It’s always invigorating to witness the universe interpreted through mechanical artistry, and with the Planetarium ‘Julie’, Christiaan van der Klaauw reaches for a cosmic pinnacle previously untouched. This singular creation, sculpted in homage to the cherished wishes of a distinguished client and his young daughter Julie, marks an extraordinary leap in what might be considered both horological engineering and poetic customisation. As a showcase piece from the Collection of the Atelier, this Planetarium reveals a dialogue between technical innovation, personal narrative, and haute horlogerie.
The dial is a performance stage for celestial motion. CVDK’s Planetarium complication, famous for being the most compact mechanical representation of the solar system, is rendered here in an audacious skeletonised architecture. Each planet, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, circles the sun, providing a tangible sense of astronomical rhythm. The bridges and the main plate have undergone a transformation, shaped to echo the CVDK sun logo, a motif with 12 claws that radiates character. This required an entire redesign of the planetarium module, resulting in bridges sliced and sculpted to reveal the beating heart of the complication. The dial, in transparent sapphire crystal, floats elegantly above the skeletonised mechanism, adorned with hand-applied Hindu and Arabic numerals. A canvas of 70 inward angles graces the anglage. It is proof, if any was required, of the exceptional hands behind this watch. The visual spectacle is as tactile as it is ethereal.
Turning to the movement, Christiaan van der Klaauw’s CKM-01 calibre is an exercise in horological theatre. It takes the skeletonisation concept to its zenith: every bridge is meticulously pared back and hand-finished, each bevel and sand-blasted surface executed with unwavering finesse. The free-sprung balance, partnered with a variable inertia configuration, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour over 32 jewels. The manufacture movement’s star-shaped bridges, frosted and rhodium-plated, combined with a rose gold-plated brass rotor in the form of CVDK’s logo, are technical embellishments matched by their aesthetic presence. An automatic winding system delivers a solid 60-hour autonomy, while the Swiss lever escapement ensures long-term performance and reliability. This is mechanical astronomy, not simply as instrumentation but as art.
The case introduces another extraordinary element. Grade five titanium offers lightness and contemporary stature, ensuring the movement’s diffusion and skeletonised artistry remain the centrepiece. The bezel, hewn from genuine meteorite and engraved with the Widmanstätten pattern, imbues literal cosmic ancestry; its 4.6-billion-year-old material is visually and story-wise compelling, resonating with the planetary theme. The case back, succinctly marked with ‘PIECE UNIQUE’, underscores the singularity of this creation.
With the Planetarium ‘Julie’, Christiaan van der Klaauw elevates both the bespoke watchmaking genre and their own formidable reputation for astronomical complications. Every detail, from the skeletonised architecture to the ancient meteorite bezel, is tailored to evoke not just technical prowess but a personal journey. This piece is not simply an object of timekeeping but a narrative in precious minerals, sapphire, and movement architecture. For those able to commission such masterpieces, the Collection of the Atelier recalls that the frontiers of horology remain endlessly expandable, limited only by imagination and artisanal excellence. The Planetarium ‘Julie’ is a rare synthesis, it is an invitation to contemplate the cosmos through the lens of horological poetry.
