t was in 1845 that Moritz Grossmann began his career in a watchmaking workshop. He would go on to become one of Germany’s most influential watchmaking theorists. “In 1880, he wrote a seminal book on constructing a simple yet mechanically flawless watch, which remains the cornerstone of our philosophy,” explains Christine Hutter.

A portrait of Moritz Grossmann (1826-1885). After training in Dresden to become a watchmaker, he established his atelier in Glashütte in 1854. The German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte was established thanks to Grossmann’s initiative and according to his concept. Source: German Watch Museum Glashütte

With her family, Hutter resurrected the name of this great German watchmaker to launch her brand in 2008. The Moritz Grossmann manufacture has occupied its current building in Glashütte for over a decade.

Christine Hutter shared with us the keys to the brand’s philosophy.

Christine Hutter, founder and CEO of Moritz Grossmann

Europa Star: When and how did you discover the name Moritz Grossmann?

Christine Hutter: I first encountered it in 1996 when I began working at Glashütte Original and later A. Lange & Söhne, during the revival of German watchmaking traditions. When my family and I decided to create our own brand, we considered several names but ultimately chose Moritz Grossmann. He was a renowned watchmaker of his time, with a great tradition, and notably initiated the founding of the German Watchmaking School in 1875. Our ambition was to achieve the highest level of watchmaking. I remember the moment when we achieved the brand’s rights particularly well, I was actually high up in the Swiss mountains!

How did you proceed after choosing this name?

We started from scratch! And today, we have a team of around 60 employees. We built everything step by step, integrating as many skills as possible. We established our own construction department, and now we produce 90% of the movements in-house. We even manufacture our own hands and recently began producing silver dials plated by friction and tremblage dials, which is a signature of our brand.

The Tourbillon Tremblage’s dial is is engraved by hand using a variety of burins: the tools are moved across the metal in a trembling motion, which is also where the name comes from. The challenge is to achieve an even look, creating an effect which is both rough and matt.

How would you describe the brand’s distinct philosophy?

For us, it’s all about the quality of the finishing. Everything is done by hand to the highest standards. For example, we craft our hands manually from start to finish, we polish the teeth of wheels like the ratchet wheel. Independence is also key for us; we have complete freedom to experiment with new textures, materials, and techniques. We try to think differently. This, of course, benefits our clients because we offer different solutions in both mechanical processes as well as the way of design and finishing.

At the same time, we bring the heritage and spirit of Moritz Grossmann into the construction of the movements, we are reviving techniques he used in the 19^th century. If there is an expression to define us, it might be ‘going the extra mile’. The Tremblage hand-engraving technique is perhaps the best example. The demand is global. But we can only manufacture a few dials as the technique is incredibly special and requires extensive experience.

Approximately 90 steps are involved in creating a single dial for the Moritz Grossmann Enamel Roman Vintage limited edition.

How do you organise your operations?

Currently, demand is very strong, and our capacity is fully booked for the next two years. At this time we are looking for new watchmakers and people in our finish department to complement our team. Our next steps are increasing production and finding the right employees to grow. Ultimately, our goal is to reach 500, then 800 to 1,000 pieces annually at most, always with a focus on artisanal manufacturing. For context, we produced around 350 watches in 2024.

What about your distribution network?

We have a global presence through our network of retailers. Our primary markets are Asia, the Middle East and the United States, followed by Europe and Germany. Our retail partners understand what it means to work with an independent brand which offers the highest level of finishing. We also deliver limited series for specific countries or retailers, and offer customised pieces too. Additionally, we make a point of being present and visible in the field, for example exhibiting at events like WatchTime New York and Dubai Watch Week, as well as retailer-hosted customer events.

The 37 Arabic Vintage piece features an anthracite-coloured dial in untreated German silver. It incorporates the manufacture calibre 102.1, which has the classic basic structure of a 3/5 plate and combines a diameter of just 26 mm with a height of 4 mm. It works with an uneven escapement specially developed for this mechanism size as well as a modified regulation.

What would you still like to achieve with the brand?

More than ever, we notice that clients are changing. They are no longer necessarily looking for mass production, and we are well positioned in artisanal watchmaking. While Glashütte’s fine reputation gave us a strong start, we’re now standing on our own merits as more people appreciate the quality of our finishes. We still have many ideas, but we must ensure that it is possible to integrate them into our production processes, in order to uphold our high standards and philosophy.