Holthinrichs Launches The FIRST EVER Entirely Dutch Made Movement With The Ornament Nouveau

Since the start of MONOCHROME almost two decades ago, we have come a very long way. Through almost 10,000 articles, we have brought you some of the most amazing watches from all corners of the world. Despite the fact we always publish our stories in English and work with an international team, we are of Dutch origin, something you’re probably well aware of. So it’s always a very satisfying moment when we can share something watch-related coming from our small but proud nation. And boy, do we have something for you lined up today! Michiel Holthinrichs and his small team of artisans have cooked up something very, very special; the first-ever Dutch-made serially produced mechanical watch movement! Making its worldwide debut, this is the highly sculptural Holthinrichs Nouveau Ornament!

3D-printed pioneer

To briefly remind you who Michiel Holthinrichs is, and what he does, we go back to 2016, the year he founded his own watchmaking atelier. As the son of an artist and automotive engineer, plus being trained as an architect, he’s always had a keen sense of design, styling and ornamental elements in buildings, furniture, cars, clothing and so on. Originally Michiel is from the eastern parts of the Netherlands, close to the German border, but he moved to Delft for his studies and simply never left.

The Ornament in 3D printed 18k rose gold…

and 3D printed platinum.

Delft is a historic city in the Netherlands, known for being a hub for craftsmanship for many decades, centuries even. It’s also home to the world’s leading University of Technology and a breading ground for technological innovation. During Michiel’s studies, he started servicing and selling vintage watches, to learn more about the art of watchmaking. This combination, along with his meticulous search for perfection ultimately resulted in the foundation of Holthinrichs Watches.

The Holthinrichs RAW Bronze…

… and it’s copper movement.

Through his eponymous atelier, Michiel’s unique vision of an architectural timepiece became a reality, and in the process, he became a pioneer in 3D printing in the field of watches. His debut piece was the Ornament, which had an intricately designed case, a hand-wound Peseux movement and relatively simple yet elegant closed dials.

Over time things progressed into the first 3D-printed gold and platinum watches, a more outspoken RAW version utilizing the unique surface left on the exterior of the case after printing and so on. In 2021, celebrating 5 years of independent watchmaking he introduced the rather delectable Raw Bronze with a 3D-printed bronze case, a unique patinated dial and an extensively upgraded version of the Peseux 7001, with skeletonized copper bridges and ample amounts of hand finishing. Spurred on by clients and a relentless pursuit of perfection, things evolved into the Liminality series where Michiel envisioned the fleeting moments right after a catastrophic impact.

The PreLiminality and Liminality served as the stepping stone for the DECONSTRUCTED, which features an intricately redesigned case, and a dial made up of 25 individually finished components. But what stood out most of all was the Geiger-esque look it had, thanks to the fully 3D-printed titanium bracelet, complete with folding buckle and integrated quick-release springs.

Then, taking yet another step in new directions, we recently learned about the new entry-level collection set to replace the whole Ornament saga; the non-limited Signature Series (see above) and the 30-piece limited-edition Signature LAB. But the team wasn’t done yet, as it was building up to the launch of the aptly named Ornament Nouveau.

nouveau beginnings

Now that we’ve covered the history of Holthinrichs so far, it’s time to look at the new watch. For anyone who ever talked to Michiel personally, it should come as no surprise he’s always dreamed of creating his own movement. Not simply adapting something off the shelf (although nothing wrong with that!) but a genuine serially developed and produced manufacture movement made in the Netherlands. It’s been in the making since 2017, and finally, the Nouveau Ornament delivers what was envisioned from the beginning, and then some!

For once I don’t want to start with the case, no matter how amazing it may look. Instead, the focal point should be the movement obviously. I want to emphasize that the HW-M02 calibre is a genuine first. We’ve seen a few one-off Dutch-made movements (less than a handful), but always in 100% bespoke watches by Machiel Hulsman. Of course, Tim and Bart Grönefeld immediately come to mind as well, and although the Horological Brothers finish and assemble their movements in the Netherlands, they’re produced in Switzerland.

