Description
Moritz Grossmann Perpetual Calendar Platinum Argente
The Moritz Grossmann Perpetual Calendar Platinum Argente marks a significant milestone for the Glashütte-based manufactory, celebrating its 17th anniversary with one of horology’s most revered complications. Designed to stand the test of time, this exceptional timepiece embodies the balance between mechanical precision, aesthetic harmony, and enduring craftsmanship. Its purpose is to display time and date flawlessly across centuries, automatically adjusting for varying month lengths and leap years — a feat few watchmakers can master with such grace.
At the heart of the Perpetual Calendar lies the manufactory’s dedication to clarity and function. Traditionally, perpetual calendars combine numerous indicators on one dial, often at the expense of legibility. Moritz Grossmann’s interpretation achieves both symmetry and readability through a meticulously balanced dial layout. The date is shown on an outer ring encircling the dial, marked by a cup-shaped indicator that elegantly frames the current date. The month and day of the week are presented on subsidiary dials at three and nine o’clock, each with refined azurage finishing that plays with light and depth. Two small apertures add further complexity — one indicating leap years, the other serving as a day-night display for easier time setting.
A poetic moon phase display takes its place at twelve o’clock, featuring a mother-of-pearl moon set against a shimmering goldstone sky scattered with tiny copper crystal stars. This celestial tableau embodies the romantic side of Grossmann’s engineering philosophy, connecting timekeeping with the rhythm of the cosmos. Every detail of the dial composition reflects restraint and refinement, ensuring beauty is matched by mechanical intelligence.
Functionality and convenience are integral to the design. Discreet correctors are recessed into the platinum case, allowing the wearer to adjust the date, day, month, and moon phase with ease using a supplied tool. The ingenious “sum corrector” further enhances practicality — with one press, all calendar indicators advance synchronously to the correct setting after periods of inactivity. Such refinement underscores the brand’s commitment to mechanical logic and user-centred design.
Beneath the argenté and anthracite dial beats the newly developed Calibre 101.13. Based on the 100.1 movement, it has been re-engineered with a module dedicated to the perpetual calendar, comprising an astonishing 211 components. Combined with the 190 parts of the base calibre, the movement totals 401 individual elements — all meticulously hand-finished according to the highest standards of Glashütte tradition. Every plate and bridge is crafted from untreated German silver, adorned with hand-engraved inscriptions and raised gold chatons, while the Grossmann balance and Nivarox hairspring ensure precise timekeeping at 18,000 vibrations per hour.
The aesthetic language of the movement is as impressive as its architecture. The 2/3 plate, inspired by Moritz Grossmann’s 19th-century pocket watches, offers a glimpse into the brand’s deep heritage. Every component reveals the human touch of fine watchmaking — polished bevels, hand-blued screws, and the signature Grossmann hand-engraving. The result is a calibre that not only performs flawlessly but also serves as a visual testament to the art of mechanical horology.
Cased in solid platinum, with a 41 mm diameter and 13.9 mm height, the watch possesses both gravitas and elegance. The tempered blue hands contrast beautifully with the light dial tones, ensuring perfect legibility. Completing the piece is a dark brown alligator leather strap secured by a platinum prong buckle, lending a classic and timeless finish to a watch that encapsulates both technical mastery and poetic design.
In essence, the Moritz Grossmann Perpetual Calendar Platinum Argente is more than a complication; it is a statement of purpose — a reminder of time’s continuity and mankind’s enduring fascination with precision. For collectors and connoisseurs alike, it stands as a hallmark of what independent watchmaking can achieve when guided by passion, patience, and a pursuit of perfection.
Technical Specifications
- Model: Moritz Grossmann Perpetual Calendar Platinum Argente (Ref. MG-003904)
- Movement: Manufacture Calibre 101.13, hand-wound, regulated in five positions
- Components: 401 total (190 movement + 211 perpetual calendar module)
- Jewels: 37 jewels, including 4 gold chatons (3 screwed)
- Escapement: Lever escapement
- Oscillator: Shock-absorbed Grossmann balance with 4 inertia screws, 2 poising screws, Nivarox 1 balance spring, No. 80 terminal curve, Gustav Gerstenberger geometry
- Frequency: 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour (2.5 Hz)
- Power Reserve: 42 hours when fully wound
- Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds with stop-second function, date, day of week, month, moon phase, Grossmann manual winder with pusher
- Operating Elements: Crown and pusher in platinum, recessed correctors for date, day, month, and moon phase, sum corrector for date adjustment
- Case: Three-part, solid platinum
- Dimensions: Diameter 41.0 mm, height 13.9 mm
- Movement Dimensions: Diameter 36.4 mm, height 8.3 mm
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating (front and display back)
- Special Features: Hand-finished movement, untreated German silver 2/3 plate, raised gold chatons, stop-second function, hand setting override with lateral pusher, gear wheel stopwork with two-teeth backlash
- Strap: Dark brown alligator leather with platinum prong buckle
