Tremblage is an art form. Taken from the French meaning 'to tremble', the finish is exactly what it sounds like. The maniacally intricate pattern on this dial could be considered engraving, but it is so much more time intensive. This dial started out and the same height you see on its Breguet numerals (which aren't applied, but hewn), a mirror polished blank of German silver, completely even. It has then been tapped with a tiny burin well over 100,000 times across its surface by one watchmaker, with an arm tensed so hard that it's effectively vibrating. The German watchmakers in Glashütte have always been known for their artful engraving work. But this takes years of practice, and brings the visual impression to an entirely distinct level.
Carl Moritz Grossmann was close friends with Ferdinand Adolph Länge and formed his own workshop in 1880, then co-founder of the German School of Watchmaking. The name stayed dormant after his passing, until 2008 when Christine Hutter acquired it and began innovating within the style of traditional German cues. It's cutting edge independent meets Glashütte heritage, and this pushing of boundaries has seen MG win many hearts in a short space of time. For the Tremblage, it's really only Lange's Handwerkskunst and Winnerl doing anything remotely like this today. Audemars Piguet tried something similar on its Tuscan dials, but could only manage to produce tiny numbers as well for the time investment necessary.
This philosophy is on full display in the movement, inspired by German pocket watch architecture. The calibre 100.1 is a ⅔ plate made in warm German silver to match the dial, with an oversized 18000 vph balance wheel supported by a hand-engraved balance cock. The plates are frosted in the traditional German style, with clear jewels not rubies in gold chatons. Traditional snailing and hand engraving is seen in ample measure, complimented dial-side by the old style of heat-annealed blue lancette hands.
But then this is all contained in a very modern 41mm three-piece case with broad polished lugs, a stepped crystal, and tapering (very space-age) crown. Speaking of that crown, you'll notice a little button next to it. A genius solution to a problem we didn't know we had, the Germans own precision in time-setting here. Instead of pulling out the crown to set the time then push it back in, this crown is springloaded to the case. You pull it out once and return it to its original position to engage time setting. Then, once that's done accurately, you push this button to re-engage the balance. This allows it to both be set precisely and not have any of the 'crown wobble' we all known when you push a crown back in but accidentally move it slightly in the process, offsetting the hands. An innovative mark of diligent attention to detail, that.
Christine Hutter views German watchmaking very differently to Lange or Nomos and her work speaks for itself. The Tremblage is a unique proposition in the market and there is very little like it in the world, full stop. It takes into its stride German watchmaking tradition, brave time-intensive technique, and an passionately innovative edge inherent to the brand's independent roots. It is a love letter to doing things the hard way with time and effort for the most beautiful result possible.