The Nouveau Ornament uses the organic design codes found in his previous watches to build a movement using sculpted stainless steel bridges and plates that flow in and out, up and down, and left to right. If you look closely at the two barrels and their bridges, or the curvaceous mirrored bridges over the keyless works and geartrain, you can’t help but notice a striking symmetry. And it doesn’t stop there, as the HW-M02 movement also features an in-house made and designed Swiss Lever escapement with a free-sprung variable inertia balance wheel. This is suspended under the so-called Holthinbridge, a 3D sculpted bridge machined from glass. Rubies are set in gold chatons, two of them screwed, and everything is meticulously finished by hand using traditional techniques and tools.

The movement is surrounded by a grade 5 titanium ring with a curved profile and notches as hour markers. Its time indications are reduced to hours and minutes only, with hand-finished stainless steel hands. Both are finished with a broad bevelled edge on the blades, an openworked section down the spine, and linear brushing on the top surface.

The final talking piece, but one not to be overlooked, is the so-called Eclipse Dial. This is a unique domed transparent dial that becomes smoke-black under UV light. That means that during your day, the look of your watch changes from having a almost solid dial (by appearance), to no dial at all and everything in between, depending on the amount of light hitting it. Rather unique, and a very expressive touch to this already very impressive watch! This is something to be seen in real life, for sure.

sculptural to the max

Thankfully, Hotlhinrichs doesn’t limit this architectural and sculptural philosophy to the movement only but fittingly transfers it to the case as well. 3D printed from titanium powder, it’s an extensive evolution of the design language we know and love. It’s styled after the Art Nouveau design and the work of early modernist architects. The design and finishing are done in the typical style of Michiel’s earlier work, with inspiration coming from people like Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Le Corbusier. This means the exterior surfaces are alternatingly polished by hand, or left exposed to show the unique texture left by the 3D printing process. A philosophy Michiel has coined as ‘ Horlogerie Brut’.

The case itself measures 39.5mm in width and 48.5mm in total length, with a height of just 9.5mm. As mentioned, it’s 3D printed in grade 5 titanium, meaning it’s very light. With an expert grasp of the capabilities of 3D printing titanium, Michiel has designed a case that never seems to stop flowing. The lugs curve in and out, up and down and are partially openworked. This gives the Nouveau Ornament a look and feel that’s incomparable to any other watch, as you can truly dive into every crevice of the case. It’s fitted with a 3D printed titanium crown, a sapphire crystal on the front and the back, and is water resistant to 50 meters. Not that you’d want to take this swimming, but it’s somewhat reassuring nonetheless.

It must be said that Michiel Holthinrichs and his team have gone above and beyond, making major strides not only for themselves but also for Dutch watchmaking in general. It’s quite something to have a small team like this capable of presenting a watch of this level, both aesthetically and constructually, entirely done in-house in the Netherlands!

Price & availability

Holthinrichs presents the Ornament Nouveau on a custom-made hornback alligator leather strap, fitted to a signature Holthinrichs 3D printed titanium pin buckle. Naturally, with such a complex and labour-intensive case and movement construction, and only a very small team of expert craftsmen- and women at work, this will be produced in low numbers. A production run of 100 pieces has been announced today, for a price of approximately EUR 65,000 before taxes. On top of that, you can also order a unique stainless steel sculpted art piece to decorate your home on its own, or with your Ornament Nouveau suspended in mid-air for all to be admired.

This truly is a massive step up compared to previous watches such as the Liminality series or the DECONSTRUCED. However, let me be very clear about one thing; in terms of construction, design and finishing, this goes well beyond what the Dutch team has ever done before!It goes without saying we will have a closer look at this watch in person, as for us it’s extremely exciting news.

We are of Dutch origin after all, and have been following Michiel’s path since the very early days. Learning he slept in the back of his atelier early on in his watchmaking career and was on the verge of bankruptcy a few times, but persevered and endured through it all. It’s amazing to see what they are capable of creating, whether it is at the level of the Signature Series, or this! So from me, personally, and the entire team of MONOCHROME Watches; a huge round of applause for the Holthinrichs team, please!

For more information, and to lock in an allocation, please visit HolthinrichsWatches.com.