On Tuesday, 14 April 2026, the Haegsche Tijd Foundation organised a gathering in The Hague to mark the birthday of Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695), the inventor of the balance spring. This foundation not only celebrates his birthday annually but is also preparing a major international event to mark the 400th anniversary of Christiaan Huygens’ birth in 2029, in collaboration with, among others, Dutch watchmakers, the Swiss watch industry, and museums.

The logo of the Haegsche Tijd Foundation features the symbols of Kairos, the Greek god of the right moment, perception and experience, and Chronos, the Greek god of precise timekeeping. Chronos represents timekeeping for the functioning of the economy, the orderly functioning of the private and public spheres, and above all, the temporal, the mortal. For these reasons, the symbols of Chronos are the hourglass and the scythe. Kairos, on the other hand, is the patron of feelings, beauty and the subjective perception of the moment.

The connection and balance between Chronos and Kairos are aptly reflected in the creativity, aesthetic qualities, precise timekeeping and diverse range of applications in everyday, leisure, professional and industrial use within the Swiss watch industry. But Dutch watchmakers are also making their mark at the European and global level! On 3 May, a delegation from the Haegsche Tijd Foundation visited the originally Dutch watchmaker Frédérique Constant.

Who would have guessed that this Geneva-based watchmaker was founded by Dutch entrepreneurs and passionate watch enthusiasts? In 1988, the couple Peter and Aletta Stas took the plunge and founded the company, Frédérique Constant. They took the name from mutual family members.

As a newcomer, the company secured a firm place in the global watchmaking industry within a few years. It is therefore no surprise that the head office is located just a stone’s throw away from the offices of traditional watch brands such as Rolex, Piaget and Patek Philippe in Plan-les-Ouates (canton of Geneva).

They combined their entrepreneurial spirit and years of experience in multinational companies with a vision and passion for crafting high-quality, affordable classic watches for the wider public. In 1992, the company launched its first model; in 2025, it will launch its 34th new watch! Because Peter and Aletta did not want to stray from their vision, in 2002, they took over the watchmaker Alpina, founded in 1883 with a long history of sports and lifestyle watches.

Among other things, Alpina specialises in watches for sailing, deep-sea diving, aviation, and car racing.

Frédérique Constant still focuses on classic models, with designs from the 1930s to the 1950s often serving as inspiration.

This innovation and expansion even led to the opening of the deMonaco workshop in Monaco in 2008. The Dutch watchmaker Pim Koeslag served as the creative force for many years before establishing himself as an independent watchmaker in Naarden.

The reputation of this Dutch success story in Switzerland also reached the Japanese watchmaking multinational Citizen, which acquired the company in 2016. The founders subsequently handed over the reins to Niels Eggerding in 2018.

The museum and production facility at the headquarters offer insight into nearly 40 years of innovation, craftsmanship, and production. Under the motto ‘Immersion au cœur de la création horlogère’, this ‘Manufacture Experience’ guides visitors step by step through the design and production process of a watch.

In three years’ time, Christiaan Huygens can look forward with confidence to his 400th birthday celebrations in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

(Source and further information: Frédérique Constant Watches)

Aletta and Peter Stas, Building a Watch Manufacturer. Frédérique Constant, Alpina, deMonaco, Pennsylvania, 2014)