Making Ever-lasting Memories at our Inaugural Taste Of Time Event

Recently, we co-organized a watch event with ten independent watch brands, welcoming close to 200 guests and spoiling everyone with Michelin-star food and bites, bubbles (and beer), and great coffees prepared by a barista. During the two-day event, appropriately named Taste of Time, the presentations given by the participating brands garnered as much attention as the delicious food and drinks and the perfect organization by Reijersen Jewellers. As the cherry on top, two brands launched an entirely new collection!

De Rijke & Co. Amalfi Series Enamel

Holthinrichs Signature Ornament

In the fifteen-odd years I’ve been doing MONOCHROME, this was the first event we organized. Occasionally, we organized and hosted dinners, sometimes with watch brands, but a two-day / three-evening event with ten watch brands, close to 200 guests and seated (Michelin star) dinners… that was something new!

The goal was to show our readers the watches that they usually won’t be able to see (and try) without travelling quite a stretch. Of course, the guests should be able to learn something (hence the presentations) and try the watches on the wrist! That was crucial! Together with Adriaan Reijersen-van Buuren, owner of Reijersen Jewellers in the picturesque city of Oudewater, we started planning… Which brands to invite, maybe add a second location for presentations, organize food and drinks (Adriaan’s speciality!) and the entire hospitality (champagne bar, oyster girl, barista, and taxi service with Bentley Bentayga’s).

Guests were driven from the parking outside the small medieval city centre to the Reijersen boutique in Bentley’s; not the worst experience. And from there on, it was an abundance of great food & drinks, great watch brands, and the opportunity to talk to people from the brands, try watches on the wrist, and attend presentations. The boutique turned into a restaurant every evening, and the party continued.

On our event’s first evening, De Rijke & Co. introduced their new watch(es), the Amalfi Enamel Series. The next day, Holthinrichs introduced a new collection—or actually two new collections: their new entry-level Signature Ornament and even more spectacular Signature LAB.

The Holthinrichs Signature LAB, with 3D printed case.

The guests who attended the two days got to enjoy watches from Angelus, Arnold & Son, Christiaan van der Klaauw, Czapek, De Rijke & Co, Holthinrichs, Hulsman Timepieces, Laurent Ferrier, Ressence, and Speake-Marin. It wasn’t the usual retailer event (only with Reijersen’s own brands), as Reijersen doesn’t sell most of the brands that participated in our Taste of Time event! So kudos to Reijersen for this bold move!

All that’s left is to say a wholehearted thank you very much to everyone who was part of Taste of Time: the close to 200 guests, the team of restaurant De Burgemeester, Gilles, who served superb wines and bubbles, Bentley in Rotterdam, who provided the taxi service, and last but not least, the team of Reijersen. It was an absolute blast and I hope to see you next year for the second chapter of Taste of Time!

Adriaan Reijersen – Frank Geelen

Adriaan Reijersen – Frank Geelen