Celebrating the Founder’s 200th Anniversary, Moritz Grossmann Releases the Tefnut 36 Silver-Plated by Friction Turquoise Blue

Moritz Grossmann continues to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founder, Carl Moritz Grossmann (1826-1885), one of the key figures behind Glashütte’s rise as a powerhouse of German watchmaking. Following the Hamatic, the Tremblage, the Tefnut and the Backpage Tremblage, the brand honours its founder with yet another anniversary gift. Once again, a model from the elegant Tefnut dress watch line has been selected, this time in a smaller 36mm case, with a dial created using the traditional art of silver-plating by friction, highlighted with lovely turquoise accents for a more contemporary touch.

Born in Dresden in 1826, Carl Moritz Grossmann was persuaded by his friend Ferdinand Adolph Lange to establish a mechanical workshop in Glashütte. He gained fame for his specialised watchmaking tools, pocket watches, marine chronometers and precision pendulum clocks, and was also a co-founder of the German School of Watchmaking. In 2008, the “Mortiz Grossmann” marque was acquired by Christine Hutter, who staged its renaissance with an emphasis on high-end, technically rich Saxon watchmaking, in-house calibres (creating about 85-95% of its movement components in-house, including balance wheels and hairsprings) and a dedication to Schönstes deutsches Handwerk – the “most beautiful German craftsmanship”.

As the brand’s embodiment of understated elegance, the Tefnut dress watch line has the thinnest profiles. A delightfully compact watch, the case of this anniversary Tefnut has a 36mm diameter and a slim height of 8.5mm. Entirely polished, the case has gently tapered lugs and a large, easy-to-grip flat winding crown.

A rare and demanding 19^th-century technique of silver-plating by friction has been revived in the workshops of Moritz Grossmann, a process that produces a velvety, matte texture. However, before reaching the silver-plating process, the first step involves engraving the Roman numerals into the brass base, which are then filled with turquoise lacquer and fired in a kiln at high temperatures until hardened. The original 1875 “M. Grossmann” logo, the railway minute and small seconds tracks and “Made in Germany” are also treated with lacquer, in this case an inky black colour.

Next, the artisan whips up a mixture of pure silver powder, salt, cream of tartar and water. The paste is applied with a small brush and rubbed in by hand to achieve an ultra-fine, grained texture. After removing the excess paste, the dial is gently polished and then protected with a thin topcoat of lacquer to prevent the silver from tarnishing. The crowning touch is the application of the wafer-thin hands with razor-sharp tips. Produced in-house by hand, the steel is ground with diamond files and annealed to a bright blue colour over an open flame. The brightly polished chamfers are also achieved by hand using a wooden disc.

The mechanical spectacle on the reverse reveals the in-house manual-winding calibre 102.1 with a remarkably slim height of 3.5mm. Decorated to the high standards of Saxon watchmaking, the untreated German silver 3/5 plate features classic wide Glashütte ribbing with polished bevels, and the stepped balance cock is hand-engraved with a floral motif along with a discreet “1826” and a polished Grossmann micrometre screw. Recalling 19^th-century pocket watches, clear white sapphires are used instead of synthetic rubies and set into solid gold chatons (3). The steel screws are individually heat-annealed to a violet-brown hue. On a more technical front, the movement beats at 21,600vph and delivers a 48-hour power reserve when fully wound.

The watch is paired with a bluish-grey kudu leather strap with a steel prong buckle. It is a limited edition of 12 pieces, with the price being set at EUR 29,000 excl. VAT.

For more information, please visit Grossmann-Uhren.com.