Created by GRIEB & BENZINGER, the BLUE MERIT is a sensational and luxurious timepiece based on the legendary Tourbillon Pour le Mérite by A. Lange & Söhne.
A. Lange & Söhne was re-launched in 1994, and to celebrate its 20th century, GRIEB & BENZINGER has created an astonishing masterpiece to respect the prestigious German watch manufacture.
The Tourbillon Pour le Mérite is one of the original representatives of the remarkable comeback of this imperial watch brand, which was resuscitated following almost 50 years of slumber caused by Germany’s historical division.
The A. Lange & Söhne Pour le Mérite Tourbillon is a highly complex and sensational timepiece, which became one of the most sought after collectors’ piece. GRIEB & BENZINGER transforms this timepiece into a breathtaking new watch by incorporating the arts of skeletonisation and engraving. It took twelve months of painstaking work by the masters of GRIEB & BENZINGER to realise this project.
The movement was completely modified to comply with the style characteristic of GRIEB & BENZINGER. This intense horological work took the artisans’ full attention. In hand-skeletonizing and guilloché the base plate, the team at GRIEB & BENZINGER journeyed to the edge of what is possible.
Since the fine guilloché on the plates and bridges necessitated moving original drillings by less than one-twentieth of a millimeter, the movement needed to be carefully reassembled, adjusted, disassembled numerous times and finally assembled in order to guarantee full, harmonious functioning of the great number of components and hidden bolts and pins.
And as if that were not enough, one more bridge had to be created due to the skeleton works and the modified layout. Every single cock and bridge was skeletonized by hand, guilloché by hand and coated with rhodium and rose gold. Even the gear wheels were also embellished with fine guilloché. Finally, the base plate was coated with blue platinum, a signature element of every single, unique GRIEB & BENZINGER piece.
The skeletonized Sterling silver dial was embellished with a rare Breguet frosted finish created using the classic method, which is only presently practiced in this manner at GRIEB & BENZINGER.
The rose gold-coated steel hands perfectly match the rose-gold tourbillon escapement that has also been modified in colour in tribute to the new GRIEB & BENZINGER style. With the BLUE MERIT tourbillon in solid platinum, GRIEB & BENZINGER has created another breathtaking collector’s item, confirming the brand’s special position within the world of luxury watches.
This ultra-exclusive timepiece by GRIEB & BENZINGER is a one of a kind timepiece and comes with a price of US$ 530,000 (385,000 €).
Technical details
Model: Grieb & Benzinger Blue Merit
Movement
Caliber L 902.0
A Lange & Söhne Tourbillon Pour Le Mérite
Manually wound with chain and fusée
Power Reserve: 36 hours
Classic Swiss lever escapement beating at 18,000 vph
Screw balance with Breguet hairspring
Jewels: 29, 7 of which are set in gold chatons
Dial
Hand-guilloche and -skeletonized
Material: Sterling silver 925
Surface: Original Breguet frosted finish
Displays
Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve
Gold-plated steel hands
Case
Type: Monocoque
Material: Platinum PT 950
Diameter: 41 mm
Crown: Onion-style crown in platinum
Crystal: Two sapphire crystals
Bezel: Hand-guilloched
Strap
Hand-sewn alligator skin with silver stitching
