A New Independent Watchmaker In Town: In Conversation With Annelinde Dunselman Of Dunselman Watchmaking
I turned my car into Annelinde Dunselman’s yard somewhat apprehensively. Was I in the right place? Nothing suggested I was about to walk into the atelier of a high-end independent watchmaker. Bathing in the spring sun, the building looked more like a sentient member of a lively family in the eastern Dutch city of Zwolle. I would later find out that it is. Annelinde emerged in front of my car and waved me down. “Just park here; welcome!” This would not be like any other watch brand or manufacture visit, and that just might be good.
Annelinde Dunselman invited me into her home and atelier to talk watches. As the founder of her eponymous watch brand, she recently released her first watch, the Dunselman Black Tulip. I was eager to learn what drives her and experience her creation firsthand.
Annelinde Dunselman — Image: Monique Eller
An atypical background
Annelinde Dunselman started her watchmaking journey at the Schoonhoven Vakschool for gold/silversmithing and watchmaking. She apprenticed at Jaeger-LeCoultre before moving to fellow Dutch watchmaker Grönefeld. Starting a brand was never in the picture until a shoulder injury forced her to rethink her career. She decided to take the leap and move from “merely” assembling watches to developing one from scratch.
Tall windows with green views on three sides make for a lovely workspace
Watchmakers typically come from traditional watchmaking regions and are born into watchmaking families. Their paths are paved with watchmaking as an inevitable fate rather than a conscious decision. Dunselman’s path is different in every way. She has a creative background that isn’t strictly tied to a specific medium. We might even see her incorporate artistic expressions in other disciplines into Dunselman soon. I cannot say much more at this point than to keep an eye on the brand.
Dunselman loves a challenge, and few things are more challenging than developing a watch from scratch. “I am not a specialized constructor or technical draftsperson, so developing a caliber from scratch wasn’t within my previous regular realm of activities.” This did not dissuade her. In fact, my impression is that she uses her broad creative and technical skillset to her advantage to do so. Speaking to her for a while made it very clear that she knows every little detail of the watch and masters the technical, creative, and artisanal side of the craft.
Developing the Dunselman Black Tulip
The development of the Dunselman Black Tulip took the better part of two and a half years. She started off modifying the trusty Peseux 7001 but quickly abandoned this approach. “It was all so finicky with those tiny wheels,” she told me. “I wanted something with a larger geartrain.” I believe this was a great decision because it now puts Dunselman in the exalted company of a handful of watchmakers with unique in-house-developed calibers.
Caliber D202.5 features a zero-reset mechanism. This complication allows the seconds hand to jump to zero and stay there upon pulling out the crown. It is a classical complication that is extremely functional without visually complicating the watch. “I wanted a calm, simple aesthetic — classical but with some body.” The large caliber enables just that. It offers 100 hours of power reserve to boot. It shows great technical ambition and prowess.
Dunselman presented the Black Tulip during the week of this year’s Watches and Wonders. She had a space in the Hotel d’Angleterre where curious enthusiasts could first admire her creation. Sales are already underway, with deliveries expected to start after summer.
Almost as rare as a black tulip
The watch’s theme comes from tulip enthusiasts’ pursuit of a black tulip. As you may know, tulips are the Netherlands’ national flower, and they come in nearly all colors. A truly black specimen, however, has remained elusive. Very dark purple or maroon types come closest, but a truly black species was never achieved. This folly obsession with perfection struck Dunselman as an inspiring parallel with the watch world.
While there are no black tulips, the Dunselman Black Tulip will see 10 pieces produced. In short, the watch isn’t much more common than the nonexistent flower. Dunselman does plan to create different versions in precious metals in the future, but they will always differ from this first limited run in one way or another.
This tiny number reflects the truly independent nature of the company. Dunselman builds her watch brand without any outside investments. She is the sole proprietor and, therefore, makes all the decisions. Watch companies like that are almost as rare as her debut creation, and I, for one, applaud the approach.
A highly detailed creation
Dunselman succeeded in creating a calm aesthetic for the Black Tulip. I would certainly not call the result minimalist, though. You will find tiny details everywhere you look — details you do not instantly notice but that reveal themselves as you look closer.
The dial is a prime example. It features a motif of stylized tulips (or are they Ds?) that looks very intricate up close. At normal viewing distance, however, the individual tulips disappear into a silvery sheen that is one of the most dynamic I have seen on a watch. I rarely say this about high-end watches, but the Black Tulip is much prettier on the wrist than under a macro lens.
The elegant steel handset and the black-tulip-like seconds hand are another highlight. The case features similarly beautiful details. Its scalloped flanks and series of minuscule logos on the bezel’s edge are prime examples. All in all, this is a watch you can gaze at without ever consciously registering the time. And let’s face it: that’s what you want from a €38,000 watch.
What’s next for Dunselman?
Currently, Dunselman is fully engaged in the sales and manufacturing of the Black Tulip. However, that doesn’t stop her from contemplating the future. I mentioned the matter of the logo being a D or a tulip before. I asked her if the black tulip would be an ongoing theme. She assured me that it is a one-time thing, with future watches having individual, fresh themes. That solves it; it’s a D!
What those future watches might look like can partly be derived from the Black Tulip. The clean, simple aesthetic will surely be a brand theme. Dunselman told me, “I am particularly fond of the steel handset as it is now,” which tells us we will probably see that again. She adds that she would love to do more complications, probably with an eye on the visually clean and simple. I have no idea what that will look like yet, but it reminds me of how Parmigiani approaches the GMT complication, for instance.
I am curious to follow Annelinde Dunselman as she develops her watch company. She is certainly taking the hard path but to great effect. Meeting her, hearing her philosophy, and seeing her work certainly put her atop my list of watchmakers to watch for the future!
What do you think of the new Dunselman Black Tulip? Let us know in the comments below!
