Editorial
The Grand Planetarium Eccentric is CVDK's most ambitious watch: a full solar system display on the dial combined with an offset tourbillon, all packed into 44mm of steel. The tourbillon cage sits deliberately off-center so the planetary module gets the real estate it needs. Nothing else from the brand comes close to this level of mechanical density.
Christiaan van der Klaauw has built astronomical watches in the Netherlands since 1974, specializing in the kind of deep-sky complications most houses won't attempt. The Grand Planetarium Eccentric arrived in 2024 as the culmination of that work, pairing CVDK's proprietary astronomical module with an Andreas Strehler base movement. Strehler is a Swiss independent known for exceptional finishing and engineering precision, making him a natural collaborator for a complication this demanding.
The movement architecture divides the labor cleanly: Strehler handles the mechanical foundation and tourbillon, CVDK contributes the astronomical calculation layer that tracks all eight planets plus the sun and moon. The result is a watch that required two specialist firms working across two countries to get right.
The planetary display requires periodic manual correction as the watch accumulates small astronomical drift over years; this is normal for mechanical planetariums but owners need to understand it going in. The CVDK astronomical module has its own service requirements separate from the base movement, which means a full overhaul involves coordinating between two specialist competencies. Steel pricing can be misleading here: secondary market values on complex CVDK references are thin and illiquid, so don't expect easy resale if your circumstances change.
The 44mm case is large but not unusually thick for what's inside; wrist fit should be confirmed in person before purchase. Finding a watchmaker qualified to work on the combined Strehler-CVDK movement outside of the authorized network is genuinely difficult.
