Having invented a unique driver’s watch with a swivelling case middle that changes the alignment of the dial, Dutch watchmaker Laurens De Rijke has elevated the novelty of his watch by giving it an oversized moon phase display that has a rabbit sitting on a crescent moon.

Based on the Amalfi wristwatch, the Miffy Moonphase depicts the fictional rabbit created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. Europe’s equivalent of Hello Kitty, Miffy has sold over 85 million books and has been the subject of cartoons and also a feature-length film.

A collab between the Dutch watchmaker and the owners of Miffy, Mercis BV

Initial thoughts

In a world where watches perceived to be iconic and “investable” continually rise in price (resulting in sometimes diminishing price-to-quality ratio), the Miffy Moonphase is an affordable timepiece that’s original and interesting, both qualities that make a watch memorable and appealing.

The Miffy watch is notable for doing more than just adding a comic book character to the dial. In fact, it incorporates a surprising amount in a compact, affordable package. It’s based on De Rijke’s trademark driver’s watch, which has an inventive case mechanism that allows the wearer to adjust the angle of the dial up to 90 degrees from the vertical (more on that below), which is has been upgraded with a hand-painted moon phase disc.

While the case mechanism is innovative, the functional dials found on the original Amalfi models lack punch, so much so you might not notice the clever case construction. But that problem has been solved with the simple astronomical complication livened up with cheerful colours and cartoon.

Despite the comic book aspect contrasting with an otherwise fuss-free dial, the result is harmonious and pleasing, perhaps even minimalist as far as such pop culture watches go. And the whimsy of Miffy matched with the mechanical appeal of the case – which is made by Mr De Rijke himself – makes for a thoughtful product. That in turn means the price tag of around US$3,000 is easily digestible, especially considering the limited edition is just 25 pieces.

Stunning and functional even at night

All in one

Despite the compact 38 mm case, the Miffy Moonphase manages to combine both an ingenious case mechanism and a hand-made dial with a complication.

The case is a multi-piece construction that can be distilled to two key parts, an open ring that incorporates the lugs and an inner case middle that contains the dial and movement. The case middle sits within the open ring, with the two connected via a ratcheting system that allows the case middle to slide back and forth, with the crown moving along an opening on the right side of the ring.

The dial is equally interesting in terms of its construction. It’s made up of three distinct components: a two-stepped ring that contains the applied hours markers, a central disc with an opening for the moon phase, and the moon phase disc itself.

The moon phase is a bit of artisanal decoration within the watch. It starts out as a brass blank that’s etched to create a three-dimensional surface showing the stars, moon, and fictional rabbit. It’s then plated in silver before being hand-painted with Super-Luminova with the background in the signature Dick Bruna blue.

The lumed stars and Miffy are both finished by Swiss Super-Luminova specialist RC Tritec, via hand painting with the aid of a microscope – an hour long process.

On the other hand, the rest of the dial is made in-house, with Mr De Rijke producing the components and painting them by hand in his workshop located in Dordrecht, a city an hour’s south of Amsterdam.

Under the closed back – which is engraved with a line drawing of Miffy – is a Sellita SW 288-1. It’s essentially a clone of the ETA 2801, but with the addition of a moon phase mechanism.

More complex was the process of modifying the Amalfi case to accommodate the movement with a moon phase. That required a different sapphire crystal, milling out the movement ring, and a closed case back according to Mr De Rijke.

Key facts and price

De Rijke & Co. Miffy Moonphase

Diameter: 38 mm
Height: 10.3 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water-resistance: 100 m

Movement: Sellita SW 288-1
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and moon phase
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 38 hours

Strap: Brown leather

Limited Edition: 25
Availability: Directly from De Rijke & Co.’s online boutique, with a lead time of about three months
Price: €2,724 excluding taxes, or approximately US$3,000

For more, visit derijkeandco.com.

Bulgari is starting the year big with something impressively tiny – the hand-wind BVL 100 Piccolissimo that’s the smallest mechanical movement of the 21st century at just 12.3 mm wide and 2.5 mm tall.

The minuscule movement makes it debut in the latest version of Bulgari’s iconic snake-bangle wristwatch – it is one o the most iconic jewellery watches of all time in fact – the Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery Secret Watch. While many versions of the Serpenti bracelet have been equipped with quartz movements in recent years, the BVL 100 means the watch within the snake’s head is once again mechanical, just like the originals of the 1950s.

