TU alumnus develops watch

Laurens de Rijke bought an old mechanical watch in a flea market in Georgia. The Delft designer wore his souvenir Russian Vostok watch for the rest of his adventure, riding the entire Silk Route on an old Vespa. Unfortunately, with his gloves on, he could not read the time. While on the road, the industrial designer suddenly had a thought – he should be the one to find a solution to this problem. Before embarking on his trip, De Rijke had no idea what he wanted to do after his bachelor’s. But now he knew. He would design a watch. A driver’s watch.

His course gave him the opportunity to graduate on his own design. De Rijke approached a jewellery designer and industrial designer, Bruno Ninaber van Eyben, in whose studio he had learned the art of milling and designing. An old lathe was even brought down from the attic which he practiced on for weeks at a time. Hard work pays off as he designed a working prototype for his graduation piece – his own driver’s watch.

Laurens on the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan.

Gentleman driver
Always in for an adventure, De Rijke decided to work on his watch as an independent entrepreneur. The watch face of an original driver’s watch is slightly tipped so that motorbike riders and drivers can easily see the time. De Rijke believed that he could improve on this. He threw himself into his gentleman’s driver watch. He thought about his users and tried to balance functionality with attractive ‘jewellery’. Drivers can tilt the watch in a particular angle and change the strap for a longer one which they can wear over their jackets. The watch is also stylish. “A treat for the eyes!” says De Rijke laughing. He is calling his watch the Amalfi Series.

The road De Rijke is travelling is bumpy. The development of the watch and making it financially viable has cost him his social life. “You give up a lot of things and you still don’t have anything.” He initially financed the project himself, partly by working as a mechanic and restorer, and partly through a DUO loan. Last year he took the step to borrow money from a financial institution.

The Amalfi Series is available in limited edition of 99 pieces.

The love of his life
The designer thinks about his company 24/7. “My goal is to sell 99 watches in the first series.” He also hopes to make his company more robust and create a financially sound working climate. “Imagine that it takes off. I can then just do this my whole life.”

Tips for students
He has some useful tips for students that want to design their own products. “Authenticity and craftsmanship are very important. Unless you attract major investment, you won’t avoid learning the profession inside out and taking the first steps. But this also gives you great freedom. You are your own boss and take your decisions yourself. You are not dependent on an investor. Having your own company takes money, time and dedication. And things still go wrong. Every decision has knock-on effects on what I eat the next day! But it is my company and means a lot to me.”