’s also available on a white or rose gold Milanaise strap for EUR 61,300. For more information, please consult en.grossmann-uhren.com.