Moritz Grossmann
- Founded
- 1854 (revived 2008)
- Based in
- Glashütte, Germany
- In our catalog
- 1 watch from $35,000 to $38,000
Moritz Grossmann is for people who think A. Lange & Söhne has become too well known. It's a small manufacture in Glashütte that makes very few watches, almost entirely by hand, with movements finished in the traditional Saxon style and hands heat-treated until they turn a distinctive brown-violet.
History
Karl Moritz Grossmann was one of the founding figures of Glashütte watchmaking. He set up his workshop there in 1854, and in 1878 he founded the German School of Watchmaking in the town. After his death the business faded away.
In 2008 Christine Hutter, a watchmaker who had worked in Glashütte and Switzerland, revived the name. The first new watch, the Benu, came out in 2010. Its name comes from an Egyptian mythological bird associated with rebirth, a fitting choice for a brand coming back to life.
Signature models
- Benu: A classic dress watch with a hand-wound movement, a three-quarter plate in German silver and Grossmann's signature hands.
What it's known for
Moritz Grossmann movements have hand-engraved balance cocks and an unusual feature: pulling the crown stops the movement and pressing a small pusher restarts it, so you can set the time to the second. Production is tiny.
Price and positioning
Moritz Grossmann watches cost from about $25,000 to $50,000. A. Lange & Söhne is the obvious comparison, with more fame and higher prices. Moritz Grossmann is for collectors who want the same tradition with more rarity.
Moritz Grossmann watches in our library
- Moritz Grossmann Benu ($35,000 to $38,000)