THE ESSENCE OF VAN BERGEN

"A Van Bergen without sound would be a Van Bergen without soul"

The same obsession with harmonic precision that tuned 72-bell carillons now informs a modern acoustic mechanism – engineered to be heard, not merely admired. Sound is not a feature of Van Bergen timepieces. It is their reason for being.

FROM BELLS TO WRIST

230 years of acoustic excellence

When Andries Heeres I cast his first bell in 1795, he understood that bronze speaks. The precise ratio of copper to tin, the temperature of the pour, the thickness of the walls, the profile of the sound bow – each decision shaped the voice that would call communities together for generations.

His descendants refined these formulas over six generations. They learned that the Netherlands’ humid climate required different alloy compositions than bells destined for America. They discovered that a bell’s tone could be adjusted to the tenth of a semitone through careful tuning of the interior profile.

That same acoustic obsession – that same understanding that metal sings when treated with precision and respect – now governs every Van Bergen timepiece. The half-hour sonnerie au passage is not an afterthought or a marketing feature. It is the reason Van Bergen exists in horological form.

Hammer and gong design

The striking mechanism draws directly from carillon engineering principles developed by Van Bergen over two centuries. The hammer weight, gong curvature, and striking angle follow formulas refined through thousands of bells. We did not reinvent acoustic mechanics – we translated them.

Why 30m water resistance?

Not for diving – for sound. The case architecture creates an acoustic chamber that amplifies and enriches the sonnerie. Every dimension, every angle, every material thickness was calculated for optimal resonance. The seemingly modest water resistance rating is actually a precise acoustic specification.

Material selection for resonance

Grade-5 titanium was chosen not merely for its weight-to-strength ratio, but for its acoustic properties. Like the bronze alloys our ancestors perfected for bells over generations, titanium sings when struck correctly. Its crystalline structure transmits vibrations with clarity and sustain.

THE BRIDGE

From bell metallurgy to movement acoustics

The Van Bergen family spent over two centuries perfecting the science of making metal sing. They learned through thousands of bells – some successful, some failures – exactly how alloy composition, wall thickness, diameter, and profile combine to create a specific voice.

They documented everything. Formulas. Temperatures. Ratios. Tuning techniques. This knowledge – accumulated across six generations – did not disappear when the foundry fell silent in 1980. It waited.

When Baron Dr. R.A.U. Juchter van Bergen Quast sought to bring his family’s legacy into horology, he turned to Erik Meijer – a classically trained percussionist whose deep understanding of acoustics, timbre, and resonance is matched by over two decades of experience in luxury horology. It is a rare combination: someone who understands both how sound is made and how watches are built. The Heero’s striking mechanism is not merely inspired by bell-founding – it is built upon the same scientific principles, adapted for the wrist.

Experience the sound in Monaco

6–10 May 2026 • Top Marques Monaco • Grimaldi Forum

REQUEST PRIVATE VIEWING