Gentissima Oursin 41 with Meteorite Dials

Instrument de Vitesse, a new opus in the La Fabrique collection, revives the golden age of timed races. This single push-piece chronograph seems to have been plucked from the dashboard of a vintage GT car. It is equipped with a single timing hand – the centre seconds hand – and can time a maximum of one minute. With its sleek and refined retro sports look, Instrument de Vitesse is intended for enthusiasts of watchmaking history and culture. Housed in a 39-mm steel case, its 4.20 mm manually wound Manufacture calibre ensures that the finished timepiece is less than 10 mm thick. Instrument de Vitesse is available with an ivory-white or ebony-black dial in two limited series of 25 timepieces each.

Appearances can sometimes be deceptive. At first glance, Instrument de Vitesse does not appear to be a classic chronograph. With its three central hands, it looks like a watch... with three hands, but the tachymeter scale running around the outer edge of the dial reveals its chronometric function. For this is a chronograph presented in its purest expression, dedicated to timing short bursts – a measuring instrument designed to take average speed readings over a maximum of 60 seconds. This, in turn, casts new light on the crown, which also acts as the chronograph’s single push-piece to set the slender centre seconds hand in motion.

Time and space converge in the latest masterpiece of haute horlogerie: the Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite. This extraordinary timepiece is crafted from a genuine meteorite fragment—once part of an asteroid’s core, drifting through space for billions of years before falling to Earth 50,000 years ago. Now, this celestial relic has been transformed into an exceptional watch, uniting cosmic heritage with unparalleled horological innovation.

At the heart of this timepiece lies a groundbreaking complication: the Eccentric Planetarium, the only mechanical Grand Planetary Complication in the world that accurately displays all eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth and her Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—moving in real time around the Sun. This breathtaking mechanism captures the celestial dance of our Solar System with unmatched precision, making it a true marvel of both astronomy and watchmaking.

A Celestial Fusion of Science and Art
Master watchmaker Pim Koeslag has meticulously sculpted this timepiece, ensuring that its construction reflects the grandeur of its cosmic origins. The meteorite case, weighing 47 grams, is carefully crafted out of a 1.09 kg space stone. This extraordinary material shaped by the universe itself, features a unique Widmanstätten pattern, formed over millions of years of slow cooling in space, making each case truly one of a kind.

The dial is a celestial spectacle in itself: crafted from aventurine glass (goldfluss), it mimics the night sky, complete with zodiac constellations. The Eccentric Planetarium features hand-painted planetary orbits, while the meteorite dial ring, set between Mars and Jupiter, signifies the asteroid belt and contains real fragments of a martian nakhlite meteorite —a piece of another world encased within this exceptional timepiece.

A Timepiece Beyond Time
Encased in domed sapphire crystal, the 44mm meteorite case showcases the celestial ballet within. The sapphire crystal case-back reveals the movement’s intricate craftsmanship, while the dark blue hand-stitched leather strap and platinum folding clasp complete this cosmic masterpiece.

“The Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite is more than a watch. It is a link between humanity and the cosmos, a way to wear the universe on your wrist,” says Pim Koeslag.

This timepiece is a tribute to time itself. From a star’s death to an asteroid’s journey, from its fall to Earth to its transformation into an exceptional watch—each second it measures is an echo of the vast cosmic history it carries.

An Exclusive, Limited Edition for Collectors
The Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite is available in a strictly limited edition, with a maximum of 3 pieces, depending on the avaibility and quality of the rough meteorite material. So far, Christiaan van der Klaauw has been able to produce only 2 pieces from the available material, making this timepiece an exceptionally rare collector’s item. This extraordinary creation offers the unique opportunity to own a fragment of a star, forever marking the passage of time.

About Christiaan van der Klaauw
Christiaan van der Klaauw is one of the most prestigious watchmaking houses in the Netherlands, specializing in astronomical watches. Founded in 1974, the brand has distinguished itself by its ability to integrate astronomical complications innovatively and artistically into high-precision timepieces. The Grand Planetarium eccentric model is one of its most iconic Grande Complication, representing the quintessence of art and science.

In the celestial tapestry of time, 2024 marks the golden jubilee of Christiaan van der Klaauw Astronomical Watches, 50 years adorned with dedication, innovation, and horological brilliance. To commemorate this auspicious occasion, we unveil the mesmerizing CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture: it is the only mechanical Planetarium watch in the world that displays all 8 planets, showing real time the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune around the Sun. An exceptional Haute Horlogerie CVDK masterpiece, echoing our enduring commitment to the art of timekeeping.

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, 2025 is the Year of the Wooden Snake and will be ruled by the words perspicacity, intelligence and prudence. In its honour, Arnold & Son is creating Perpetual Moon 41.5 “Year of the Snake”: a series of eight timepieces in red gold. Combining a manufacture calibre with a large astronomical moon – one of its specialities – with an aventurine glass dial base – one of its signatures – and a wealth of delicately worked artistic crafts – one of its recurring themes – Arnold & Son presents a masterful interpretation of the Year of the Snake.

The Year of the Wooden Snake starts on 29 January 2025. Under this element, the reptile foretells transformation and a need for self-improvement, combined with energy and introspection. It is a year of negotiations, shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Arnold & Son is celebrating the Chinese zodiac calendar with Perpetual Moon 41.5 “Year of the Snake”.