Founded in 1974 by Dutch master watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw, the brand began in Joure, where van der Klaauw transitioned from crafting traditional clocks to developing increasingly complex astronomical mechanisms. His early clocks earned international acclaim, including a Basel innovation prize in 1992, and by 1996 he introduced his first wristwatch, the Satellite du Monde. In 1999, he unveiled the CVDK Planetarium, housing the world’s smallest mechanical planetarium, establishing the maison as the only atelier devoted entirely to astronomical watchmaking.

A major turning point came in 2009, when Christiaan retired and entrusted the atelier to Daniël and Maria Reintjes, longtime collaborators who re‑positioned the brand while honouring its astronomical heritage. Their design‑driven leadership elevated CVDK into the global haute horlogerie sphere, culminating in recognition such as inclusion in the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) White Paper and the brand’s continued commitment to small‑series, hand‑made astronomical complications produced in their modern Naarden atelier. Under their direction, icons like the Real Moon Joure (the world’s most accurate 3D moonphase) and new evolutions of the Planetarium strengthened CVDK’s astronomical identity.

By 2024–2026, CVDK entered its 50th‑anniversary era under the stewardship of a new generation, including CEO Pim Korslag—a technically skilled watchmaker involved in complex mechanism development. This leadership ensures growth while remaining faithful to the maison’s original mission: producing astronomical masterpieces such as the Planetarium Dunes of Mars and next‑generation calibres. Today, Christiaan van der Klaauw Astronomical Watches stands as the world’s only dedicated astronomical watchmaking house, blending Dutch ingenuity, artisanal craft, and cosmic mechanical poetry.

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Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture

The CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture is an extraordinary astronomical timepiece created to celebrate the 50th anniversary (golden jubilee) of Christiaan van der Klaauw Astronomical Watches in 2024. It is the only mechanical planetarium watch in the world that displays all eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—showing their real‑time eccentric orbits around the Sun with exceptional accuracy. Built by three generations of the CVDK family, the masterpiece is rooted in the 1995 Kepler’s Planetarium Clock and features a stunning aventurine‑glass signature dial, a newly designed case with distinctive Klaauw‑shaped lugs, and a meticulously engineered mechanism containing 3,338 gear teeth. Available in precious metals including platinum and rose gold, the watch houses the CVDK manufacture movement with automatic winding and a 60‑hour power reserve, making it one of the most elaborate astronomical complications ever created.