The Grieb & Benzinger watch company has unveiled the latest masterpiece to come out of their workshop. The Blue Wave is a special chronograph that's been carefully skeletonized by hand. It took true craftsmen to create this one-of-a-kind work of art out of raw metal.

The 46mm case is made of solid 18-karat rose gold. Inside is a vintage Minerva mechanical movement that dates back to 1925. The watch is placed on a black alligator strap with a matching 18-karat rose gold buckle. Notice the Rhodium-plated bridges and guilloché. The hand-engraved balance cock is rhodium and rose gold-plated. There's also a blue platinum coating on the base plate. It's an elegant design full of detailed flourishes.

The sapphire case back gives a clear look into the inner workings with 17 jewels. There's not one millimeter of this watch that hasn't been carefully crafted. It's the pinnacle of watchmaking craftsmanship. Only one of these watches has been made, so it's the ultimate limited edition. The high price pushes this watch out of the reach of many, but you can't help but admire its beauty.

GRIEB & BENZINGER Unique Timepiece:
The Blue Wave: a Monopusher Skeleton Chronograph in Rose Gold.

Press Release:

GRIEB & BENZINGER’s unique workshop for high-end collectors has above all made its name with unique minute repeaters for connoisseurs. As the worldwide demand for rare, high-quality chronographs has increased, Hermann Grieb—watchmaking genius and one of the three partners comprising GRIEB & BENZINGER—has opened his treasure chest to conjure up a masterpiece of watchmaking: a rare Minerva column wheel chronograph movement estimated to be from about 1925.

In its heyday, Minerva was one of the finest and best chronograph makers in the world. Chronographs had already been in existence since around 1800, however Minerva was one of the first chronograph makers to incorporate a minute counter. Minerva named its company after the Roman goddess Minerva. Traces of this Roman deity can be found again and again in fine watchmaking—even A. Lange & Söhne has immortalized various depictions of the goddess as a motif or symbol on its most exclusive pocket watch cases.

After countless hours of total restoration, hand skeletonization, hand-engraving and guilloché, the vintage base Minerva movement awakens to new life to become a characteristic new horological piece of art in typical GRIEB & BENZINGER style: the 18-karat gold monopusher skeletonized chronograph christened The Blue Wave.

The company’s typical blue platinum coating of the base plate has also found its way into the 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 polished by hand and classically tempered a cornflower blue over an open flame. Today, steel screws are generally blued by use of galvanic coating. These hand-finished screws are not only a feast for the eyes; it comes as no surprise that they are a standard of quality at GRIEB & BENZINGER.

The Blue Wave is yet another outstanding one-of-a-kind-watch by luxury watch manufacturer GRIEB & BENZINGER. There will only be one lucky timepiece enthusiast worldwide to have the pleasure of wearing this exclusive watch on his or her wrist. (€ 87,500)

Technical Specifications:

• 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
• Retail price:
• 87.500 € (~ $117,762 USD)