Grafenau (Germany) based Luxury Workshop GRIEB & BENZINGER presents a new bespoke watch: The Blue Wave, a Skeletonized Chronograph.
As the worldwide demand for rare, high-quality chronographs has increased, Hermann Grieb —watchmaking genius and one of the three partners comprising GRIEB & BENZINGER — has opened his treasure chest to conjure up a masterpiece of watchmaking: a rare Minerva column wheel chronograph movement estimated to be from about 1925.
In its heyday, Minerva was one of the finest and best chronograph makers in the world. Chronographs had already been in existence since around 1800, however Minerva was one of the first chronograph makers to incorporate a minute counter.
Minerva named its company after the Roman goddess Minerva. Traces of this Roman deity can be found again and again in fine watchmaking—even A. Lange & Söhne has immortalized various depictions of the goddess as a motif or symbol on its most exclusive pocket watch cases.
After countless hours of total restoration, hand skeletonization, hand-engraving and guilloché, the vintage base Minerva movement awakens to new life to become a characteristic new horological piece of art in typical GRIEB & BENZINGER style: the 18-karat gold monopusher skeletonized chronograph christened The Blue Wave.
The company’s typical blue platinum coating of the base plate has also found its way into the new unique piece. The base plate was first hand-skeletonized to its barest minimum in characteristic wave style and the case back hand-guilloché.
All 34 steel screws were polished by hand and classically tempered a cornflower blue over an open flame. Today, steel screws are generally blued by use of galvanic coating.
The Blue Wave is yet another outstanding one-of-a-kind-watch by luxury watch manufacturer GRIEB & BENZINGER. Suggested price of this masterpiece is € 87,500.
Technical details
Model: GRIEB & BENZINGER Unique Timepiece: The Blue Wave: a Monopusher Skeleton Chronograph in Rose Gold
Case
Solid 18-karat rose gold
Sapphire crystal
Buttons and crown made of solid 18-karat rose gold
Guilloché on top of button
Screw-in sapphire crystal case back
Diameter: 46 mm
Strap
Black alligator strap with 18-karat rose gold buckle
Movement
Based on a Minerva caliber from approx. 1920
Completely disassembled and restored
The base plate was hand-skeletonized to its bare minimum before being guilloché and coated with blue platinum
Winding: Mechanical with manual winding
Movement functions
Sweep hour and minute hands
Subsidiary seconds at 9 o’clock
Sweep chronograph second hand; chronograph minute counter in subdial at 3 o’clock
Bridges and cocks
Rhodium-plated and guilloché; the hand-engraved balance cock is rhodium-plated and rose gold-plated
Rose gold-plated wheels
Flame blued steel screws
Barrel: Hand-skeletonized spring barrel
Chronograph
Sweep chronograph second hand
30-minute counter in subdial at 3 o’clock
Monopusher chronograph with button in crown (Start-Stop-Reset using only ONE pusher)
Balance: Screw balance; 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour
Jewels: 17 jewels
Power reserve: Approx. 37 hours of power reserve
Hands
Steel hour, minute and second hands, rose gold-plated
Flame-blued subsidiary seconds hand
Flame-blued 30-minute hand with red tip
Functions
Sweep hours and minutes
Sweep chronograph second hand
30-minute counter in subdial at 3 o’clock
Subsidiary seconds (permanently running) at 9 o’clock
Dial
Hand-skeletonized Sterling silver with original Breguet frosted finish
Price
Ex-factory price : 87.500 €