Grieb & Benzinger isn’t a brand that makes it on these pages too often, but their latest creation is something that really caught my eye. Whatever the model is, they’re a brand known for skeletonizing and hand-engraving – which, when combined together with the skill they exhibit, makes for quite a stunning piece.
The St. George is of course named for the patron saint of Russia, and the watch is being released now as a sort of tie-in to the Olympics coming up in Sochi. My own interesting in the piece is a little more personal. I came aware of the story of St. George courtesy of a black light poster that I had in my high school years – one, of course, of St. George defeating the dragon.
While this movement won’t be glowing under UV light, they still do have St. George riding in on his trusty steed to defeat the dragon. This is a great bit of detail work, and it’s further complemented by the open and engraved movement, letting you see quite of a bit of it at work. Flipping the watch over to the dial side, and you’ll still see part of the movement via cutouts in the small seconds subdial.
The dial is a two-layer affair, with the blue lower layer picking up the wave pattern you see engraved on the movement. The top layer is where you get the hour and minute tracks coming in, keeping things pretty readable with the pomme-style handset. Even the bezel of the 43mm case picks up a pattern found in the movement engraving, making for a very unified (and decorated) watch.
Given that only seven of these watches have been made, this is a timepiece that’s firmly in luxury territory (though, if you’re looking to pick one up, be ready to bring around $60,000 to the table; retail is 43.000 €). As with other times I’ve delved into higher-end watches on these pages, it’s not so much a commentary on luxury pricing; rather, it’s bringing focus to the details and finishing that can be found on the higher end.
Even though I’ll likely never purchase something like this, it’s a great way to kind of whet your appetite for watches in general, and go prospecting for different ways that things can be presented, and allow it to both broaden your appreciation of this hobby of ours, as well as to help shape your own ideas of what you like to see in a watch that will end up on your wrist.
I’m curious if you, our readers, are of a similar mindset. Sound off in the comments (or send me an email) letting me know your take on pieces like these – and perhaps even others of a similar ilk you like to have a gander at. grieb-benzinger.com
Tech Specs from Grieb & BEnzinger
- Case material: 18-karat palladium white gold
- Diameter: 43mm
- Height: 12mm
- Lug width: 22mm
- Weight: 100g
- Price: 43.000 € (approx $60,000)
- Limited Edition: (7) pieces
