A brand new model is the discuss of the watch world as we speak, and the newest instance of a development we’ve seen growing over the past a number of years. GRØNE is the brand new venture from Bart and Tim Grönefeld, the brothers behind the Grönefeld model, one of the crucial acclaimed indies on the planet. Following within the footsteps of the M.A.D. 1 venture, Kurono Tokyo, and others, the model exists as a method for admirers of a excessive priced impartial maker to purchase into the aesthetic and perspective of the model at a way more reasonably priced value level. The primary launch from GRØNE, the Manueel One, carries a retail value of simply 2,150 Euros. At retail, Grönefeld watches begin at round 50,000 Euros and go up from there. They’re additionally very low manufacturing, with fewer than 100 items made every year.
The Manueel One, in keeping with Bart and Tim, was impressed by a want to convey their watches to “our our watchmakers, our kids, and our associates.” If this sentiment sounds acquainted, it’s almost equivalent to Max Büsser’s reasoning behind the M.A.D. 1 venture, which was initially solely supplied to associates of the model, together with companions that Max and his crew had labored with for years. Just like the M.A.D. 1, the Manueel One borrows some aesthetic and design ideas from the upper priced watches the model is understood for, however it does so with out the intense consideration to craft and watchmaking you’d get with an atelier made timepiece. That’s to be anticipated, in fact. Anybody pondering that an order for the Manueel One is an order for the stainless ending discovered on a Principia, for example, ought to critically mood their expectations.
So what do you get with the Manueel One? It’s a sector dial of types, with a tremblage internal part in a salmon tone, with an outer metallic ring the place you’ll discover hour and minute markers. The salmon colorway and tremblage ending are each aesthetic options borrowed from Grönefeld’s atelier-made watches, however it’s value mentioning that the tremblage end right here is utilized with what I’m positive is an excellent stamping course of. True tremblage, which entails painstaking work of making micro textures with a tiny hammer and chisel, just isn’t one thing anybody ought to count on on a watch at this value level.
The case traces are clearly impressed by the model’s Rementoir and Principia, and have distinguished scalloped lugs. The design is definitely fairly advanced, with a bezel that’s domed between the lugs however concave alongside the case flanks. The stainless-steel case is polished and measures 38.5mm in diameter and 9mm tall (not together with the sapphire crystal). It’s notable, I feel, that the Grönefeld brothers have made an try and evoke their well-known case designs on this watch. A simple comparability level, the Kurono Tokyo watches designed by Hajime Asaoka, take pains to evoke the watchmaker’s aesthetic within the dials, however the circumstances, usually, lack a lot of the complexity of his larger priced items.
The motion is a manually wound Sellita SW210. Curiously, the model claims that the caliber has been “torque adjusted” to realize a winding really feel most well-liked by the Grönefeld brothers. What does this imply, virtually talking? It’s inconceivable to know with out actually getting our palms on the watch, however this too represents a barely completely different method to one of these watch than what we’ve seen from different manufacturers dipping their toes into the reasonably priced fanatic pushed market. Winding really feel is very subjective, however I feel most watch lovers at one level or one other have skilled a manually wound motion that simply feels nice (Naoya Hida, I’m taking a look at you), so my curiosity is piqued as to what winding this watch will actually really feel like.
The Manueel One’s existence took us unexpectedly as we speak, and judging from commentary on Instagram and the Worn & Wound+ Slack group, opinions are actually all over. Along with the same old eye rolls about value that appear to accompany actually each watch (as a result of no watches are pretty priced – it’s a common reality), questions have come up in regards to the numerous ways used to promote the Manueel One, specifically using the time period “tremblage” to explain the dial ending, which has already garnered a response and clarification from Bart Grönefeld himself on Instagram. There may be additionally, I feel, a debate that’s as a consequence of happen on what it means for prime finish indies to enter the reasonably priced fanatic market, significantly within the wake of the massive success of the M.A.D. 1. It may be considered as an altruistic gesture by these manufacturers on the one hand in getting cool stuff within the palms of true fanatics (hopefully), however the alternative to leverage a luxurious model title for a fast (and substantial) money infusion can’t be ignored. To not suggest this or any related watch is a “money seize” within the conventional, overwhelmingly unfavorable method that time period is incessantly used, however somewhat I’m questioning if making extra reasonably priced watches alongside larger finish items below a unique model title could possibly be a completely new mannequin that would assist some impartial manufacturers maintain themselves.
GRØNE is making 388 examples of the Manueel One, with pre-orders opening on November 19. All indications on the brand’s new website would appear to level to extra watches coming ultimately, however there don’t seem like any hints as to when that could be or what it’d imply.
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