3 July, 2024
Grail Watch 9.2 Moritz Grossmann × Kari Voutilainen Benu 37 rose gold "Golden Age"
Our latest Grail Watch brings back the incredible Benu 37 with German silver dial, this time encased in rose gold.
WORDS by revolution
Following the incredible response to our previous collaboration with Moritz Grossmann — the Benu 37 Stainless Steel “German Silver” — we return to Glashütte for another stunning creation, Grail Watch 9.2: Moritz Grossmann × Kari Voutilainen Benu 37 Rose Gold "Golden Age".
German silver takes on a warm gold hue as it develops patina, reflecting the time spent with its wearer
This limited edition of three Benu 37mm watches features the same dazzling untreated German silver guilloché à main Kari Voutilainen dial, this time encased in rose gold.
Here are three things you need to know about our latest Grail Watch:
German silver takes on a warm gold hue as it develops patina, reflecting the time spent with its wearer
The dazzling guilloché à main dial created by Kari Voutilainen
1. The watch features a German silver guilloché à main Kari Voutilainen dial that showcases three distinct patterns, made using traditional rose and straight-line engine lathes. The result are watches that begin their life all appearing visually uniform, but because of German silver’s unique capacity to patina over time, each watch will eventually become a pièce unique as the dials and movements react with the wearer and the environment to take on the signature light-honey color of aged maillechort.
The intricately finished manual winding caliber 102.1 showcases the best of German watchmaking
2. Moritz Grossmann’s manual winding caliber 102.1 is a spectacular showcase of the brand’s hallmarks, with white sapphire pivot jewels, polished gold chatons and perfectly annealed brown-violet screws adorning the movement plates. The ratchet wheel is snailed while the crown wheel has a black polished steel core. Additionally, it includes not one, but two elaborately hand engraved cocks. Similarly made from German silver at the brand’s Glashütte factory, this in-house movement encapsulates the pinnacle of German watchmaking and will, like the dial, softly patina over time.
Grail Watch 9.2: Moritz Grossmann × Kari Voutilainen Benu 37 Rose Gold "Golden Age"
3. It isn’t just the movement that is produced in-house. Moritz Grossmann notably manufactures its hands internally, a pair of which requires an entire day of meticulous manual work from a watchmaker. The result is an exquisitely crafted set of hands that, combined with beveled and polished hubs, creates a stunning three-dimensional effect. Set against the ravishing Kari Voutilainen guilloché à main dial, the visual effect is truly mesmerizing. Read more about the brand’s approach to craftsmanship here.
GRAIL WATCH 9.1: MORITZ GROSSMANN × KARI VOUTILAINEN BENU 37 STAINLESS STEEL 'GERMAN SILVER'
The new Grail Watch 9.2 follows from the incredible reception to our previous Moritz Grossmann collaboration — Grail Watch 9.1: Benu 37 Stainless Steel “German Silver.” Read an excerpt below and the full story here, as told by Wei Koh.
Grail Watch 9.1: Moritz Grossmann × Kari Voutilainen Benu 37 Stainless Steel ‘German Silver’
Moritz Grossmann’s two collaborations with Grail Watch, namely the Benu 37 “Silver Bullet” and the Benu 37 “German Silver,” came about during my trip to Grossmann’s manufacture in Glashütte. There, inside a wonderfully sunlit room, I noticed a few pièce unique watches made for clients featuring dials created by Kari Voutilainen and his dial factory, Comblémine.
I’ve always loved guilloché à main or, as the English call it, engine-turned dials. It is my opinion that the most ravishing in the world are made by Kari at his factory where he has one of the greatest collections of vintage rose engine machines. When asked what our next Benu 37 could look like, I proposed something that was as clean and Zen reductionist as the Grand Feu Enamel Dial watch, but using different dial materials. For the Benu 37 “Silver Bullet,” we would create a dial from a massive piece of sterling silver. But for the second watch, I proposed a very special material that transforms in color over time — German silver. The idea reminded me of a conversation I once had with Aurel Bacs from Phillips Watches, who told me, “The beauty of vintage watches is that they all started as a uniform product, but time and the beautiful effect of age results in each timepiece becoming totally unique.”
I loved the idea of time transforming what was created as part of a series into an entity that is utterly singular. But I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be even better if the customer could be the person that brings about this aging process himself or herself? It was when I was looking at some older examples of Moritz Grossmann’s watches and marveling at the gorgeous golden patina that German silver adopts with time that the moment of inspiration hit.
To me, watches are the most wonderful objects; they require no power to run and serve you flawlessly with the energy you give by winding or wearing them. Because of this unique nature, I feel that watches enter into a symbiotic and mutually beneficent relationship with their wearer that no other object is able to achieve. It is a remarkably intimate and beautiful relationship.
Then I thought, well, how great it would be if each passing moment, day, month and year transforms the watch on your wrist into one that only you will have. And so our Moritz Grossmann × Kari Voutilainen Benu 37 “German Silver” is just that — a watch that is the chronicle of your life.
Grail Watch 9.2: Moritz Grossmann × Kari Voutilainen Benu 37 Rose Gold "Golden Age" is priced at USD 46,300. Due to the extremely limited edition of three pieces, please email shop@grailwatch.com for purchase.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Grail Watch 9.2: Moritz Grossmann × Kari Voutilainen Benu 37 Rose Gold "Golden Age"
Movement: Manual winding caliber 102.1; 48-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes and small seconds
Case: 37mm; rose gold
Dial: Guilloché à main on German silver; applied hour markers and Breguet numerals
Strap: Kudu leather, additional Taupe Epsom hand-stitched leather strap by Delugs
Price: USD 46,300
Availability: Limited edition of three pieces
Wei Koh
In 2005, Wei founded Revolution magazine and revolutionized the watch media, which has never been quite the same again. He has since developed Revolution into a multi-media, omni-channel platform with international editions around the world. He is also the creator of The Rake, a magazine of sartorial elegance and craftsmanship for the modern-day gentleman. Journalist at heart and entrepreneur in spirit, his latest venture is Grail Watch, dedicated to the creation of meaningful limited edition watches.
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