Throughout millennia, researchers and inventors strived to build a perpetual motion machine, a device that would continue to move indefinitely once started. Without any external source of power, it was believed that the machine itself would generate an unlimited amount of energy. It was only with the formulation of the law of conservation of energy in the middle of the 19th century that physics quashed the principle of perpetual motion. Nevertheless, people’s fascination for the concept remained unbroken.

Of course, the HAMATIC does not purport to be perpetual motion machine – after all, the first self-winding watch from Moritz Grossmann draws its kinetic energy from an external source. A pendulum-style hammer weight skilfully uses the energy generated through the wearer’s movements to transfer it via the ratchet wheel to the mainspring in the barrel, meaning that an external energy source makes the dream of infinite motion come true. It’s therefore safe to say that the HAMATIC is one of the most beautiful and complex examples of would-be perpetual motion.

The new version of the HAMATIC in 750/000 white gold comes with a vintage style dial and is limited to 25 models worldwide. The dial has been given a new and exclusive finish. The surface was first painted in a black-anthracite colour. The mirror-polished background on a German silver base was then treated with a finish called ‘black or’, which created a shiny black surface.

Limited to eight pieces worldwide, the special edition HAMATIC Vintage features a ‘black-or’ dial with long, slender index hands in solid gold. The delicate tip of these hands lends a charming touch to the time display.

Today, the Moritz Grossmann manufactory embodies ‘Schönstes Deutsches Handwerk’ to perfection. The two new versions of the HAMATIC Vintage bear witness to this. Their classically elegant dial comes with a very rare finish: grain or silver plating by friction. Creating a fine-grained, velvet-like surface, it reflects most of the incident light without causing glare – giving a charming appearance with excellent readability. Both versions are each limited to eight pieces worldwide.