The tiny barrel bridge of the BVL 100

Initial thoughts

While the Serpenti Misteriosi is a high-jewellery watch that has little practical appeal for most watch collectors, it’s difficult to easy to appreciate watch for its combination of design, craft, and of course the technical achievement of the BVL100.

Amusingly enough, the Serpenti Misteriosi is, technically speaking, an integrated-bracelet watch with a reversible dial – two features highly coveted in the watch world – though the lavish jewels and lacquer disguises most of its horological qualities, which also illustrates the power of the iconic design.

The forked tongue is a trigger to open the snake’s head, revealing the time below

But over-the-top style is only useful for a specific audience – and specific occasions – so for the rest of us, there’s the technical appeal of the BVL100.

Even if it’s not the tiniest movement ever – that title is still held by the Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 – the BVL 100 is notable for being the smallest of the 21st century. Exceptionally tiny movements were a thing in the early- to mid-20th century, since they were the only solution for delicate ladies’ watches, though the arrival of quartz technology has since made them unnecessary.

The watch head can be removed and installed in either direction, making it possible to wear the bracelet on either wrist

The BVL 100 is remarkably small, but also surprisingly rare – movements of this size aren’t seen very often today since watches of this size for either gender aren’t particularly popular.

That said, there are evidently technical limitations due to its size, so the BVL 100 does compromise in some ways. The Etachron regulator, for instance, is a low-end feature that looks out of place in a watch that costs well over US$200,000 on average.

Still, the fact that Bulgari constructed it to fit high jewellery watches is admirable. The BVL 100 is certainly a more fitting calibre for the iconic bracelet watch than a run-of-the-mill quartz movement.

A diminutive movement

The intriguing BVL100 Piccolissimo – that’s Italian for “extra small” – is essentially a miniaturised version of a typical mechanical movement. It has almost all the conventional elements of an ordinary movement, but reduced in size where possible. Its diameter of 12.3 mm, for example, is less than half of that of the ETA 2824 that is 25.6 mm wide, which is already considered small for modern watches.

Despite its size, the BVL100 is at heart a rather orthodox movement, with standard gear trains and balance assembly. That said, the winding and time-setting mechanism is unconventional, which results from the fact that high jewellery watches typically cannot have crowns on the size of the case for aesthetic reasons.

So the BVL 100 relies on a pair of reversers that allow for a crown on the case back, typically known as a “back wind”. Thanks to the reverser wheels, the crown works in both directions when pulled out, one direction sets the time and the other winds the movement.

The winding crown sits under the case

The tiny diameter as well as thinness limits the decoration of the movement, which is present but basic. The bridges have frosted top surfaces ringed by raised, brushed borders, which give the movement some visual interest, as does the elegant winding click spring with its polished bevels.

Still, the large pair of reverser wheels, which are actually small but appear oversized in proportion to the movement – look low-rent, as does the Etachron regulator.

A fancy integrated bracelet

Whatever the intrinsic qualities of the BVL 100, it is still the meticulously crafted case and bracelet that is the deciding factor for anyone looking to buy a Serpenti. As has been tradition for decades, the bracelet is hand made and also decorated by hand with both gemstones and translucent lacquer.

The bracelet starts with individual links with recesses within the scales, which are each hand-painted with multiple layers of lacquer or set with gemstones. The quintessential Serpenti is usually decorated with a combination of the two.

The decorated links are then assembled into a chain held together by tiny solid gold hinges.

And finally a double-ring gold coil is inserted into the chain, creating a flexible yet sturdy that loops elegantly around the wrist.

Key facts and price

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewellery Secret Watch
Ref. 103559 (rose gold, black)
Ref. 103560(white gold, green)
Ref. 103558 (rose gold, turquoise)
Ref. 103558 (yellow and white gold)

Diameter: 40 mm
Height: Unavailable
Material: 18k white, rose, or yellow gold, decorated with a variety of gemstones and lacquer
Crystal: Unavailable
Water-resistance: 30 m

Movement: BVL100
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Hand wind
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 30 hours

Strap: Matching bracelet

Limited edition: No
Availability: At Bulgari boutiques
Price: Starting at approximately US$150,000

For more, visit bulgari.com.