Amsterdam Watch Brand Calgari Has A Fresh Take On Accessible Luxury Watches
Amsterdam-based Calgari Watches lands in the U.S. with a focused vision to offer thoughtfully designed chronographs made with love for city culture. Founded in 2019, the brand aims to create accessible luxury watches that feel personal, wearable, and tied to the rhythm of everyday surroundings. In a landscape dominated by either aspirational luxury or high-concept mechanical showpieces, Calgari charts a more grounded path where design, culture, and accessibility meet.
Tim Wellenberg, founder of Calgari, explains, “We identified a void in the market — a space where luxury meets relatability. Calgari was born from a desire to offer timepieces that resonate with our customers’ everyday lives, connecting them to the cities they call home.”
The debut collection consists of three chronographs, each limited to 100 individually numbered pieces. Every design is retired once it sells out, underlining the brand’s commitment to keeping its offerings fresh, finite, and intentional. “A watch should reflect its wearer, not just measure time,” says Thijs Haal, co-founder of Calgari. Each watch features a 40mm case made of 316L stainless steel, measuring 11.6mm thick with a 47mm lug-to-lug span. The finishing is carefully considered: horizontal brushing along the case middle, circular brushing on the lugs, and a polished domed bezel. The side of the case includes a contrasting polished plate engraved with a unique number to showcase the limited run. A flat sapphire crystal with multiple layers of anti-reflective coating protects the enamel-finished dial, and the 7mm sandblasted crown is engraved with a polished Clubs logo intended as a daily reminder to keep playing with adaptability. Flanking the crown are a pair of high-polished chronograph pushers.
Vincent Bakker, co-founder of Calgari, offers insight into the creative process: “Crafting our debut collection was a labor of love. We drew inspiration from iconic watches of past decades, shaping our interpretation of the perfect chronograph. Each design tells a story about our city. They are wearable art connecting wearers to their local roots.”
The Dimora Panda model leans into mid-century styling, featuring an off-white Grand Feu enamel dial with raised hour markers and a pair of black, sunken azurage-finished subdials at 3 and 6 o’clock. The panda dial has a clean, porcelain-like surface that builds on the watch’s overall dressy character, while needle-shaped diamond-cut hands complete the restrained design. Like all the other chronographs in the collection, the Dimora Panda includes a tachymeter scale around the dial periphery and a minute/seconds scale adjacent to it. Calgari pairs this model with a beige sailcloth-textile strap. The caseback is engraved with Amsterdam’s crisscrossing bridges as a tribute to where the brand was founded; these famed bridges have always brought people together and hold a special place in the heart of Calgari’s team.
The Nero Reverse Panda edition draws on the after-dark energy of Amsterdam. Its black Grand Feu enamel dial features white azurage-finished subdials, creating a high-contrast, classic reverse panda look. Diamond-cut hands, raised baton indices, and the glossy black porcelain finish elevate the design, while the caseback bears an engraving of the infinite Clubs logo to channel the sentiment: “Life’s cards can’t be changed, but how you play them is up to you.” A matching black sailcloth-textile strap with leather lining completes the watch, giving it a versatile, modern style.
The Pierre Morlet version is the outlier in terms of theme, drawing inspiration not from city life but from the hillside vineyards of the Champagne-producing Morlet family. The green Grand Feu enamel dial is accented with rose gold hands and hour markers, and the contrasting white subdials feature a traditional azurage finish. The engraved caseback depicts the vineyard landscape, and the watch is fitted with a green sailcloth strap.
While it departs from the urban focus of the other models, the Pierre Morlet speaks to one of Calgari’s core values: collaboration. This edition celebrates shared craftsmanship and creativity — a theme Calgari plans to explore further in future releases. Wellenberg further elaborates, “To us, life has always been a team effort. As products of the 90s, we understand that life is best experienced together. We seek to partner with individuals we admire, and the Morlet family supports our vision.”
Inside each model is the Seiko VK64 Mechaquartz movement, offering the reliability of quartz timekeeping with a mechanical chronograph feel thanks to its smooth seconds sweep. “Without compromise, we chose a Mechaquartz movement as the right approach to deliver a high-quality yet price-accessible chronograph,” Bakker explains. “The Seiko VK64 caliber is part of the hybrid mechanical quartz movements, combining the accuracy of a quartz movement with the charming six ticks-per-second characteristic of a mechanical watch.”
All watches are water-resistant to 50 meters and anti-magnetic to ≥1600 A/m. The quick-drying, quick-release canvas sailcloth straps feature leather backing and are fitted with brushed steel buckles.
Limited to 100 pieces each, the Calgari chronographs are priced at €469.95 Euros and come with premium packaging designed to make the unboxing experience feel just as considered as the watches themselves. For those looking to add a limited-run chronograph with personality and purpose to their rotation, Calgari offers three highly compelling alternatives. For more information about Calgari watches, please visit the brand’s website.
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