What We Know
Today, Dutch brand De Rijke & Co. introduces a series of three new limited-edition takes on its distinctive driver watch design, in collaboration with artist Guy Allen. A successor to De Rijke’s previous Guy Allen collaboration, Land, Sea, and Air, the new Series 2 triples down on the automotive component of those designs, with a trio of Amalfi watches featuring different cars on the dial. The “Amazon” features a Land Rover Defender driving through a green jungle-like background, the “Sahara” depicts a Porsche 911 zipping through red and yellow sands, and the “Turini” shows a Lancia Stratos surrounded by mountains in a vibrant blue atmosphere.
Sahara
Amazon (left) and Turini (right).
Images courtesy De Rijke & Co.
But it’s the execution of these illustrations, like with the first series, that takes these designs to new heights. Each dial starts as a base of solid 925 silver, with the illustration lines engraved so that the car and its surroundings remain in relief. Champlevé enameling comes next, through craftspeople in the UK, but this trio of watches introduces varying depths of engraving on the lower half of each dial. This creates a really interesting contrast with the clean line-drawing style up top, as well as the changing hues of the grand feu enamel thanks to those shifting levels. This dial is surrounded by a black minutes track, with printed white markings and polished applied indices for the five-minute marks.
Cases are where De Rijke & Co. have really made a mark, and the Amalfi case is a great example (the same one we’ve seen before with the brand’s Miffy moonphase design). It’s a unique take on the driver’s watch, typically seen with a dial rotated to compensate for the driver’s wrist position on the steering wheel. With thfe Amalfi silhouette, it’s actually a two-piece case, with the outer case housing an inner core that can be rotated up to 90 degrees by shifting the crown on the right side of the case. As such, the crystal, caseback, and movement are all fixed to the inner case and rotate with the crown’s position. The case measures a very reasonable 38.2mm in diameter and 11mm thick. The Series 2 is offered in matte ceramic, with the Amazon coming in black ceramic and the Turini and Sahara offered in white.
Behind the caseback, engraved with another interpretation of the illustrations on the dial, sits a high-grade Sellita SW-300 automatic caliber. Each of the three models will be made in a numbered run of 50 pieces and will be priced at €4,595.
What We Think
I’ve always quietly paid attention to De Rijke & Co. since the introduction of its unique rotating case design, but I’ve never actually been able to get my hands on one until I saw them at WindUp Watch Fair last year. While the main attraction for me was the then-upcoming dress watch design from the brand, the Capri, I happened to get a quick glimpse of this ceramic-cased Amalfi. I’ve had the prototype of the “Sahara” in the office now for a few days, and it looks great in the metal (or ceramic, really).
While I don’t necessarily fall into the demographic clamoring for automotive-inspired designs, I think that the continued collaboration with Guy Allen is successful in its mission for the right audience, and I really appreciate the Champlevé craft that goes into these dials. It’s a much, much more serious endeavour than just slapping a pad-printed illustration onto a blank dial, and certainly feels very special. Then again, the watches are very much priced accordingly, around $5,300 when converted from Euros to USD. While some might find it on the higher side, these watches offer a lot of unique qualities for the right buyer – a ceramic case, a grand feu enameled dial, and a playful (literal) twist on the driver’s watch.
The Basics
Brand: De Rijke & Co.
Model: Amalfi Special Edition
Diameter: 38.2mm
Thickness: 11mm
Case Material: Ceramic (white or black)
Dial Color: Various, in Champlevé enamel and silver
Indexes: Applied
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Rubber strap with custom De Rijke & Co. buckle
The Movement
Caliber: Sellita SW-300 High Grade
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 VpH
Jewels: 25
Chronometer Certified: No
Pricing & Availability
Price: €4595
Availability: De Rijke & Co.
Limited Edition: Yes, each variant limited to 50 pieces.
For more, click here.
