New: Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée

Atelier Holgur extends their Frømand collection with two fumé style dials in a coral red and emerald green. Limitd editions of 8 pieces each.

Press Release information with commentary in italics.

New: Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée

The Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée has a retail price of CHF 11,500 before taxes. Limited to 8 pieces in Fire Coral and 8 pieces in Ocean Emerald.

Commentary

Holgur is a small independent maison which was co-founded by Asbjørn Simonen-Andersen and Matthew de Bakker in 2021. I have known Matt for a number of years, since his days in PR and communications. He still runs a communications business in Singapore, but his passion for watches drove him and his child friend Asbjørn to found Holgur. Matt is an avid watch collector and serious diver, and it was not a big surprise that their first watch was a dive watch. The Frømand was their first release and is currently their only collection, and is a dive watch in titanium with a 300m depth rating.

This novelty is released with the fashionable fumé dial. One in a brilliant red which Holgur calls Fire Coral, and the other in an equally brilliant green which is known as Ocean Emerald. Both are very small limited edition runs, or 8 pieces each. And this release’s only difference from the regular production Frømand, I say regular, but that too is a limited edition of 100 pieces, is the dial.

The movement remains highly specified and made by Schwarz-Etienne ASE 200. Looking through from the case back, the movement is well finished to a very high engineering level. It features skeletonised bridges with micro blasted and hand polished anglage. Automatic winding is via the micro rotor. The movement is known to be one of the higher end options for ebauchés, with good reputation for its high quality of manufacture. The ébauche is also accordingly priced above the ubiquitous models by ETA and Sellita.

The pricing of the Frømand Fumée is set CHF 11,500, a small premium over the standard Fromand which retails for CHF 10,638. However, this level pricing is considered to be not inexpensive, as it surpasses the benchmark of high end dive watches like the Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060, current retail at SGD 12.7k inclusive of GST. Of course, the iconic Rolex does not come with a fumé dial option, which frankly is very attractive. And of course, the Frømand does not have attendant long waitlist and chronic unavailability. And is a limited edition of only a total of 16 pieces.

Release information

Buoyed by the success of its inaugural release of the Frømand in 2022, independent watch brand Atelier Holgur now unveils two additional ultra-refined divers’ references. Inspired by the fauna and flora inhabiting the world’s oceans, much loved by scuba divers around the globe, these latest models are offered in a choice of two dial hues, ‘Fire Coral’ and ‘Ocean Emerald’. Moreover, consistent with the brand’s ethos, these new releases surpass mere functionality, proffering sumptuous materials and peerless refinement atypical of a traditional divers’ watch.

A different perspective

When Atelier Holgur’s founders, Matthew de Bakker and Asbjørn Simonen-Andersen, set out to create the company’s first divers’ watch, they didn’t want to follow the same well-trodden path as others. While the timepiece needed to fulfil the requirements of a professional diver, they did not feel it should forgo the luxurious details typically the preserve of fine watchmaking. Furthermore, they recognised that an increasing number of horophiles are drawn to the practicality of a divers’ watch despite seldom exploiting its subaquatic capabilities. Sometimes referred to as ‘desk divers’, this market segment is characterised by wearers seeking something more than a mere utilitarian object.

Recognising the public’s growing appetite for divers’ watches with a notable quotient of style and buoyed by the success of its inaugural model, Atelier Holgur now presents the Frømand Edition Fumée, a new addition to the brand’s product portfolio. 

Inspired by fauna and flora 

Matthew and Asbjørn both share a love of scuba diving, discovering the fauna and flora inhabiting the world’s oceans and seas. Indeed, both gentlemen are passionate about conservation and, in particular, marine life. It was whilst they were diving that the founders reflected on the behaviour of dial colours beneath the water. 

The dynamic behaviour of colours 

The electromagnetic spectrum comprises colours of different wavelengths ranging from red, orange and yellow to green, blue and violet. Different wavelength emit varying levels of energy, meaning colour disappears as depth increases.

