Moritz Grossman Celebrates Music And Time With A Special Edition Tillman Electric Cello Timepiece
5 min read
Moritz Grossmann, a Glashütte, I/ SA-based independent luxury watch manufacturer, proudly introduces the world's most popular cellist and Swiss composer, Martin Tillman, as its new brand ambassador. In addition to this, the Glashütte luxury watch brand, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, has created the TILLMAN ELECTRIC CELLO Watch in tribute to Martin Tillman, a virtuoso musician and film music composer.
Martin Tillman, a cellist, film music composer, and multi-instrumentalist, was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1964. He has contributed to over a hundred soundtracks. Hollywood's biggest hits like "Total Recall," "The Da Vinci Code," "The Dark Knight," and "Pirates of the Caribbean" all feature his score compositions.
In particular, his work with Oscar-winning film composer Hans Zimmer stands out; Zimmer relied on Tillman's mastery of the e-cello to evoke previously unseen levels of emotion in moviegoers.
The sound signature that Tillman established for the villainous Joker in "The Dark Knight" will forever be associated with his outstanding performance. Tillman only played one note, but he employed a wide range of techniques to achieve a wide range of sounds, from gravelly to chaotic to deeply unsettling.
It was a collision of cultures when the brilliant cellist Martin Tillman met Christine Hutter, CEO of Moritz Grossmann. Something entirely new and uniting emerged from their shared interests in music and time. They collaborated to create the TILLMAN ELECTRIC CELLO Watch, which bridges the gap between the two.
The TILLMAN ELECTRIC CELLO Watch shocks with an angle that zeroes in on the mechanism's beauty while incorporating the allure of sound. The openwork dial reveals the intricate workings of the mechanism, while the see-through back reveals the exquisite embellishment of the parts.
Even here, Martin Tillman's electric cello serves as a decorative motif, its shape carved into the product. The incredible craftsmanship perfected in Moritz Grossmann's workshops is responsible for the velvety texture of the body and the space between the strings. The ancient engraving method of tremblage was used this time around. The engraver produces an expressive matt surface by etching tiny, almost trembling movements into the metal with a burin.
This watch's mirrored caliber 107.0 is a unique construction by Moritz Grossmann that allows for a striking view of the dial. The inversion of the mechanism almost necessitates a new set of constructions, including reversing the rotation of the mainspring barrel and the entire mechanism. The mirrored escapement and mirrored oscillation system ensure that the wheel train, including the coiling direction of the balance spring, moves in the correct direction.
The dial aperture, which is so large thanks to the construction, allows for the most impressive features of the movement, such as the Grossmann balance, the hand-engraved balance cock, and the ratchet wheel with three-band snailing, to be fully appreciated.
The timepiece's polished stainless steel case contributes to its sporty yet refined appearance. Consistent with this theme are the white HyCeram-coated, lance-shaped steel hands manufactured in-house. A soft brown Kudu leather band completes the watch's high-end appearance.
Integrating Time and Music
Songs don't last forever. It's a one-time thing; once it sounds, it's gone. It's all a matter of time. Downward and calming or upward and accelerating; linear and uniform or non-linear and not-uniform. Timepieces are a form of cultural heritage. They give form to the evanescent passage of time by quantifying it. The very nature of a mechanical watch makes noise. The mechanism's ticking produces a consistent rhythmic structure that is musical in and of itself and can be fused and composed with other musical elements.
Martin Tillman's vision of combining the rhythmic sounds of acoustic and electric cellos with sounds from watch manufacturing, like the ticking of movements, came to fruition during his first visit to the Moritz Grossmann manufactory in Glashütte.
He said, “For me, a watch is an inspiring thing that is timeless. Despite this, it tells the time and is very precise. This is a parallel to an instrument. Music is a feeling, unlimited and unplanned. But a note is a note and a rhythm is a rhythm. If you play something at the perfect time, you will always be able to feel your heart in it. That’s the most important thing and it is the same with the mechanical watch, which ticks to the rhythm of its frequency, its heartbeat. With the TILLMAN ELECTRIC CELLO Watch, we have transformed the connection between music and time into a new reality. I’m delighted about our creative collaboration and wearing this special watch on my wrist as an ambassador for the Moritz Grossmann brand.”
The new music video for the TILLMAN ELECTRIC CELLO Watch features film documentation of the results of this artistic/aesthetic analysis of the subject of music and time, and it's called "Rhythm and Time."
Special Edition Timepiece
The new model of the watch is limited to just four pieces. One of these watches is currently on Martin Tillman's wrist, and the other three are available for purchase. The stainless steel case of each watch is engraved with a unique serial number.
Martin Tillman's TILLMAN ELECTRIC CELLO Watch has a Swiss suggested retail price of EUR 37,300 (incl. VAT) and can be purchased from his official website.
