Text by Takeshi Matsuyama

A man who supported the evolution of German watches and built a global brand

Karl Moritz Grossmann was born in Dresden, Saxony, the city of science in Germany, in 1826. After entering an engineering school, his talent blossomed, and he became a talented watchmaker as an apprentice to Adolf Lange, who was a pioneer of modern watchmaking in Germany at the time.

The company established its workshop in Glashütte, a suburb of Dresden that was the center of watchmaking, and gained popularity for producing incredibly accurate pocket watches and marine chronometers for ship navigation.

He also established a watchmaking school to train talent in the watchmaking world, where he taught and nurtured many talented people who followed in his footsteps, making him a great contributor to the German watchmaking world.

Unfortunately, he died in 1885 and his workshop was closed.

Then, as Germany was embroiled in two world wars and the world of timepieces moved from the pocket watch to the wristwatch, his brilliant achievements were on the verge of being forgotten.

After World War II, Germany was divided into two nations, East and West. However, in 1990, the long-awaited national unification was realized, and a new era began for the watchmaking city of Dresden and its manufacturing base, Glashütte.

Why are people so fascinated by the new Moritz Grossmann?

Christine Hutter, who had worked for German watch companies such as Wempe and under Günter Blümlein, who revived A. Lange & Söhne, achieved the remarkable feat of reviving Moritz Grossmann in 2008.

The new Grossman watch followed the Grossman design from the pocket watch era, with a refined two-thirds plate movement.

I had visited this workshop before, and what interested me most was the extremely precise construction of the movements, and above all the delicacy of the hands, which are polished to a sharpness.

The company name and serial number are hand-engraved on the movement by an engraver, giving it the feel of a 19th century German watch.

The balance bridge is engraved with the customary arabesque pattern, again in keeping with the German watch design tradition.

The basic model is a simple hand-wound, three-hand model with a small second hand, but they have continued to produce a variety of variations, including automatic winding and tourbillon models.

The world of German watches has a tradition of simplicity and sturdiness, but Christine's feminine sensibility is added to this, and the dials and other parts have a sense of delicate expression.

I believe that this Grossmann watch is also full of charm as a companion to spend your daily life with.

What is "Takeshi Matsuyama: What connects people and time"?

A series in which Takeshi Matsuyama, a pioneering Japanese watch journalist, introduces the stories behind watches, people, and brands that he is drawn to from his own unique perspective.

Author profile

Japanese lyricist, writer, and editor. Born in Kyoto in 1946. In 1968, he wrote "Yopparai Returns" with his friends Kazuhiko Kato and Osamu Kitayama of The Folk Crusaders, which became a million-seller. In the 1970s, he was involved in the launch of magazines such as "Popeye" and "Brutus" published by Heibonsha (now Magazine House). Since the 70s, he has been fascinated by the world of mechanical watches, and has been promoting the appeal of watches. His many books include "Porridge of Wisdom and Tea of ​​Thought," "Great Japan Doraku Travelogue," and the play series "Chaai" and "Ororoji."