Moritz Grossmann - BENU Tourbillon Rose Gold

First introduced in 2013, the BENU Tourbillon is an exceptional timepiece, the top creation of Glashütte-based watchmaker Moritz Grossmann.

The original limited edition of 50 pieces crafted from white gold with an argenté dial was followed last year by a second edition of just 10 pieces featuring a black dial but still in a white gold case.

The beautiful three-part case measuring 44.5 mm x 13.8 mm is now also available in rose gold with an argenté dial crafted from solid silver where the large flying three-minute tourbillon and its V-shaped balance bridge stand out prominently.

The regulator-type dial has central minutes with recessed subdials for hours and seconds at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock respectively.

The large tourbillon aperture at 6 o’clock interrupts the rail-track from 25 to 35 minutes but the exact time can be easily read thanks to a rearward extension of the minute hand that sweeps a 10-minute scale on the opposite side. An elegant and distinctive solution, just like the stainless steel hands and their wispy tips, all crafted manually in-house.

The conical push-button adjacent to the crown reveals the presence of an ingenious hand setting mechanism: the Grossmann winder with pusher. A short tug on the crown switches to the hand setting mode and at the same time stops the movement. The crown immediately returns to its home position but can now be turned to set the hands. The movement can then be restarted by using the push-button.

To ensure a gentle and trouble-free stop of the balance, the stop seconds mechanism is based on a patent pending system which uses a fine-tipped brush made of human hair.

Rich of innovative solutions, the BENU Tourbillon prevents arbor and seconds-hand backlash thanks to a special brake ring of the fourth-wheel arbor made of Guaiacum wood, a very oily wood with the highest degree of hardness.

The Grossmann balance was designed to improve the adjustment of the inertia and achieve high kinetic energy combined with minimised air resistance and the smallest possible mass.

The hand-wound Manufacture calibre 103.0 offers 72 of power reserve when fully wound and slowly beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour.

The motion of the balance and tourbillon cage - designed to achieve high kinetic energy combined with minimised air resistance - can be observed without obstruction because the Nivarox 1 balance spring was cleverly located beneath the balance.

Untreated German silver is used for the 2/3 plate and frame pillars while the train wheels are made of ARCAP, a high-tech copper-nickel-zinc alloy delivering long-term brilliance thanks to its corrosion-resistance properties.

The 2/3 plate and the tourbillon cock are beautifully enhanced by hand-made decorations and engravings. The white sapphire bearing jewels are set in prominent gold chatons.

Completed by an hand-stitched alligator strap with butterfly clasp in rose gold, the BENU Tourbillon Rose Gold is a limited edition of just 25 pieces and has a price of Euro 175,000. grossmann-uhren.com