Moritz Grossmann honors traditional watchmaking craftsmanship. Producing truly magnificent watches mostly by hand, Moritz Grossmann also embraces modernity by offering innovative, practical solutions. One of the most ingenious and complex achievements is the Hamatic watch, wound not manually or via a rotor, but with a pendulum. Today, a new interpretation is presented: the Moritz Grossmann Hamatic Vintage Silver-plated.
Located in the German region of Saxony, the Moritz Grossmann manufacture meticulously designs, constructs, finishes, and decorates watches by hand. Using the most traditional techniques in the industry, each watch is crafted with incredible attention to detail. As a result, the watches appear very elegant, very sophisticated, and distinctly German. However, as we will once again see, Moritz Grossmann watches can hold a few surprises.
The Hamatic concept was introduced in 2018 as the manufacture's first automatic watch. Instead of relying on the time-tested central rotor, Moritz Grossmann developed an unconventional automatic winding mechanism featuring a hammer system to deliver energy to the barrel. Although the watches unveiled at Baselworld were only prototypes, they already looked impressive. A year later, the serial Hamatic was introduced.
The system is an ode to early perpétuelle watches and carries a restrained, classical appearance. The first automatic watches, long before the central rotor's invention, had a pendulum winding system. Its creation is attributed to Belgian watchmaker Hubert Sarton in 1778, soon followed by Abraham-Louis Breguet. The Breguet Perpétuelle No.1 – 8/82 – is among the oldest known and preserved Breguet watches with this type of automatic winding.
Moritz Grossmann has created a uniquely designed mechanism with exquisite details. The caliber 106.0 movement, developed as an integrated caliber, features a large swinging hammer. Like in bumper automatic watches, the hammer's movement is limited, as seen from the back, the hammer pivots at the top right lug.
A central spring sets the hammer in a central position when not moving. Springs and levers attached to it transmit energy generated by the hammer's back-and-forth motion to the barrel. Even the slightest movement is enough to set the hammer in motion and impart energy to the movement. It is a truly fascinating spectacle, unlike anything else on the market - more technical details in our hands-on review of the Hamatic.
In 2018, Moritz Grossmann already presented the Hamatic as a prototype, and a year later, in a fully functional form, ready for delivery to clients worldwide. In 2021, the collection will be expanded with the Moritz Grossmann Hamatic Vintage model. The first 'Vintage' interpretation was released with a glossy black dial with white markings and gold hands within a rose gold case. The style remains very familiar, but the Hamatic Vintage Silver-plated model features some subtle updates.
The most significant update is the dial, which is silver-plated using a friction technique. This is a very traditional technique used in the 19th century, but rarely seen today. It involves rubbing a clean dial with a special mixture of silver powder, salt, and cream of tartar with a little water. Before this, Roman numerals and a minute track are engraved on the dial, which is then filled with black lacquer and baked in an oven. This ensures the silver powder mixture does not adhere to the lacquer. After applying the mixture, the surface is polished to remove excess material and leave a smooth, uniform grainy texture of a silvery hue. The dial is then lacquered to prevent any form of oxidation. It also features the vintage 'M. Grossmann' logo dating from 1875.
On this magnificent dial, there is a pair of hands with purple annealing: a pear-shaped hour hand tip and a needle-shaped minute hand tip. The small seconds hand is crafted in a similar purple hue, which is notoriously difficult to achieve correctly. The bandwidth during thermal processing to achieve a purple tint is much narrower than, for example, for blue. Also, note the crowned finish of the central axis and hands - a very delicate touch completing the dial.
Unquestionably, the case of the Hamatic Vintage Silver-plated reflects the craftsmanship of its contents. The case, in rose or white gold, measures 41 mm in diameter and 11.35 mm in height. The case has slightly elongated lugs to give it a balanced appearance. The signature winding crown is slightly recessed into the case profile when pressed. The Moritz Grossmann Hamatic Vintage watch is equipped with sapphire crystals on the front and back, as it would be a shame to hide this incredible mechanism. The watch comes on a handmade black or brown alligator leather strap with a buckle matching the case.
Moritz Grossmann's production capacity is limited, as is the number of Hamatic Vintage Silver-plated models. Each version, in white or rose gold, will only have eight pieces available, priced at 47,500 euros.
For more information, visit MoritzGrossmann.com.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – MORITZ GROSSMANN HAMATIC VINTAGE
Case: 41 mm diameter x 11.35 mm height – three-part case in white or rose gold, polished – domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating – flat sapphire caseback – Moritz Grossmann signature crown – water-resistant to 30 meters
Dial: silver-plated friction dial – engraved and lacquered numerals and markers – brown-purple annealed hands – small seconds subdial – vintage 'M. Grossmann' logo from 1875
Movement: caliber 106.0, in-house, column construction – automatic with hammer winding system – size 36.4 mm x 5.15 mm – 312 components, including 38 jewels and 3 gold chatons – lever escapement, Grossmann balance with screws, regulating screws – 21,600 vph – 72-hour power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds (with stop seconds)
Strap: hand-stitched black or brown alligator leather – matching white or rose gold buckle
Availability: limited to 8 pieces in white gold and 8 pieces in rose gold
Price: 47,500 EUROS