Independents

.I’ve been dying to see one of these in the flesh ever since it was announced:  www.watchprosite.com
So I made it a point to track one down. In fact, that was the entire reason for my trip to San Jose, CA. I found an AD that had one in stock, and as soon as I walked in and introduced myself, I made a beeline for the Moritz Grossmann display case.
The dial looked . . . muted. Much more subdued than anything I’d seen online. Even on the wrist, it didn’t immediately strike the same chord.

To be fair, the boutique lighting was very bright. But as I stepped away from the overhead glare and into a dimmer corner of the store, the dial began to come to life.

It was subtle but dramatic: in lower light, the watch finally aligned with my original impressions from the press materials. Richer tones, more depth, and a quiet elegance started to emerge.

This piece has what I can only describe as a “bipolar” personality — under bright lights, it’s flat and restrained; in softer lighting, it really comes alive.

You can see this stark contrast when compared to my Omega CK 859:

And the 37mm vintage sizing really stands out when placed next to their 41mm stainless steel Tremblage:

There’s also a notable difference in thickness — 9.2mm vs. 11.35mm — which has a big impact on wrist presence and wearability.

From the press release, I wasn’t sure if the Benu side profile had any curvature or “love” to it. It’s not immediately obvious in my photos, but I can confirm: they did put some sculptural finesse into the case. It’s subtle, but it’s there.

Flipping over to the engine room, this piece is brought to life by their in-house, manual-wind calibre 102.1, beating at 21,600vph with a 48-hour power reserve.

And finally, I have to give credit for the strap choice — the brown kudu leather pairs beautifully with the vintage vibe of the piece. And let’s not forget those thin, elegantly shaped hands — beautifully executed.

Overall, I’m so glad I made the trip. I’m not sure I’d call this a pure dress watch, but it’s absolutely a future acquisition target for me.

Curious to hear your impressions — anyone else seen this one in the metal?

Getting on a plane and flying across the country to see a watch! 👏🏻 Mark, thanks so much for sharing you pics and initial impressions of the 37 mm version. In my mind, this style of watch is best in that size , versus the 41 mm size. And 37 x 9.2 mm - Perfection! 👏🏻 Shocking how the dial disappears in that lighting scenario. But yes indeed, you can see the dial showing vibrant life at the other angle. Beautiful piece overall, front, side and back (in the engine room 🙂). There is nothing like seeing it in the metal with you own eyes. Now you know for sure  it’s a potential target in the future. All the best my friend! 👍🏻

My family asked why I was going to SJC. I just stared at them over my glasses. My UK brother-in-law responded, “Don’t tell me? Watches? Mate, you have a serious problem!”😆

To be honest your review led me to the Moritz Grossmann website to explore more about this watch and to my surprise I found myself more taken by the Black/White version as I like the dial better. What really surprised me though was that the Black/White version was in white gold yet only just over 10% more and I think that makes it a bit of a bargain and was a pleasant surprise.

I’ve seen that one a couple of times:

Of course, the white gold case is much more ‘extroverted’ compared to the 37 Arabic Vintage.

The seconds subdial is recessed and the numerals and minute/second track are printed. It also utilizes their modern logo.

They wear identical on the wrist.

Of course, they share the identical movement.

Hopefully, you will have an opportunity to see their collection in the flesh🤞Then again, it may be quite treacherous for your bank account!😆 Cheers, my friend!🥂

What a beautiful combination of dress watch, Avantgarde and Style!

I’ve been totally obsessed with MG and their collection. Despite the challenges with available funds, I’m determined to add this one to the collection!🤞 Cheers, my friend!🥂

The shape of the hands are perfect and so stylish, they truly force you to gaze at the dial.  I find the Tremblage really eye catching and the movements are lovely.

As you stated, they are so eye catching!🤌 Enjoy your Friday!🥂

Some might say nuts ;-)

I recently got a new piece unique from them that I think has a similar dial. It's also dark gray with cut out German silver numerals. And same thing it looks totally subdued or totally glamorous in different lights. I'll post a photo soon.

And my only "complaint" is that most of their references are thick. It's the column movements. I still love them, but like that they're making some thinner watches now.

I look forward to see your photos! Have a great day!🥂

It's making me desire that watch a little less than I had. Those lighting differences are ones I'm familiar with from some black dial Blancpains of yore. That dull disappearing act is what you get when you have polished white gold numerals that are flat on top. Breguet-style numerals aren't flat like that, and so (imo) work a lot better.

Once again, I was initially caught off guard by the initial impressions. Fortunately, or unfortunately for my bank account, I can live with that! Apologies for ruining your lust for this one!😕 HAGD!🥂

Now making me think where to see it on the flesh 😁

The lighting is often very different to any „real life“ lighting outside or at home and can be very misleading. When I‘m really interested in acquiring a watch I often ask the ADs, if they have an area with natural lighting or sometimes even if I can shortly go outside with the desired watch depending on the situation.