Christiaan van der Klaauw has a particular gift for making astronomical watchmaking feel personal rather than distant.
The new Ariadne Holland Edition leans into that strength with a distinctly Dutch detail at the moonphase, where a church and windmill frame one of the brand’s most poetic complications.
Created with Reijersen Juweliers for the third Taste of Time event in Oudewater, it’s a 40mm steel calendar chronograph with plenty of traditional watchmaking texture and a very specific sense of place.
Quick summary
- Christiaan van der Klaauw introduces the Ariadne Holland Edition with Reijersen Juweliers.
- The watch brings back a Dutch church-and-windmill motif above the moonphase display.
- Two dial options are offered, in white or turquoise, with blue Breguet-style numerals and hands.
- It uses the automatic CVDK7758 calibre with chronograph, complete calendar, moonphase and 48-hour power reserve.
- Price is EUR 10,990, with ordering during Taste of Time on May 29 and 30, 2026.
Ariadne becomes the canvas for a Dutch scene
The Ariadne is one of Christiaan van der Klaauw’s more functionally dense watches, and that makes it a fitting platform for a special edition with both mechanical and visual character.
The case is stainless steel and measures 40mm across, with the polished, domed surfaces that have long been part of the brand’s design language.
Straight lugs, an onion-shaped crown and double-gadroon pushers give it a classically Dutch-independent flavour rather than the sharper, sportier feel of many modern chronographs.
The most memorable change is on the dial, where the moonphase aperture is dressed with a church and windmill silhouette.
It’s a small theatrical detail, but it changes the mood of the watch, turning the astronomical display into something closer to a miniature landscape.
Calendar, chronograph and moonphase in one busy dial
The Ariadne Holland Edition keeps the model’s full display layout, which means this isn’t a minimalist exercise.
There’s a chronograph with 30-minute and 12-hour counters, small seconds, a peripheral pointer date, weekday and month indications, a 24-hour day-night display and the moonphase.
The weekday and month are written in Dutch, which suits the watch’s local theme and gives the dial another layer of personality.
Orange accents bring a familiar national note without overwhelming the otherwise classical layout.
Both dial versions use blue applied Breguet-style numerals and matching Breguet-style hands, while the brand’s Sun with 12 Claws emblem sits at 3 o’clock.
The frosted dial can be ordered in white or turquoise, each with silvered circular-brushed rings around the sub-dials.
The CVDK7758 movement and Benzinger rotor
Inside is calibre CVDK7758, an automatic movement using a Valjoux base and configured with a cam-lever chronograph, complete calendar and moonphase.
It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, has 25 jewels and offers a 48-hour power reserve.
The caseback view is part of the appeal, thanks to a rotor finished by engraver Jochen Benzinger with guilloché work and a hand-engraved gold-plated sun.
That decorative rotor matters because it brings the watch closer to the small-series world of independent watchmaking, where the back of the watch is often as deliberate as the front.
Ordering during Taste of Time
The Ariadne Holland Edition will be offered for ordering during the third Taste of Time event, held on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30, 2026.
It is priced at EUR 10,990.
Buyers can choose either a blue or orange textile strap, both fitted with a stainless steel folding clasp carrying the Christiaan van der Klaauw logo.
With its full calendar chronograph movement, Dutch-language indications and playful moonphase scenery, this edition is likely to speak most clearly to collectors who enjoy independent watchmaking with a strong local identity.
Ariadne Holland Edition specs
| Brand | Christiaan van der Klaauw |
|---|---|
| Model | Ariadne Holland Edition |
| Case size | 40mm |
| Case material | Polished stainless steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystal front and caseback |
| Water resistance | 30m |
| Dial | Frosted white or turquoise with silvered circular-brushed sub-dial rings |
| Hands and numerals | Blue Breguet-style hands and applied blue Breguet-style numerals |
| Movement | Calibre CVDK7758, automatic Valjoux-base movement |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph, complete calendar, pointer date, weekday, month, day-night indicator and moonphase |
| Frequency | 28,800 vibrations per hour |
| Jewels | 25 |
| Power reserve | 48 hours |
| Rotor | Guilloché and engraved rotor by Jochen Benzinger with gold-plated sun |
| Strap | Blue or orange textile strap with stainless steel folding clasp |
| Price | EUR 10,990 |
| Availability | Ordering during Taste of Time on May 29 and 30, 2026 |
FAQ
What is the van der Klaauw?
The Ariadne Holland Edition brings back a charming church-and-windmill moonphase detail, pairing Christiaan van der Klaauw’s astronomical character with a full calendar chronograph.
What makes the chronograph important on this watch?
Christiaan van der Klaauw Gives the Ariadne a Dutch Moonphase Twist The Ariadne Holland Edition brings back a charming church-and-windmill moonphase detail, pairing Christiaan van der Klaauw’s astronomical character with a full…
Is the van der Klaauw more of a collector watch or a daily watch?
Christiaan van der Klaauw has a particular gift for making astronomical watchmaking feel personal rather than distant.The new Ariadne Holland Edition leans into that strength with a distinctly Dutch detail at the…
How does Christiaan van der Klaauw connect with watch culture?
The connection comes through the watches, brands, collectors or horological details discussed in the article, but the main subject is the creative interpretation around them.
Can collectors commission or buy work from Christiaan van der Klaauw?
It appeals because it translates a collecting interest into a more personal visual or cultural object, rather than focusing only on specifications or ownership.
