The Precision and Personality of the Atum Pure

Founded in 2008, the manufacture is dedicated to the aesthetics and functionality of precision instruments crafted in Glashütte in the 19th century. Moritz Grossmann’s ideas remain inspiring to this very day. His essay “On the construction of a simple but mechanically perfected watch” still reflects the zeitgeist of our era.

The Pure Classic Finish is another historic facet that Grossmann is bringing to life: Moritz Grossmann applied various finishes to his chronograph movements, thus changing their looks. In highly diverse variations, they also reflect different concepts.

Grossmann is now pursuing this tradition with a second finissage approach. The Pure Classic Finish focuses on horological details in design and craftsmanship. It concentrates on function and on the aesthetic appeal of materials. A specially conceived manufacture caliber stands out in the new steel versions in the Atum family. Combining cool steel with reductive design, the Atum Pure embodies Grossmann’s philosophy in perfection: pure watchmaking artistry since 1854.

From the outside, the Atum Pure is nearly unchanged. The steel case underscores the technical nature of the model family. Its dial is endowed with a fine brushed texture and is lacquered in white, gray, or blue. Burnished chamfers on the seconds dial and along the applied markers amplify the sporty nature of the watch. With their straight edges and broad chamfers, the lancet-shaped hands match the marker style. They are hand sculpted from stainless steel, a modern material that retains its toughness after tempering. After their openings are filled with white “Hy-Ceram,” the hands are meticulously polished to attain their final look.

A glance through the display back reveals the caliber 201.1 with the Pure Classic Finish. It was specially designed to be cased in stainless steel. The German silver plates are shot-peened with glass beads for enhanced aesthetic appeal. Shot peening mattes the surface, making it highly sensitive. Great care must be taken in the assembly phase for this reason. The white sapphire bearing jewels, a Grossmann hallmark, are pressed directly into the plate. The movement screws are polished flat and retain their original steel hue.

The caliber 201.1 movement embodies some of the manufacture’s most prominent proprietary developments, such as the Grossmann balance, the modified Glashütte stopwork, and the Grossmann manual winder with pusher.

The characteristic Grossmann balance is paired with a hand-shaped flat hairspring that has two bends. Because the curb pin remains free, the adjuster curve can be accurately centered. Design modifications make it possible to adjust beat and rate separately without removing the oscillator. For this purpose, Grossmann’s watchmakers positioned the rotatable stud holder in the balance cock such that it can be conveniently blocked. There is absolutely no play between the index adjuster, the stud holder, and the upper balance bearing. This allows the Atum Pure to be precisely adjusted at any time.