It’s not always easy to find a new watch design that feels truly refreshing these days. Attempts at originality are not always successful, and successful watches are not always original. But amid the overwhelming inundation of watches I saw during New York Watch Week last October, De Rijke & Co.’s then-unreleased prototype of its new dress watch was the design that wouldn’t leave my mind.
The new Capri is the brand’s first dress watch, and while rectangular dress watches aren’t new, one look at the Capri makes it clear there’s something undeniably intriguing about the whole package. It is a shaped watch in its most modern, minimal sense.
From the top down, the expansive, sort-of-square dial seems mysteriously suspended by two imposing floating lug pieces. The three dial variations are quite varied in aesthetic—I had the chance to spend a few days with my favorite variation, the aventurine—but the Capri is also offered in a glossy, jet black stone dial in Onyx, as well as a more classic blue livery paired with conventional dial furniture like applied hour markers and a small seconds hand. But on the aventurine version, the dial is stripped back to its basics, with only the brand logo and a “Dutch made” signature printed in white on the sparkling black surface. The hour and minute hands are skeletonized and jump out thanks to the contrast created by the aventurine, even though chronometry isn’t the design’s objective.
While the top-down is effortless in its simplicity, a closer look at other angles of the Capri reveals some interesting design decisions. The steel case of the Capri is generously rounded on its sides, and the sapphire crystal follows the case geometry, resulting in a very intriguing look in which the dial is also visible directly from the side of the Capri. In a move that’s particularly respectful of the stone and aventurine glass dials, the edges of the dial are polished to curve downwards, mirroring the crystal’s curve, ensuring a refined side view rather than a cross-section cutaway of the watch’s front. It’s this kind of additional intricacy that takes the Capri to the next level in my book, the kind of detail that might be unnoticed by most, but means everything in making the overall watch design as cohesive and deliberate as it is. Most importantly, despite all of this, the watch stands firm in its purpose as a dress watch with a case height of 6.5mm. Lug-to-lug of the rectangular silhouette is 38mm, while the width of the case is 28.5mm. No complaints here.
Though the Capri isn’t an integrated watch, the lug design is also one of the most compelling design points for the watch. The end shrouds of the case are sloped outwards in the cut, so even from the top down, the rounded, oval shape of the case is visible at the ends of the strap. Not only does it add a bit more visual flair, but it also helps temper the expansiveness of the dial and crystal, keeping them in proportion to maintain a sense of elegance. An overwhelming dial, even with these reasonable case proportions, would have exaggerated the watch’s size, and I think De Rijke has achieved a good middle ground here.
Inside the watch is a hand-wound La Joux-Perret D100 calibre, a reworked movement based on the architecture of the Peseaux 7001. Wound through the knurled onion crown, with a power reserve of 50 hours and a beat rate of 3 Hz, it’s pretty much all you need here. Though the D100 used in the Capri is of a higher grade, it’s all hidden behind the solid caseback. No caseback screws are to be seen, as they are hidden within the shrouded lugs for an uninterrupted silhouette.
On the wrist, the Capri is a very fun watch to wear, something I don’t often say when it comes to dress watches. If you couldn’t tell already from my words, I’m a big fan of this design. There’s a ton of character in each decision for the Capri, balanced by a certain sobering minimalism in the overall look. It’s a dress watch that doesn’t feel stuffy, but still has a certain gravitas that suits itself for formal occasions. Some might find the strap proportions a bit weird for a dress watch, thanks to a 24mm width that tapers down to 18mm at the tang buckle. But switch to a thinner, perhaps non-padded strap, and I think those concerns will go away.
All three dial variations of the Capri are limited to 50 pieces each. Priced at €2,195, the watch feels appropriately priced for those who value the time and effort in a unique design rather than merely looking at the movement housed within. During my time with the Capri, I couldn’t help but keep returning to it, turning it at all angles just to keep seeing how the watch changes and reveals new details in different lights. The effort is extremely commendable, and the execution is certainly there to match. Most importantly, it’s a watch that made me smile often while wearing it. A Tank or Reverso is the safe bet for those in search of a rectangular icon, but for something truly unique, the Capri might just take the cake.
