A few years ago (well before emigrating to Australia) I went on a fantastic Scandinavian cruise with my family. Even though the trip only lasted a week we visited famous cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and St. Petersburg in Russia. However, because of visa restrictions and the age of my son I was unable to depart the vessel to visit the historic Hermitage museum. Another minor disappointment was that last moment Oslo was removed from the itinerary because of events that were happening in Norway at the time.
Over the years I have showcased many watch labels from around the world. In fact, the three books I have authored about horology extensively cover many global regions. However, Von Doren watches is the first brand I have ever featured from Norway. The business is the brainchild of Øyvind VonDoren Asbjørnsen who became obsessed with timepieces from a very young age. This passion was ignited when he inherited his great-grandfather’s pride and joy which was fine Swiss watch. Subsequently he established his own company in 2016 and now specialises in producing stylish watches with a refined vintage appearance.
It is fair to say that all of the collections in the Von Doren range are elegant and will appeal to a discerning clientele. However, I have always been interested in mechanical watches and so I instantly gravitated towards the new Grandmaster Mark II Open Heart timepiece. In my opinion this creation displays an advanced level of maturity. Dimensionally the watch has a well proportioned 43mm 316L polished steel case that should appeal to traditionalists. I also suspect it would feel comfortable to wear and look really cool with a dinner suit.
Visually the Grandmaster Mark II Open Heart is designed to make a very bold statement. Details like the finely decorated silver dial, double-domed sapphire crystal, blue steel hands and raised indexes give the watch an extravagant appearance. I also love the open heart facility that exposes the brilliant mechanics of the Swiss made (26-jewel) self-winding STP 5-15 movement. Functionally the watch features hours, minutes, seconds and a power reserve of 44-hours.
The Grandmaster Mark II Open Heart is equipped with a beautiful handcrafted Italian leather strap and limited to 200 pieces. Priced competitively at: €1,920 (approximately $2,378). For more information about Von Doren watches visit this link