Moritz Grossmann and Art in Time team up to benefit the Princess Grace Foundation
Borna Bošnjak- Moritz Grossmann follows in the footsteps of Ressence, Urwerk, and Bovet, donating a piece unique to the Monégasque Princess Grace Foundation.
- The charitable effort is once again aided by Art in Time, a heavyweight dealer for many independent brands.
- Part of the proceeds from the sale of the watch will be donated, retailing for €70,200 (20% VAT included).
Though the latest edition of Only Watch just wrapped up, with Moritz Grossmann’s stunning Tremblage nearly doubling its estimate and selling for CHF 88,000, the German brand is back with charitable intentions. This time, Moritz Grossmann is partnering with Art in Time, donating a pink piece unique to the cause, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Princess Grace Foundation. Both Art in Time and the Foundation are Monégasque institutions, the latter providing assistance to children and students. The watch in question, then, is a bold rendition of the Moritz Grossmann Date, equipped with a hot pink guilloché dial crafted from a single blank of solid silver.
So, let’s start there. The Glashütte maker is famous for its many hand-crafted dial variations, with the hand-engraved sunrise pattern emanating from the small seconds sub-dial, which itself has a special guilloché engraving. If this is at all familiar, it’s because it shares similarities to the limited-edition Date Turquoise, both having dials made by Kari Voutilainen’s Comblémine workshop. The handmade elements also include the lance handset, flat-polished in-house. A silver chapter ring divides the main dial from the date track, which uses an instantaneously jumping, purple-annealed frame to indicate the correct date – more on that shortly.
Though it concerns itself with classical watchmaking methods, most Moritz Grossmann pieces are on the larger side, and the Date Pink is no exception. Measuring in at 41mm in diameter and 11.85mm in height, its steel case and large, bevelled lugs have plenty of presence. The caseband is dotted with three protrusions – twin crowns at 3 and 3:30, and a date corrector at 10 o’clock.
While it would be unfair to say the dial isn’t the star of the show here, most Moritz Grossmann pieces are understated enough that you may not expect this sight when turned over to the caseback. The calibre 100.3 is executed in classic Glashütte style, with a large two-thirds plate covering most of the movement, leaving enough room for the oversized Grossmann balance with Breguet hairspring suspended by a hand-engraved cock, beating at 18,000vph for up to 42 hours. Colourless sapphires are used instead of rubies for bearings, set into screwed, golden chatons that show off Moritz Grossmann’s signature heat-purpled screws, rather than the more common blue. The snailing, engraving and bevelling of the German silver plate, and broad striping is all done by hand.
The 100.3 isn’t just a looker, either, relying on some cool tech for the seemingly simple time-and-date functions. First of all, the crown immediately resets when pulled out, putting the watch into time-setting mode while protecting the movement from particle ingress. The position of the hands can be adjusted with it in this position, while the adjacent pusher restarts the movement, ensuring the hands do not move as they would when pushing the crown in, also resetting the crown into winding mode. As for the date corrector at 10 o’clock, it can be used to advance the date forwards or backwards at any time, eliminating the need of a safety margin, while the date mechanism precisely jumps once per day.
Moritz Grossmann Date Pink Art in Time pricing and availability
The Date Pink Art in Time is a piece unique, being donated to the Princess Grace Foundation by Art in Time and Moritz Grossmann. An undisclosed part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the foundation. Price: €70,200 (20% VAT included)
| Brand | Moritz Grossmann |
| Model | Date Pink Art in Time |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 11.85mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | N/A |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Solid silver, guilloché |
| Bracelet | Alligator leather, steel pin buckle |
| Movement | 100.3, in-house, manual winding |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date |
| Availability | Piece unique |
| Price | €70,200 (20% VAT included) |