Only very rarely does a watch make one do a double take, which is just what the Moritz Grossmann HAMATIC Astral Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition manages with its unusual goldstone dial. Look at how it captures the eye; we look forward to being dazzled in person. Before we get ahead of ourselves, the watch itself needs a bit of an introduction because it hides some impressive technical details behind that goldstone dial. While most brands have settled on the conventional automatic winding system that everyone is familiar with, Moritz Grossmann decided to imagine a new way of doing things. Both this and the captivating dial are perhaps apt references to the celebratory nature of this watch, which pays tribute to the 70th anniversary of retailer Sincere Fine Watches in Singapore. The watch is one of 12 special editions from a diverse range of brands, all celebrating the momentous occasion.
In the illustrious company of the likes of Greubel Forsey, Laurent Ferrier, H. Moser & Cie and Czapek & Cie, Moritz Grossmann has thrown down the gauntlet with the HAMATIC Astral Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition. Technical prowess is one thing but any watch that purports to celebrate an icon such as Sincere Fine Watches also has to have a certain je ne sais quois; the “x-factor”, if you will. Any HAMATIC model would have been good enough, with its distinctive spade or poiré-shaped hands (here in handmade rose gold) and unique pendulum-based winding system, if the Glashutte brand just added one of its signature dials into the mix. Such a dial is indeed present but, in a fitting birthday present for its retail partner, it is something particularly special.
In Moritz Grossmann’s view, the goldstone dial is a “symbolic portal, offering a simultaneous glimpse into the past, present, and future.” For the savvy collector who thinks of various artisanal styles in watchmaking that combine metal and glass when looking at the goldstone dial, you are not far off the mark because this is a kind of glass that is created by adding copper into the molten mix.
We say molten there but the temperature has to be very carefully controlled to avoid overheating, which would ruin it. The results make this a watch that brings the night sky to one’s wrist, complemented by appliques (replacing the standard Roman numerals) and the vintage “M. Grossmann” logo.
Caseback-side, the virtues of the manufacture calibre 106.0 are readily apparent, as is the novel winding system. It has the benefit of leaving much of the finishing open for examination and keeping the winding of the movement efficient. One can watch the pendulum and its hammer do a hypnotic dance via the exhibition caseback, which bears the Sincere 70thanniversary logo laser-engraved on it.
The 10-piece Moritz Grossmann HAMATIC Astral Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition will be available at Sincere Fine Watches, #01-12 of Takashimaya S.C., and the SHH Boutique, #B2M-202 of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, with a retail price of S$102,000 (including tax).
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