In pursuit of beautiful handicrafts...
Glashütte in Saxony is known as the mecca of Germany's luxury watch industry. A quarter century has passed since the reunification of East and West Germany, and as the scale of industry has expanded, a wave of large-scale industrialization is sweeping over this region. Founded in 2008, Moritz Grossmann has once again shed light on the "Glashütte handicraftsmanship" that was on the verge of disappearance, and nearly 10 years after completing its first model, the company continues to uphold this approach. We take a closer look at the handiwork of the master craftsmen who create handmade watches and their profiles.
Interview and text by Hiroyuki Suzuki
Second-generation designers accelerating new development
The new Moritz Grossmann was registered as Grossmann Uhren GmbH in 2008. In 2009, when the company was still based in an apartment along Hauptstrasse (the main street) west of Glashütte Station, the company welcomed its first employee, Jens Schneider, who would go on to serve as its long-time chief designer. He designed the Caliber 100 series, which began with the first model, the Benu, as well as the tourbillon Caliber 103 series. Norwit Windecker, the second designer to join Moritz Grossmann, was a watchmaker who preferred delicate designs, in contrast to Schneider's preference for robust designs. He completed the basic design for the small, thin Caliber 102 series (Tefnut). Mike von der Burg, who remains with the company, is a rising star who joined the company after graduating from university with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was Schneider's last apprentice during the Moritz Grossmann era. These were the original members, so to speak. This could be called the first-generation design team. However, when Windecker left the team at the end of 2016 (now A. Lange & Söhne) and Schneider went independent as a freelance clockmaker (he left at the end of 2017, working as an independent watchmaker for about a year before becoming Development Director at Lange & Heine in February 2019), Moritz Grossmann was forced to quickly assemble a new design team. In 2017, the company invited Jeroen Heise, who had worked at Glashütte Original for over 10 years and was responsible for the design of the Caliber 58 and Caliber 37, to join as the new Chief Designer. Peter Mattheis, who has worked as an engineer at an ETA-affiliated company for over 20 years and holds the German Master Watchmaker license, joined the company, completing the second-generation design team. This team has been together for about two years, and everyone agrees that it is an excellent team, with each member covering for the other.
Mike von der Burg, who has the longest tenure at the company but is also the youngest, says, "We all have different experiences and areas of expertise, so I think we make a well-balanced team. Peter is a drinking buddy and someone I can talk to about personal matters, and Jeroen has the ability to solve problems." Peter Mattheis, who has long been a tool engineer in the Swiss watch industry, commented as follows:
"Mike has a flexible way of thinking that isn't bound by the rules of the watch industry. Jeroen is a theorist. I solve problems by hand, but he's well acquainted with a completely different theory."
Meanwhile, their coordinator, Jeroen Heise, evaluates his team as follows:
"The most important thing is that we have a relationship where we can cover each other's weaknesses. Mike is extremely efficient and can be relied upon to handle even simple data processing. Peter is completely Swiss (actually, he is German, of course). With his long experience in Switzerland, he has deep connections with a variety of suppliers and has even helped me make new connections. He is also a master watchmaker himself, and the knowledge he has gained by working with his hands is a powerful asset."
The development menu is basically assigned based on order, rather than assigning people to areas of expertise. This is why teamwork is of utmost importance.
