Moritz Grossmann Celebrates its 16th Anniversary with the Enamel Roman Vintage

Moritz Grossmann (1826-1855) was one of the founding fathers of Glashütte’s proud watchmaking tradition. However, his death in 1855 marked the extinction of the brand that was acquired by watchmaker Christine Hutter in 2008. Having forged its own identity with 16 in-house calibres and a commitment to Schönstes deutsches Handwerk (the most beautiful German craftsmanship), Moritz Grossmann celebrates its 16^th anniversary with the Enamel Roman Vintage, an 8-piece white gold limited edition with a gorgeous black enamel dial powered by the brand’s manual-winding calibre 100.1.

Like the anniversary editions we covered in 2020, 2021 and 2022, the case selected to house this 16^{th-anniversary piece} belongs to the Benu collection fitted with the patented crown-and-pusher mechanism. Measuring 41mm across, the 18k white gold case has a thickness of 11.35mm and is polished throughout.

Enamel dials are as old as watchmaking and coveted for their lustrous sheen that will never fade over time. Producing a uniform, flawless surface with the correct intensity of colour requires a skilled hand and countless firings in the kiln where dials can crack, blister or flake.

The glossy black enamel dial of this anniversary model is the result of almost 90 steps executed over several days. Pushing the envelope, Moritz Grossmann’s artisans have also used enamel for all the inscriptions on the dial. The elongated white Roman numerals and the red XII, the white railway minutes track on the periphery, the small seconds counter at 6 o’clock and the historical Moritz Grossmann signature are pad printed with enamel, which is then fired in the kiln. Made in-house, the lance-shaped steel hands are whittled down with diamond files and chamfering to produce the needle-sharp tip of the minutes hand.

Powered by the in-house, manual-winding calibre 1001.1, the exhibition caseback reveals the pillar movement with components made from untreated German silver, including the signature 2/3 plate with broad horizontal ribbing. Other hallmark features are the polished gold chatons with white sapphires, the three-band snailing on the ratchet wheel and the distinctive Grossmann slow-beating 2.5Hz balance held by a hand-engraved balance cock.

To prevent dust from entering the case, Grossmann’s patented winder-and-pusher system is incorporated into the keyless works. Pulling out the crown activates the stop-seconds mechanism, but when released, the crown immediately jumps back into place. The hands can then be set to the correct time, and the movement can be reactivated by pressing the pusher.

The Moritz Grossmann Enamel Roman Vintage is paired with a black alligator leather strap and a prong buckle. It is a limited edition of eight watches and retails for EUR 62,800 (incl. taxes). More information at grossmann-uhren.com.