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Some anniversaries call for fireworks, others call for craftsmanship so quiet and so precise that it takes a moment to realize just how rare it truly is, Moritz Grossmann has chosen the latter. To mark 200 years since the birth of its namesake founder, the Glashütte manufactory has unveiled the TEFNUT 36 Silver-Plated by Friction Turquoise Blue, a limited edition of just 12 pieces that pairs a 19th-century dial technique with a distinctly modern shade of blue.
Moritz Grossmann was far more than a skilled watchmaker, born in Dresden in 1826, he was a scientist, an author, and the founder of the German Watchmaking School in Glashütte, a man whose curiosity and forward-thinking spirit shaped the town’s horological identity for generations to come. That same restless pursuit of progress lives on at the modern manufactory, revived in 2008 by watchmaker Christine Hutter, which continues to build watches that honor tradition without ever simply repeating it.
The TEFNUT 36 Silver-Plated by Friction Turquoise Blue is a fitting tribute to that philosophy, it is a watch rooted firmly in heritage technique, yet unmistakably of its time.
At the heart of this special edition is its dial, finished using silver-plating by friction, sometimes called silver-plating by grit. It is a technique with roots in the 19th century, all but disappeared from modern watchmaking, and painstakingly revived within Moritz Grossmann’s own workshops.
The process is entirely manual. Silver powder, salt, tartar, and water are worked into the surface by hand with a small brush, dipped and redipped, stroke after stroke, until the dial develops a fine, even grain and a soft, velvety depth. It is a technique that leaves little room for error, too much pressure, too little patience, and the desired effect is lost. Only a handful of artisans in the world have truly mastered it.
For this anniversary piece, the finish is taken one step further with the addition of colour, a turquoise blue with a hint of green that shifts and shimmers depending on the light and the angle of view, thanks to the textured surface beneath it. The result is a dial that feels alive, quietly changing character throughout the day.
Against this richly textured backdrop, the dial’s typography stands out in careful contrast. Engraved Roman numerals are lacquered in blue, while the historic “M. Grossmann” logo, dating back to 1875, along with the minute and seconds scales and the “Made in Germany” inscription, are rendered in black. Every lacquered element is fired in a kiln before the silver-plating process begins, then sealed beneath a protective layer to preserve its colour through the remaining stages of finishing.
Even the hands continue the story, crafted entirely in-house, they are shaped with gently rounded lines and an ultra-fine tip, then finished in blue through the traditional annealing process, a warm, artisanal counterpoint to the cool tone of the dial.
Housed in a 36mm stainless steel case, the TEFNUT 36 wears with the kind of understated ease that suits virtually any wrist. Its slimline silhouette and flat profile make it as comfortable on the wrist as it is elegant to look at, while signature details, a cross-groove crown and slender strap lugs, nod to the brand’s design language. The watch is completed with a strap in hand-sewn grey kudu leather, adding a further layer of tactile craftsmanship to the piece.
Turn the watch over, and the celebration continues. The hand-wound Calibre 102.1 showcases the construction and finishing typical of a true Glashütte manufacture: a barrel bridge with the region’s distinctive ribbing and a hand-engraved inscription, alongside a balance cock hand-engraved with a fine floral motif. A special “1826” engraving, the year of Moritz Grossmann’s birth, marks the movement as belonging to this bicentenary release.
The TEFNUT 36 Silver-Plated by Friction Turquoise Blue joins the TEFNUT Silver-Plated by Friction as one of two special editions within the Classic collection’s TEFNUT line created to honor this milestone year. Together, they represent Moritz Grossmann’s approach in microcosm, technical mastery, historical reverence, and a willingness to bring something genuinely new to a two-century-old story.
Limited to just 12 pieces, the TEFNUT 36 Silver-Plated by Friction Turquoise Blue is less a watch than a small, wearable piece of horological history, one that looks forward as confidently as it looks back.
