Moritz Grossmann HAMATIC Vintage New Models with Silver-plated by Friction Dial
German luxury watch manufacture Moritz Grossmann unveils two new HAMATIC Vintage versions in 750/000 white and rose gold with a silver-plated by friction dial and movement with automatic hammer mechanism.
The silver-plated by friction dial features the authentic finishing technique used in the 19th century. The exquisite manufactory movement with an innovative automatic hammer mechanism similarly dates back to this period.
Masterfully perfected by the Grossmann designers, the historic mechanism using a pendulum-style weight is endowed with a modern interpretation in the HAMATIC Vintage. As a result, the HAMATIC Vintage silver-plated by friction is a superb example of craftsmanship and technical finesse worthy of Carl Moritz Grossmann himself.
The classically elegant dial comes with a very rare finish: grain or silver plating by friction. Creating a fine-grained, velvet-like surface, it reflects most of the incident light without causing glare – giving a charming appearance with excellent readability.
This traditional method entails rubbing a special mixture of silver powder, salt and cream of tartar with a little water onto the dial blank – meticulously cleaned beforehand – using a small brush to create a fine-grained structure. All engravings were previously filled with lacquer and fired in a kiln so that they would be excluded from the silver-plating process.
The silver powder does not adhere to the lacquer. The surface is then carefully sanded, which also removes any excess lacquer. As a result, the engravings and numerals are completely omitted from the silver plating process, which means they retain their rich black colour creating an optimum contrast the bright silver background.
To protect the high-quality silver-plating by friction from oxidation and other environmental influences, the piece is finished with a protective coating.
The technique is executed entirely by hand. It requires a high degree of concentration, dexterity and experience and is mastered by a mere handful of skilled craftsmen today. But the result justifies the high complexity: The interplay of light and shade, lustre and matte finish creates a unique effect that will retain its brilliant quality for decades and centuries to come.
Inspired by the historical pocket watches of Carl Moritz Grossmann, the HAMATIC Vintage is embellished with striking Roman numerals silver-plated by friction. The original Moritz Grossmann logo ‘M. Grossmann’ from 1875 underscores the classically elegant charm of the dial. Poiré-shaped hands, finely crafted by hand and annealed in brown-violet, circle over the dial.
This timepiece houses the precision-finished Grossmann 106.0 manufactory calibre with stop-seconds function for ultra-precise time setting. This classic pillar movement has a 2/3 plate and six Glashütte stripes. The hammer winding mechanism is a recent innovation and works on both sides. It features a supremely efficient and reliable winding mechanism via two click wheels. The movement offers a power reserve of 72 hours.
Another advantage of the hammer-style pendulum system is that the hammer’s centre of mass is relatively far away from its rotational axis. This results in a high torque, which in turn results in a powerful force acting on the spring. The movement’s mainspring is wound even if the hammer moves only five degrees, which corresponds to an oscillation of two millimetres.
The newly developed mechanism is so sophisticated that it exploits any form of movement perfectly. Intricately crafted end springs in the hammer frame act as shock absorbers for excessive deflections of the hammer body. The swing radius is smaller for gentle movements, resulting in hardly any friction losses and energy can be transmitted virtually loss-free.
The watch can be wound by hand in addition to the self-winding mechanism. To achieve this, a manual winder designed as a yoke winder is mounted on a separate bridge. This yoke ensures that the manual winder is always uncoupled from the ratchet wheel when the HAMATIC system is active in response to motion. In manual winding mode, the reduction gear is isolated from the ratchet wheel by the click-pawl idler.
The many advantages of the calibre 106.0 not only lie in the ingenious technology, but also in the extraordinary architecture, which shows the filigree mechanism, exquisitely finished down to the smallest detail, in all its beauty. The spotlight falls on the small yet powerful hammer head made of gold, which transforms even the slightest movement into energy.
The rose gold version comes with a dark-brown hand-stitched alligator leather strap and the white gold version has a black alligator leather strap. Both versions are each limited to eight pieces worldwide.
These new models and the entire collection are now available in the new Moritz Grossmann Online Boutique. The Online Boutique gives customers the opportunity to design their own Moritz Grossmann watch to their exact specifications. Timepiece aficionados can try straps to see which colour harmonises best with their preferred model. They can also choose their preferred strap length and clasp.
Technical details
Model: Moritz Grossmann HAMATIC Vintage Silver-plated by friction
References
MG-003160: Rose gold version, limited edition of 8 pieces
MG-003168: White gold version, limited edition of 8 pieces
Movement
Manufactory calibre 106.0, automatic winding, regulated in five positions
Diameter: 36.4 mm
Height: 5.15 mm
No. of parts: 312
Jewels: 38, of which 3 in screwed gold chatons
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillator: Shock-resistant Grossmann balance with 4 inertia screws and 2 poising screws, Nivarox 1 balance spring
Balance diameter: 10.0 mm
Frequency: 21,600 semi-oscillations/hour
Power reserve: 72 hours when fully wound
Functions
Hour and minute, small second with stop seconds
Case
Three-part, in 750/000 gold
Diameter: 41.0 mm
Height: 11.35 mm
Crystal/display back: Sapphire crystal, antireflective coating on one side
Crown in 750/000 gold for winding the watch and setting the time
Dial
Engraved numerals, with black finish and handcrafted silver-plating by friction
Hands: Manually crafted, annealed to a brown-violet hue
Strap
Hand-stitched alligator leather with prong buckle in 750/000 gold
Special features
Grossmann balance; click pawl in reduction gear; adjustment with Grossmann micrometer screw on cantilevered balance cock; pillar movement with 2/3 plate and pillars made of untreated German silver, hand-engraved 2/3 plate and cantilevered balance cock; wide, horizontal Glashütte ribbing, double-band snailing on the mainspring barrel; raised gold chatons with pan-head screws; separately removable clutch winding mechanism; stop seconds for hand setting; automatic winding with oscillating hammer, bidirectional click wheels; idler with pawl clicks, manual yoke winder
