The Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire OnlyWatch: A Love Story
Those who know me know that I have a soft spot for independent watch brands. They take artistic and technical risks that mainstream brands rarely do, while demonstrating a clear passion for the love of watchmaking that is conveyed with every detail of their tiny mechanical works of wearable art. On top of that, the people I have met from this corner of the watch industry are incredibly nice - generous with their time and knowledge, and most importantly, supporting one another in their individual and independent endeavors.
The 1941 Remontoire Constant Force is housed in the Grönefelds’ 1941 case, named for the year their father Sjef was born.
The stories behind many of these small independent brands are fascinating. Following the journey of passion and craftsmanship that brought these people to where they are today is inspiring. And my favorite of these (shhh… don’t tell the others) is that of the Grönefeld brothers, whose story in watchmaking begins several generations before they were born, and continues on in their hometown of Oldenzaal in The Netherlands.
Johan Grönefeld’s shop in Oldenzaal. Photo courtesy of the Grönefeld brothers.
Bart and Tim Grönefeld’s grandfather, Johan Grönefeld, became a watchmaker in 1912, and was responsible for caring for the mechanisms in the Saint Plechelmus basilica clock tower in Oldenzaal. His son, Sjef, learned his father’s profession, and took over his watchmaking workshop and the maintenance of the clock when Johan died. And Sjef’s sons, the Grönefeld brothers, continue in the family passion and profession, creating beautiful timepieces with a focus on craftsmanship in their hometown of Oldenzaal. You can read more about the history of the brand and their outstanding mechanical creations in this excellent and comprehensive article A Brief History of Time: Grönefeld’s Complete Brand History at Fratello Watches.
Sjef Grönefeld maintaining the clock in the basilica in Oldenzaal. Photo courtesy of the Grönefeld brothers.
Released in 2016, the 1941 Remontoire model is a technical achievement in and of itself. Inspired by the clock in the basilica in Oldenzaal, it sets out to supply constant force to the balance wheel despite the inherent inconstancy of force supplied by a mainspring. This is achieved by using a remontoire mechanism, which rotates every eight seconds and results in the force delivered to the balance wheel remaining constant whether it is fully wound or about to run out of power. This increases the accuracy of the timekeeping function throughout the entire power reserve of the watch. I was entranced by this watch the moment I saw its remontoire mechanism joyfully twirling through the opening in the dial.
The remontoire mechanism is visible through a cutout on the left side of the dial.
The technical mastery involved with taking inspiration from a movement that is in a large clock and placing a similar function into something that fits on your wrist is extraordinary, and the family history behind the inspiration makes it even more special.
As with every Grönefeld timepiece, the attention to detail in the movement construction and finishing is exquisite. The bridges are reminiscent of the “bell gables” on the facades of Dutch houses, and the contrast of different materials and finishes make the movement, visible through the sapphire case back, a feast for the eyes.
The movement of the 1941 Remontoire Constant Force Only Watch, which features bridges reminiscent of the “bell gable” facades of Dutch houses.
In 2019, the Grönefelds created a piece unique for the biennial OnlyWatch auction. This was their first creation for this charity event, and they chose to create a one-of-a-kind version of the sold-out 1941 Remontoire. This piece features a steel case with a unique dial that is in a color that is somewhat difficult to put into words: a metallic hue that hovers somewhere between sand and stone, with a unique surface texture that emerged, as Bart puts it, as a result of a failure of trying to achieve something else. The resulting texture is entrancing. The center of the dial has a warmer tone, so the whole effect is reminiscent of a zen garden if it were made of a shimmering metallic sand.
Back to the OnlyWatch auction itself. Auctions as a whole tend to bring out lots of bidders with very deep bankrolls and even deeper enthusiasm, and the OnlyWatch charity auction is no exception. The Grönefeld piece was lot 1 in the auction, which can go either way - some people will come out of the gate and bid up a storm, while others will wait to see how the early lots fare before stepping into the fray. But there was one bidder who was determined to win this lot, a RedBar member from NYC who had been searching for the perfect version of the 1941 Remontoire to add to his collection, and his determination paid off - he won the lot. When I saw that the winning bidder was in NYC, I texted him to congratulate him… and to inform him that I would be frequently fawning over his latest acquisition.
The journey of the Grönefelds continues as they recently moved into their new building near the basilica. They now have triple the space, much more natural light, and the ability to hire more watchmakers. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Tim (left) and Bart (right) Grönefeld in their new atelier. Photo courtesy of the Grönefeld brothers.
