What We Know
It’s always a great day when we get news from Bart and Tim Grönefeld. But this time, the news came with a lot of anticipation, as I’ve been getting a lot of texts and messages from people around the world asking what, exactly, the brothers were teasing on Instagram. First, I couldn’t tell anyone, even if I did know—that’s how embargoes work—but second, I only found out this morning. However, the brothers’ new Quadrivium, with a 7.5-second remontoire with exposed governor, a one-minute flying tourbillon, central jumping seconds, and a power-reserve indicator, certainly was worth the anticipation.
The watch combines highlights from the brand’s history, especially the discontinued pieces customers kept asking for. The deadbeat seconds from the original One Hertz in 2010 are here. So is the GPHG-winning Parallax Tourbillon (which had a power reserve indicator) from 2014. Finally, the Remontoire was launched in 2016 and eventually became one of the earliest Hodinkee limited editions.
All of this comes together in a compact 40mm by 11.3mm case, made in either tantalum or platinum, with the brand’s “1941” collection design language: a polished, domed bezel; incut flanks and lugs; and a stepped shape to the downturned lugs as well. The dial is also quintessential Grönefeld, with a frosted main surface, hand-beveled stainless steel elements, and polished, multi-faceted white gold hour markers, topped with blued hands.
The movement side is also exactly what you’d envision from the brand: a complex display of gearing with dark frosted sections surrounded by high-polish framework and bridges that maintain the general shape of the “bell gables” drawn from architecture in the Netherlands. There’s a lot of complexity here and maybe worth a deeper look at how it all comes together in a future, more technical story (interesting things immediately stick out, including what seems to be a wheel for fine-tuning the beat rate, potentially), but you can also quickly see that the watch uses serially connected concentric twin barrels to provide all the power needed—50 hours in total. In all, the watch has 473 parts.
The new 1941 Quadrivium comes in two series of 28 pieces each, further customizable with five different base colors that will be announced in a few weeks. The Premiere edition is in tantalum, while the follow-up will be in platinum. The prices are €280,000 and €310,000, respectively.
What We Think
I quite like the look of this new release—as I said before, it’s quintessential Grönefeld. Their most recent releases have been around their affordable side-project Grøne, which takes a page out of the M.A.D.Editions playbook, but this release is the kind of thing that makes people dream of owning a full-fledged Grönefeld. I’ve heard that they have already taken some pre-orders from long-time clients who were raving about this new piece that they had seen, and I can understand why.
The dimensions look great and really wearable, and the shape of the 1941 collection always wore really well on my wrist. I also like the soft sand color of this first example that they put out for press images, though I’m curious about the other options that will be available. I tend to always go for the reserved option, not that I’m buying one myself. Business is apparently booming for the Grönefelds as well, because their website already says that they’re having to pause orders for other models due to demand and their own limited capacity as a small independent brand.
That means my main hesitation—the price—probably isn’t a barrier for most serious buyers at this level. But for comparison’s sake, this is about $30,000 more than F.P. Journe’s Tourbillon Souverain Vertical (with all the same functions, just not a flying tourbillon, rather a vertical one). At this price point, I expect some collectors might double up with both watches (if they like) rather than cross-shop and feel pressured into one or the other. I don’t think anyone could look at this watch on their wrist and be anything but all smiles.
The Basics
Brand: Grönefeld
Model: 1941 Quadrivium
Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 11.3mm
Case Material: Tantalum or Platinum
Indexes: White gold, applied
Lume: None
Water Resistance: Not listed
Strap/Bracelet: Leather strap with tang buckle
The Movement
Caliber: Quadrivium
Functions: Hours, minutes, central jumping seconds, 7.5-second remontoire, 1-minute flying tourbillon, and power reserve
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 vph
Additional Details: 473 components, sapphire caseback
Pricing & Availability
Price: EUR 280,000 in tantalum or EUR 310,000 in platinum
Availability: Delivery planned for 2027
Limited Edition: Yes, 28 pieces in each case material
For more, click here.
