Grieb & Benzinger’s workshop has created a unique piece for the discerning collector, called The Blue Wave. The 46mm rose gold piece features a rare Minerva monopusher column wheel chronograph movement created circa 1925. The movement has been hand skeletonized, hand engraved, and hand guillochéd in the Grieb & Benzinger style, resulting in a deeply-textured three-dimensional space that draws and holds the eye.
In its heyday, Minerva was one of the finest chronograph makers in the world. They were among the first to incorporate a minute counter. Minerva named its company after the Roman goddess. Traces of this Roman deity can be found again and again in fine watchmaking—even A. Lange & Söhne has immortalized the goddess on its most exclusive pocketwatch cases.
Grieb & Benzinger’s typical blue platinum coating of the base plate has found its way into this new unique piece. The base plate was first hand-skeletonized to its barest minimum in characteristic wave style and the case back hand-guilloché. All 34 steel screws were hand polished and classically tempered a cornflower blue over an open flame. Today, steel screws are generally blued with a galvanic coating.
The Blue Wave is a unique piece – only one lucky collector will have the pleasure of wearing this exclusive watch on his or her wrist.
The price is €87,500, or about $118,000.
Complete technical specifications appear below the images, enjoyment of which may be increased with a click.
Grieb & benzinger Unique Timepiece: The Blue Wave: a Monopusher Skeleton Chronograph in Rose Gold.
Case: Solid 18-karat rose gold
Sapphire crystal
Buttons and crown made of solid 18-karat rose gold
Guilloché on top of button
Screw-in sapphire crystal case back
Diameter: 46 mm
Strap: Black alligator strap with 18-karat rose gold buckle
Movement: Based on a Minerva caliber from approx. 1920
Completely disassembled and restored
The base plate was hand-skeletonized to its bare minimum before being guilloché and coated with blue platinum
Winding: Mechanical with manual winding
Movement functions: Sweep hour and minute hands
Subsidiary seconds at 9 o’clock
Sweep chronograph second hand; chronograph minute counter in subdial at 3 o’clock
Bridges and cocks: Rhodium-plated and guilloché; the hand-engraved balance cock is rhodium-plated and rose gold-plated
Rose gold-plated wheels
Flame blued steel screws
Barrel: Hand-skeletonized spring barrel
Chronograph: Sweep chronograph second hand
30-minute counter in subdial at 3 o’clock
Monopusher chronograph with button in crown
(Start-Stop-Reset using only one pusher)
Balance: Screw balance; 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour
Jewels: 17 jewels
Power reserve: Approx. 37 hours of power reserve
Hands: Steel hour, minute and second hands, rose gold-plated
Flame-blued subsidiary seconds hand
Flame-blued 30-minute hand with red tip
Functions: Sweep hours and minutes
Sweep chronograph second hand
30-minute counter in subdial at 3 o’clock
Subsidiary seconds (permanently running) at 9 o’clock
Dial: Hand-skeletonized Sterling silver with original Breguet frosted finish
