BY JOVAN K
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founder, horological pioneer Carl Moritz Grossmann (1826–1885), Saxon manufacture Moritz Grossmann has unveiled the Tefnut 36 Silver-Plated by Friction Turquoise Blue. Joining previous anniversary releases, this model downsizes the brand’s signature dress watch into a compact 36mm case while pairing historic decorative craft with vibrant modern accents.
The three-part stainless steel case is fully polished, offering an understated and dressy aesthetic. It measures 36mm x 8.5mm, giving it balanced and comfortable proportions on the wrist. Tapered lugs seamlessly join the case, while a large, flat crown ensures tactile manual winding and time setting.
The highlight of the piece is its silver-plated by friction dial, an intricate 19th-century hand-finishing technique. Artisans rub a paste of silver powder, salt, cream of tartar, and water over the brass base using a brush, yielding a velvety, finely grained texture. Before silvering, the Roman numeral hour markers are engraved into the base, filled with turquoise lacquer, and kiln-fired.
Black lacquer highlights the minute track, small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock, and the original 1875 “M. Grossmann” logo. Completing the display are wafer-thin, diamond-filed steel hands, hand-annealed over an open flame to a bright blue finish. Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal covers the dial.
Visible through the sapphire caseback is the manual-wind Calibre 102.1, measuring just 3.45mm high. Built to high-end Saxon watchmaking traditions, the movement features an untreated German silver 3/5 plate with wide Glashütte ribbing and a hand-engraved balance cock bearing the milestone year “1826.” In traditional pocket-watch fashion, white sapphires replace synthetic rubies, set in three screwed gold chatons alongside heat-annealed violet-brown screws. Operating at a frequency of 21,600 vph (2.5 Hz), it delivers a 48-hour power reserve.
The watch comes fitted on a textured bluish-grey kudu leather strap completed by a stainless steel pin buckle. Limited to just 12 pieces, the Moritz Grossmann Tefnut 36 Silver-Plated by Friction Turquoise Blue is priced at €29,000 (excluding VAT).
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