For Moritz Grossmann’s 200th birthday
Born of tradition: the HAMATIC Silver-Plated by Friction anniversary edition combines innovative engineering, watchmaking artistry and exceptional aesthetics
The year 2026 is a special one for the Moritz Grossmann manufactory in Glashütte, as its founder and namesake was born on 27 March 1826 – exactly 200 years ago. Not only does he continue to shape the present-day watch brand, he also influenced the craft of watchmaking and the fate of his hometown, Glashütte. This is because Moritz Grossmann was a genius watchmaker and ambitious scientist, profound author, initiator of the German Watchmaking School in Glashütte and personality who set much in motion.
For the manufactory, Moritz Grossmann’s 200th birthday is a fitting occasion for a series of special models. These anniversary watches unite the founder’s cutting-edge ideas with the modern watchmaking craft. They reinterpret his legacy, and not by imitating historical concepts. Rather, they represent the creative, ongoing development of Moritz Grossmann’s innovations. In keeping with his spirit, the watches feature modern manufacturing methods to achieve technological perfection and exceptional aesthetics, both of which were ambitions of the founder. The manufactory today realises his visions with soul and passion, making it one of a small number of watchmakers globally which master every detail of the time-honoured craft and breathe new life into it.
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More InformationSpecial anniversary model: HAMATIC Silver-Plated by Friction
The first special model being released for the 200th birthday of Moritz Grossmann is the limited edition HAMATIC Silver-Plated by Friction. The anniversary year is referenced with an ‘1826’ engraving on the balance cock. The vintage ‘M. GROSSMANN’ logo on the dial, appearing just as it did in 1875, is a further homage to history.
The model’s name is a reference to its unconventional mechanism. Inside is the calibre 106.0 with exceedingly effective automatic winding thanks to a pendulum-style hammer weight, a feature which led to the mechanism being called a hammer automatic movement. This historical idea was further developed by Grossmann’s engineers in a masterful way and has been given a fresh interpretation in the HAMATIC movement. The manufactory calibre 106.0 has further exclusive features, too, including for example stop seconds for setting the time precisely and fine finishes carried out by hand at the manufactory.
An aesthetic ‘face’ for the mechanism
The model’s name also reflects the elaborate design of the dial, which is silver-plated by friction. This finish, which can also be thought of as silver-plating by grit, is a rare one. It uses a historical technique where the dial is given a fine-grained, velvet-like texture by hand-brushing it with various pastes and powders. The surface then softly reflects the incident light.
Only a handful of specialists still master this technique, which is practised completely by hand and requires a high degree of concentration, a delicate touch and a great deal of experience. However, the end result justifies the time it takes: the interaction of light and shadow, of gloss and matt, creates a singular effect which maintains its radiance even as time goes by. It is complemented fittingly by the cool blue of the numerals and scales as well as the vintage Moritz Grossmann logo. Aside from that, this special model is introducing a further premiere: the Arabic numerals representing the hours on the Hamatic’s dial, which for the first time are taking the place of the Roman numerals previously used.
Die Tradition des Gründers weitertragen
The anniversary model is a direct reference to Moritz Grossmann’s ingenuity, with a movement featuring numerous details attributable to the manufactory’s founder. His historical movements had quintessential characteristics such as a index pointer with a poising screw, a large balance wheel, raised screws and the straight cut of the three-quarter plate.
hammer automatic movement
Balance cock with engraving „1826“
The fine, handcrafted hands made of blue annealed steel are also quintessentially Grossmann, with a hue that perfectly matches the typography on the dial of the HAMATIC Silver-Plated by Friction.
A debut for Moritz Grossmann’s birthday
The special edition HAMATIC Silver-Plated by Friction, with a white gold case, will be released on 26 March 2026. This model is limited to 18 pieces and fitted with a blue kudu leather strap.
Moritz Grossmann watches:
Moritz Grossmann, born in Dresden in 1826, was deemed a visionary among Germany’s great horologists. In 1854, his friend Ferdinand Adolph Lange persuaded the young, highly talented watchmaker to establish his own mechanical workshop in Glashütte. Apart from building a respected watchmaking business, Grossmann was committed to political and social causes. He established the German School of Watchmaking in 1878. Moritz Grossmann passed away unexpectedly in 1885, after which his manufacture was liquidated.
The spirit of Moritz Grossmann’s horological traditions sprang back to life in 2008 when trained watchmaker Christine Hutter discovered the venerable Glashütte brand and had it re-registered. She developed concepts and was inspired by the vision of reviving Grossmann’s legacy more than 120 years later with a particularly exquisite wristwatch. And she convinced private watch enthusiasts to support her in making this dream come true. On 11 November 2008, she founded Grossmann Uhren GmbH in Glashütte.
At Grossmann, gifted watchmakers are preserving traditions without copying historic timepieces. With innovation, superb craftsmanship, a combination of traditional and contemporary manufacturing methods as well as precious materials, they are celebrating ‘Schönstes deutsches Handwerk’ with their timepieces.
