The Grieb & Benzinger Blue Danube is a unique platinum watch with two exceptional complications: Minute Repeater and Split-Seconds Chronograph. It houses a historical movement manufactured by venerable Geneva Maison Patek Philippe.
The 43mm diameter platinum case is fitted with a domed anti-reflective sapphire sight glass and flat sapphire glass on the back. Made of solid platinum, the pushers and crown feature guilloched heads. The case-back & bezel are screwed.
The minute repeater split second chronograph caliber was manufactured by Patek Philippe for Tiffany New York in 1890. It has 26 rubies, a compensation balance with screws, a blued Breguet hairspring and oscillates at 18,000 A/h. This more than 120 year old mechanical manual winding movement measures just 36.5 mm. Each individual component of this 400 part movement has been dismantled and restored and refined.
The instantly recognizable blue base plate was skeletonized by hand, guilloched and then finished with the typical blue-platinum coating exclusively developed by GRIEB & BENZINGER. The ¾ plate was skeletonized by hand, guilloched and coated with rhodium and rose gold. The visible barrel has been guilloched. Each bridge has been hand skeletonized and modified and reshaped, rhodium plated and rose gold plated.
The balance cock was hand-engraved and rhodium-plated and rose gold-plated. Even the wheels were guilloched, and the heads of all screws were polished by hand and classically blued with an open flame. All striking mechanism parts including 2 polished steel hammers with 2 gongs, levers and springs were ground, polished and chamfered.
The hand-skeletonized dial is made of sterling silver and finished with the legendary Breguet Frost Finish.
The Grieb & Benzinger Blue Danube watch is fitted with a dark blue alligator strap with platinum buckle.
Technical details
Model: Grieb & Benzinger Blue Danube
Minute Repeater Split-Seconds Chronograph, Unique Piece in Platinum
Movement
Caliber Patek Philippe No. 90 439 16″‘
Manual winding minute repeater split-seconds chronograph movement
Power reserve: 32 hours
Escapement: Swiss lever escapement
Regulator: Compensation balance with Breguet hairspring, 18,000 vph (2.5Hz)
Jewels: 26
Dial
Sterling silver 925 dial
Hand-guilloche and-skeletonized
Original Breguet frosted finish
Blued steel hands
Displays
Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph seconds
Case
Type: Monocoque
Material: Platinum PT 950
Diameter: 43 mm
Crown: Handmade in platinum with button
Pushers: Handmade and -guilloche in platinum
Crystal: Two sapphire crystals
Bezel: Hand-guilloched
Strap
Hand-sewn alligator strap
Approximate retail price
350,000 Euros