This natural phenomenon led Matthew and Asbjørn to select two dial colours that behave very differently beneath the waves. Fire Coral red, a hue that brims with energy on terra firma, has a long wavelength, such that it transitions from red to black as the wearer dives ever deeper. On the other hand, Ocean Emerald green has a shorter wavelength, causing it to remain visible underwater when red hues have already transitioned to black.

Atelier Holgur has chosen to endow both of these new references with a fumée dial. This means the dominant hue, Fire Coral or Ocean Emerald, assumes a darker tone near the periphery of the dial, ultimately becoming a brooding shade of deep black. As these watches venture into ever deeper water, both dials eventually transition to black.

More lounge suit than chinos

Rest assured, the hands, indexes and count-up scale, with their liberal application of Super-LumiNova®, remain visible deep underwater. The main dial epidermis swaps the snailing found on the brand’s inaugural model for a sunburst finish, presented on a smooth surface, save for the small seconds display which continues to feature a series of fine concentric circles. The resultant watch looks slightly more formal. Indeed, you could say it is more lounge suit than chinos.

Some details are refreshingly familiar

The Edition Fumée proffers the same practicality as the inaugural model. The 300m maximum water resistance, unidirectional dive bezel and matchless readability remain unchanged and yet the new dials exhibit a slightly different, more genteel character.

Moreover, the new Edition Fumée models retains the highly acclaimed skeletonised movement employed on the inaugural watch, the Schwarz-Etienne ASE 200 for Atelier Holgur. Equipped with a micro-rotor and enriched with refined finishing, the calibre is far removed from the mundane movements fitted to divers’ watches of yesteryear. It seems appropriate, therefore, that Atelier Holgur has chosen to equip these new variants with an exhibition caseback, showcasing the beautifully appointed movement for the delectation of purists.

Likewise, the Grade 5 Titanium case, measuring 40mm in diameter, makes a return appearance. Its exterior is endued with polished and microblasted finishing, despite the huge technical challenges this presents.

Like the inaugural Frømand of 2022, the Edition Fumée is equipped with an integrated strap bar, steadfastly securing the watch to the wrist, a useful attribute whether on dry land or underwater. Atelier Holgur’s strap system allows the wearer to easily swap straps without the need for tools. The Edition Fumée also comes supplied with two straps, both made from recycled ocean plastic, produced by tide ocean material®. The first strap is fitted with a Hook & Loop fastener and pin system, allowing the wearer to view the movement to the rear. The seconds strap is a single loop design with a splash of colour to match the dial.

Practicality and style are not mutually exclusive

When Atelier Holgur released its inaugural watch, it described it as highly functional, perfectly suited to an active lifestyle but still eminently stylish. Indeed, at the time, it proclaimed ‘practicality and style are not mutually exclusive’. Well, according to Matthew and Asbjørn, nothing has changed. 

The new models, executed in two becoming dial shades, is inspired by the beauty of the world’s oceans seen through the founders’ eyes. Moreover, it tastefully unites both form and function as well bestowing an extraordinary level of sophistication.

Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Specifications

Technical data

Case

Material: Grade 5 Titanium, polished and microblasted finish with Integrated strap bars

Unidirectional dive bezel in black DLC, 120 clicks

Diameter: 40mm

Lug width: 22mm

Lug-to-lug: 48mm

Height: 13.5mm

Water resistance: 300m / 30atm

Glass: sapphire crystal front/back with anti-reflective coating

Dial: Sunburst fumée dial with 3D applied Super-LumiNova®, sub-seconds

Hands: Atelier Holgur sword style with 3D applied Super-LumiNova®

Movement

Schwarz-Etienne ASE 200 for Atelier Holgur

Skeletonised, microblasted with hand polished bevelled edges

Self-winding mechanical movement

Power reserve: 86 hours

Winding rotor: micro-rotor with bi-directional winding

Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 Alt/h)

Movement parts: 198

Movement jewels: 33

Functions: hours, minutes, seconds (hacking)

Straps

Supplied with two straps made with tide ocean material® (recycled ocean plastic), and Grade 5 Titanium buckles

• Daily wear strap with Hook & Loop fastener and pin system
• Diving single loop strap with Hook & Loop fastener adjustment