By virtue of its independence from big brands, its handcrafted approach, and its miniscule scale of production, the world of boutique haute horlogerie offers some of the most creative, unique, and stunningly finished timepieces anywhere on Earth. Naturally, there’s no rarer or more exclusive product than a pièce unique, and Dutch-Swiss atelier Kees Engelbarts has created a trio of one-of-a-kind watches for its latest release. All three designs take inspiration from the Chinese myth of the Dragon Gate, a legendary waterfall which rewards fish who manage to scale its height to the top by transforming them into immortal dragons. To tell the narrative of the Dragon Gate, the three unique watches of the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy turn to centuries-old traditional Asian hand finishing techniques, creating a layered visual story that combines intricate craftsmanship with vintage new-old-stock movements.

All three models in the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy share the same 39.5mm case design in 925 Argentium alloy. 925 Argentium is a blend of silver and germanium, with a grainy fully blasted finish that showcases its bright luster dramatically in initial images. The overall case design is simple, keeping the viewer’s focus on the dial but adding small flourishes like the rounded slope of the wide smooth bezel, the 18K yellow gold crown, and the slight lyre-style twisting of the thick lugs. Around back, all three models use a sapphire display caseback to showcase the extensive movement finishing within. Kees Engelbarts gives no details about the water resistance of these pieces, but considering their one-of-a-kind status and lack of sporting pretensions it’s unlikely any of these will ever be submerged in water.

The dials of the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy are by far the most complex and expressive elements of the entire line. Each of the three captures a different stage in the Dragon Gate myth, told in both form and materials. To better showcase the craftsmanship and finishing of these pictorial dials, the rest of the designs are fully minimal, with no indices, no printing, and no complications beyond a dauphine handset. The first of the three depicts a carp, struggling in the roiling waters at the base of the enchanted waterfall. To create the scene, brand founder and namesake Kees Engelbarts uses an ancient Japanese technique known as mokume gane, or “wood grain metal,” which consists of laying down alternating layers of oxidized silver and white gold before subsequently cutting through these layers, revealing a multicolored organic striated pattern that evokes the texture of wood. For the carp itself, the engraver uses a bas-relief texture to carve out each individual scale and fin, then chemically etches and colors the mix of precious metals to produce a dynamic blend of blacks, blues, oranges, purples, and gold tones. The dauphine hands also share the same mokume gane treatment as the dial surface, producing a highly contrasted striping pattern that calls to mind Damascus steel in images. Taken as a whole, the dial design is nothing short of spectacular in initial photos, displaying both impressive intricacy and highly complex technique.

For the second dial in the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy, the brand depicts the midpoint of the story – halfway up the waterfall, the carp begins its transformation into a dragon, while still retaining its original tail. Here, the engraved twisting form of the beast is rendered in the same chemically etched and colored mokume gane technique, but instead of a blend of metals, the brand instead opts for pure silver. The resulting finish is brighter and more dynamic in initial images, with more vibrant streaks of blue, purple, orange, and red above a shimmering backdrop with deep shading in its low points. To symbolize the midway point in this visual transformation, the dial surface behind the changing dragon is hand-finished by French enameller Gael Colon. This surface is split between a vivid blend of blue-green tones and a more muted mix of browns, reds, and oranges, with the two sides divided by a thick and chaotic streak of black. Due to the blend of techniques, colors, and surfaces, this second dial is the most dramatic and striking of the trio, and is likely the most labor-intensive.

At the end of the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy, the carp has completed its journey, reached the top of the waterfall, and completed its metamorphosis into a powerful dragon. The brand represents this with a fully hand-enameled ceramic dial finish. The base dial surface is a deep and mysterious mottled midnight blue in images, with the form of the dragon emerging from a wispy cloud in porcelain white. While the design is by far the visually simplest of the trio, the effect feels classical and deeply traditional in images, with a look that pays homage to the decoration of Ming dynasty vases.

All three models in the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy are powered by new-old-stock Peseux 330 handwound movements from the mid-‘60s. Like the dials, the silver plated plates and bridges of these vintage movements are hand-engraved and chemically colored, producing a vibrant mix of blue, purple, orange, green, and red tones. Each of the three designs uses a distinct engraving pattern, with the carp dial featuring a traditional Asian wave texture, the transformation dial offering a mix of wave and cloud motifs, and the final dragon dial showcasing a full set of cloud pattern engravings. The vibrant and organic splashes of color may not be to everyone’s taste, but the craftsmanship involved in achieving the finish is undeniably impressive. In terms of performance, the Peseux 330 is solidly vintage, with a 43 hour power reserve at a slow 18,000 bph beat rate.

Each of the three Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy models is paired with a bespoke leather strap. The carp dial design opts for a squamous hand stitched Nile perch fish leather strap in a spotted blend of black, yellow, and brown tones. For the transformation dial, the brand instead uses shark leather in a muted teal, with deep black veins to add bold contrast in images. Lastly, the dragon dial uses a classic midnight blue alligator leather strap. While far from minimal, the use of designated colors and materials heightens the sense of visual storytelling, reinforcing the sense of intricacy and craftsmanship throughout the series.

With complex and deeply theatrical finishing, exotic materials, and a sense of visual narrative flowing through nearly every element of the design, the unique Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy is a striking showcase of the boutique brand’s craftsmanship with a bold price tag to match. Only one set of the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy watches will be made. While the brand has declined to state the exact MSRP of the Kees Engelbarts Dragon Gate Legend Trilogy, it has confirmed that the set will be priced near 245,000 CHF. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.