Christiaan van der Klaauw adds the Hypernova Grey to the collection
Christiaan van der Klaauw is a stand-out brand in the watch industry. The Dutch brand focuses solely on creating astronomical watches hence the official name Christiaan van der Klaauw Astronomical Watches. Next to that they are part of the select group of brands that are recognized as ‘haute horlogerie’ brands by the prestigious Fondation Haute Horlogerie.
At Baselworld 2019 we were able to witness some of the remarkable pieces in the CVDK collection including a beautiful custom version of the Real Moon Joure and a stunning version of their Planetarium model with an aventurine glass dial. A new addition to the collection presented at Baselworld 2019 is the CVDK Hypernova Grey. The addition of the Hypernova Grey extends the collection with a watch that is a little less classic in its overall appeal and therefore might find its way to new potential CVDK buyers.
One thing we can absolutely credit CVDK with is their consistency. The brand has always been very consistent in their design that can be defined as classical and elegant. The brand always uses round-shaped cases, Roman numerals on the dial and ever since their deliberate choice to solely manufacture astronomical pieces, the classical design is combined with movements that feature remarkable astronomical complications. In order to create the space to integrate the complications, the brand has chosen to always use the upper half of the dial to show the ‘regular’ watch functions like hour and minute indexes, date display and chronograph functions. Therefore the lower half of the dial always features the astronomical complication at the 6 ‘o clock position. Obviously, the size of the complication defines the balance of the actual dial but once again there is a consistency in the overall design and technical approach that are very typical for all the CVDK watches.
The Supernova and the Hypernova
As you would have guessed the Hypernova is no exception to that rule. The Hypernova together with the Supernova create the ‘Nova’ family of models that are part of the CVDK Collection Of The Stars. It is one of two regular collections with the CVDK Collection Of Astronomical Masterpieces being the second collection. Additionally, you can order a custom made watch that will be part of the Collection Of The Atelier. Both the Supernova and the Hypernova feature a moon phase (Super-LumiNova) as an added complication that can be found at the 6 ‘o clock position of the dial. The biggest difference between the two models is that the Hypernova features a chronograph function and the Supernova does not. The Hypernova has a 44mm stainless steel case and is powered by the self-winding CVDK7759 caliber. The in-house modified movement has a 48-hour power reserve and features hours, minutes and small seconds to show the time.
The watch also features a day/night indication and a day, date and month indication. The date is indicated by using a large hand that indicates the date on the rehaut and the day and month are integrated into the chronograph 30-minute counter. The chronograph also features a 12-hour counter and the obvious second counter. And as you would have guessed, all the functions located in the upper half of the dial so there is a lot to discover there. The lower half of the dial features a Super-LumiNova moon phase. It’s a complication that shows you the position of the moon in relation to the sun. When the Moon is left of the centre, it is in its first quarter. When the Moon is in the centre, it is full Moon and right of the centre, it is in its last quarter. If the Moon is not visible, it is new Moon.
The crystal case back shows you the movement with the rotor that is based on the ‘Sun with 12 Claws’. It’s the Christiaan van der Klaauw logo that can also be found engraved on the left side and back of the stainless steel case. It’s a detail that catches the eye immediately but it might not be everyone’s choice of branding. The ‘Sun with 12 Claws’ works very well as the inspiration for the rotor but adding the Christaan van der Klaauw logo to the side might be a bit too much and it interrupts the smooth lines of the beautiful round case. It’s a matter of personal taste but I like it better without the logo.
Creating your own Hypernova
With the addition of the Hypernova Grey the Hypernova you can now choose out of four different coloured dials when choosing the CVDK Hypernova. There are the classic black and silver guilloche dials and the more temporary stonewashed blue and grey guilloche dials. The four colours can be matched with different leather straps and if you want to know what the Hypernova will look like with different straps, you can now create your own version with the CVDK online watch configurator. The configurator gives you the option for the Hypernova to choose the dial colour, strap colour and the colour of the hands. Next to the four dial colours, you can choose a black, blue or brown leather strap and the hands come in blue and silver. The configurator gives a nice overview of the options for the Hypernova and once you found your perfect configuration you can actually order the watch online. Before you actually click the ‘buy now’ button it will be good to know that the price of the Christaan van der Klaauw Hypernova is 8.950 Euro.
Our First Thoughts
The CVDK Hypernova Grey is a beautiful addition to the Hypernova line-up of watches. We especially liked the configuration we saw at Baselworld 2019 with the grey dial and brown leather strap and silver coloured hands. It’s a watch that shows that colour can totally change the looks of a watch and make the Hypernova a more temporary watch compared to for instance the more classic version with the silver dial and black leather strap. Next to that, the watch shows the high level of craftsmanship and detail that Christaan van der Klaauw uses to produce watches with their remarkable astronomical complications. Because of the manufacturing of watches with astronomical complications, CVDK is a brand for lovers and collectors of special watches. If you like the classic design and complications that Christiaan van der Klaauw produces, it will be hard to choose between the different models the brand offers. The Hypernova is a beautiful watch with lots to offer, especially considering its price. For under 10.000 Euro there aren’t that many brands that offer a watch like the Christaan van der Klaauw Hypernova.
More information via Christiaan van der Klaauw online.
