Would You Wear A Watch That Contains Your Own Hair? Moritz Grossmann Thinks You Should
3 min read
In the world of traditional watchmaking, materials like gold, sapphire, and steel reign supreme. But what if a watch could hold something more personal—something human? That’s precisely the surprising twist in Moritz Grossmann’s TOURBILLON Tremblage, a mechanical marvel from Glashütte that uses human hair—yes, real human hair—as a critical part of its mechanism. And if you’re bold enough, it could even be your hair.
At first glance, the TOURBILLON Tremblage is a showcase of artisanal perfection: a sophisticated tourbillon, a hand-finished dial using the centuries-old tremblage engraving technique, and the usual Glashütte attention to detail. Available in white or rose gold, with just eight pieces of each, it ticks every box for the collector who seeks rarity, legacy, and technical prowess.
But what truly sets this timepiece apart is hidden within the mechanism—a component so delicate, it’s almost poetic. For the stop-second function (which halts the balance wheel to allow precise time setting), Grossmann has engineered a solution involving a flexible brush made of human hair. This ultra-fine brush gently touches the balance to stop it, without disturbing the tourbillon’s intricate architecture. The result? Surgical precision with a human touch, literally.
Why hair? The idea isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Hair is naturally elastic, ultra-thin, and flexible enough to glide past the tourbillon’s rotating cage without causing damage. But here’s where it gets fascinating: this brush can be customised with a strand of your own hair. In an age where personalisation is king, Moritz Grossmann has quietly introduced what might be the most intimate way to wear a watch.
Imagine gifting someone a watch that actually contains a part of you or owning a timepiece that’s not just handmade, but you-made in the truest sense. It turns the act of wearing a watch into something deeply personal, almost sentimental. Of course, beyond this poetic detail lies the raw technical mastery that defines Grossmann’s work. The tremblage dial is a shimmering, hand-engraved surface created using tiny, trembling motions that takes days to complete. Crafted from German silver and galvanised in ‘black-or’ for an anthracite finish, it’s a stunning nod to old-world artistry.
A modern version of traditional mechanics The Moritz Grossmann manufactory unveiled the first calibre with a tourbillon more than ten years ago. It bears the company’s unmistakable signature as the manufactory does not settle for repeating the past, instead creating modern versions of traditional mechanics. This involves handed-down techniques being completely reimagined, such as the construction of the tourbillon in the handwound calibre 103.0. What was created here was a generously sized oscillator which, influenced by Alfred Helwig, is only mounted on one side. The tourbillon is therefore visually impressive too, especially with its unusually large diameter of 16 millimetres and its reduced aesthetics. It additionally boasts a longer cycle time: whereas traditional tourbillons generally turn on their axis once a minute, the Moritz Grossmann construction takes a full three minutes to perform a rotation. Other features include the filigree cage top resting on just two pillars and the characteristic V-shaped balance bridge, which is protected as a registered design.
Even the minute hand has been engineered with a twist: because the tourbillon interrupts part of the dial, the minute scale is split—one arc on the traditional perimeter and another on a smaller counterweight arm. It’s a clever solution and one that’s patented by the brand. All this mechanical poetry is framed by traditional Glashütte finishing—hand-bevelled edges, engraved cocks, white sapphire jewels in gold chatons, and three-band snailing on the ratchet wheel. Whether you choose the warm rose gold or sleek white gold version, each is paired with a matching alligator strap and painstakingly finished by hand.
At its core, the TOURBILLON Tremblage is a watch about legacy one that honours Moritz Grossmann, Alfred Helwig, and Abraham-Louis Breguet. But with its use of human hair, it also speaks to something much more contemporary: the desire to belong, to personalise, to make luxury feel like it’s yours alone.
