A Look At Some Of The Latest and Greatest Watches From the Netherlands

We might be small when looking at a world map, but the Dutch are capable of great things! The thing that comes to mind first is no doubt the stereotypical wooden clogs, tulips and windmills but we’re capable of far more than that. We’re actually a world leader in water management and a fair few other things as well. On the watchmaking side of things, great strides have been undertaken in the past few years to put Dutch brands on the map! Established brands like Christiaan van der Klaauw and Grönefeld continue to fascinate us, while new and exciting brands like Lebois & Co and Holthinrichs join in the action. Time to take a closer look at some of the latest and greatest watches coming out of the Netherlands!

D.M.H. Jump Hour

This is the watch that triggered me to rummage around again at what’s being made in my home country of the Netherlands; the D.M.H. Jump Hour. Made by one man, Fred Dingemans, in his home atelier, it’s a refreshingly honest slice of artisanal watchmaking. Everything from the case to the unique crown construction and the dial and hand is made and finished by Fred. The movement is a vintage jump hour Tenor Dorley 1736, with time split between a jumping hour disc, revolving minute disc and a central seconds hand. No two watches leaving Fred’s workshop are alike, as each one is made bespoke. Prices start at a sensible EUR 2,795.

For more information, please visit DingemansMechanischeHorloges.com.

Quick Facts – 39.6mm x 12mm – stainless steel case, brushed – wire lugs – unique Dingemans crown – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – blue lacquered dial, in-house – jumping hour & revolving minute discs – orange lacquered seconds hand – date disc – NOS Tenor Dorly 1376, fully serviced – automatic winding – 21,600vph – 48h power reserve – signed rotor – leather or rubber strap with pin buckle – unique pieces, made to order – starting price of EUR 2,795

Holthinrichs Signature Ornament Delft Blue

Next up is the Signature Ornament by Michiel Holthinrichs, the architect-turned-watchmaker from Delft, the Netherlands. It follows the very successful and long-running Ornament series and pushes the boundaries of his design ethos to new heights. The shape is unique, with lugs that separate from the titanium case in a very distinct way. It comes with this Delft Blue white ceramic dial, or with a frosted dial in yellow gold, rose gold, white rhodium or black rhodium. Powered by a Sellita SW300 with a custom in-house rotor, the Signature Ornament is the new entry-level watch by Holthinrichs, starting at EUR 3,500 excl. VAT. The Delft Blue dial is slightly pricier, at EUR 3,750 excl. VAT.

For more information, please visit HolthinrichsWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 38.5mm x 9.85mm – CNC-machined sculptural titanium case – frosted yellow gold, rose gold, white rhodium, black rhodium finished metal, or ‘Delft Blue’ white ceramic dials – hand-finished faceted openworked hands – Sellita SW-300, top-grade – automatic winding with custom in-house rotor – 28,800vph – 50h power reserve – leather strap with signed pin buckle – permanent collection – EUR 3,500 before taxes (Ornament) or EUR 3,750 before taxes (Delft Blue)

De Rijke & Co Amalfi Enamel Series

De Rijke & Co is known for his Amalfi, which comes with a rotatable centre case, making for a fun and very practical driver’s watch. It started out as a simple three-hander, and that’s still the core of the collection, but it has also morphed into a whimsical Miffy-themed series of limited editions. The latest though is the Amalfi Enamel series, with a hand-made Champlevé enamel dial depicting a boat, car or airplane that matches the spirit of the watch perfectly. Each one is limited to 25 pieces and relies on a Sellita SW300 automatic. Prices are quite sensible given the craftsmanship on display, at EUR 3,395 excluding taxes!

For more information, please visit DeRijkeandCo.com.

Quick Facts – 38.2mm x 11mm – stainless steel case, with rotatable centre container – sapphire crystal, engraved caseback – 50m water-resistant – Champlevé enamel dial in three colours/designs – hand-applied enamel decoration – central hour, minutes & seconds hand – Sellita SW300, high-grade – automatic winding – 28,800vph – 42h power reserve – grained calf leather strap with pin buckle – limited to 25 pieces per colour – EUR 3,395 (excl. taxes)

Christiaan van der Klaauw grande planetarium eccentric

The stellar Grande Planetarium Eccentric is the latest masterpiece by Christiaan van der Klaauw and one that expands on the already mind-boggling Planetarium. The ‘standard’ Planetarium was already the world’s smallest mechanical planetarium, and the Grande Planetarium Eccentric adds the remaining two planets to it, to make a total of eight celestial bodies. Each one follows its own trajectory across the starry Aventurine dial, with central hands indicating time. The movement is a modular construction with a base by Andreas Strehler and a module designed in-house. It comes in rose gold for EUR 208,000 or platinum for EUR 227,000.

For more information, please visit Klaauw.com.

Quick Facts – 44mm x 14.3mm – 950 platinum or 18k rose gold case, polished – sapphire crystal front & back – Aventurine glass dial – eccentric planetarium indication with coloured planets – open-tip hands – Manufacture Calibre (Andreas Strehler base, in-house module) – automatic winding – 21,600vph – 60h power reserve – planetary indication with eccentric trajectories and accurate rotational speeds for all 8 planets – dark blue leather strap with folding clasp – EUR 208,000 in rose gold, EUR 227,000 in platinum

Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph

I could have opted for Airain instead of Lebois & Co as both are headed by the same Dutchman, Tom van Wijlick, but I think the Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph is just gorgeous. It comes in quite a number of styles, all focusing on a bicompax chronograph display and backed by a manually wound La Joux-Perret movement. The design varies in terms of the bezel (stepped or bevelled) and the scale on the dial (pulsometer, telemeter, tachymeter) and there’s even a special Indian Motorcycles edition, which is really cool! All come on a leather strap, and prices are the same regardless of the reference; EUR 3,075.

For more information, please visit LeboisandCo.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 13.9mm (10.5mm without crystal) – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – bevelled or stepped bezel – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – bi-compax dial in various colours – printed (Indian edition) or applied numerals – leaf- or sword-shaped hands – tachymeter/telemeter/pulsometer scales – La Joux-Perret LC-450, manually wound – 28,800vph – 60h power reserve – suede leather strap with pin buckle – EUR 3,075

Grönefeld 1941 Grönograaf

Tim and Bart Grönefeld are perhaps the best-known Dutch watchmakers at the moment, and rightfully so. Coming from Oldenzaal, in the eastern part of the Netherlands, are some of the most exquisite watches you can find in our country. The 1941 Grönograaf, a verbal play on the brother’s last name and the Dutch word for Chronograph is a prime example of their work. The design splits time between an off-centred hour and minute display with a subdial for the running seconds, and a central seconds hand with a 30-minute counter for the chronograph. Also visible on the dial is the power reserve, plus the speed governor that ensures the gentle zero-reset for the chronograph. No orders are taken at this point, so you’re quite out of luck if you were looking to obtain one!

For more information, please visit Gronefeld.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 11.30mm – stainless steel or tantalum case, polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – multi-level dial with various types of finishing – flame-blued hands – calibre G-04, in-house – hand-wound column wheel chronograph – 408 components – 21,600vph – 53h power reserve – speed regulator (visible dial-side) for gentle zero-reset – handmade leather strap with pin buckle – limited to 188 pieces in steel & 25 pieces in tantalum – EUR 155,000 (steel) or EUR 165,000 (tantalum)