German watches
The German team of watchmakers has earned a reputation of a “go to” establishment when you want to get something absolutely outstanding out of an ancient pocket watch that you inherited from your great grand dad and have a healthy pile of cash in your wallet. Yet sometimes they do more, um, affordable timekeepers that only cost like ahem a normal Breguet three-hander. For this year, for example, the company is going to present three new high-end watches that are based on a vintage Unitas caliber: an Egypt mythology-inspired Pharos, a stately Polaris, and an aggressively skeletonized Grieb & Benzinger Blossom, which seems to be the most beautiful among them.
As far as I understood from Grieb & Benzinger‘s short press release, the watch will be presented in a “unisex” case, which will be available both in rose and white gold.
The version in white gold will have its bezel and lugs set with huge diamonds and the one in rose gold will be simply decorated with a finely executed guilloche pattern.
Although the 43 mm case may be considered large by some ladies, it looks rather slender, mainly thanks to its hand-wound movement.
The movement in question is based on contemporary Unitas caliber with a number of its components replaced with 18-carat rose gold parts that are made in-house and is extensively skeletonized and hand-engraved to display a wonderful floral motif.
To make the watch more legible, its three hands were made of blued steel. I must say that the color combines perfectly with the clearly visible rubies on which the movement is built.
The Grieb & Benzinger New Blossom watch will be delivered on a black alligator strap and will retail at an affordable (for a hand-made job) price of €28,500.
See also: Kudoke KudOktopus Skeleton
Photos: Grieb & Benzinger
Grieb & Benzinger Blossom hand-wound watch specification
Price: €28,500
Movement: Manual, Unitas-based, in-house, Made in Germany
Movement decoration: Skeletonized and engraved, most parts are made of rose gold
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Power reserve: 38 hours
Case material: Rose gold, White gold
Bezel material: Rose gold, White gold with diamonds
Case shape: Round
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 43.00 mm
Lug width: No data
Case height: No data
Dial: Transparent
Numerals: None
Hands: Blued steel
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Black alligator strap
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Sapphire