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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Van Bricht is a small independent watchmaking venture founded in 2019 by Bernard van Ormelingen and Sébastien Lambricht. Its first reported watch, the Old Mind tourbillon, paired a hand-guilloché silver dial with a reworked tourbillon movement. Launch-era coverage gives a distinctive picture of the founders’ craft in Louvrange, Wallonia; it does not establish the watch’s present price or availability.
Who founded Van Bricht?
Bernard van Ormelingen and Sébastien Lambricht met while studying watchmaking in Namur and founded Van Bricht in 2019. The brand’s name combines their surnames. Monochrome’s February 2020 feature located their workshop in Louvrange, in the Walloon countryside, and described it as a converted garage.
The founders’ project was small and personal rather than a claim to represent Belgian watchmaking as a whole. Van Ormelingen told Monochrome: “We had a dream, and just went with it,” adding that even if the venture failed, they would at least have made a great watch for themselves.
What is the Van Bricht Old Mind?
The Old Mind was reported as Van Bricht’s first watch. Its launch reference is VB-OM-2129: a manually wound tourbillon in a 40 mm stainless-steel case, with a bleached silver dial. The design’s most individual feature is its hand-guilloché decoration, which draws attention to the tourbillon aperture rather than radiating from the dial’s center.
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Two dial patterns
Monochrome described two dial pattern options: moiré and barleycorn. Both use engine-turned guilloché, but the patterns create different visual textures. The decoration is centered on the tourbillon, a choice that makes the mechanism the dial’s visual anchor rather than treating the tourbillon as an addition to a conventional centered layout.
Published specifications
| Specification | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Reference | VB-OM-2129 |
| Case | 40 mm diameter; stainless steel |
| Dial | Bleached silver; moiré or barleycorn hand-guilloché |
| Winding | Manual |
| Complication | Tourbillon |
| Power reserve | 110 hours, as published in 2019–2020 coverage |
| Frequency | 3 Hz, as published in 2019–2020 coverage |
| Jewels | 19, as published in 2019–2020 coverage |
These figures are specifications reported by Monochrome in 2020 and Hodinkee in 2019; they are not the result of an independent inspection or test for this article.
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- 【No Battery Required】Our classic mechanical watch uses an automatic self-winding mechanism and does not require a battery. Wind-up: Rotate the button clockwise (no need to pull it out, just in the normal position) for 30 full turns to obtain enough energy for a whole day.
- 【High Quality Movement】Imported movement, very quiet, even when working at night, it won't make a lot of noise. The tourbillon makes this watch more precise in time than regular mechanical watches. One full string can provide 45 hours of electricity, with a lifespan of over 10 years.
- 【Comfortable to Wear】Durable stainless steel strap is easy to use and adjust length with tools. The high-strength mineral glass on the watch case provides scratch protection. High quality watch case, resistant to fading. 30 meter waterproof, sweat proof, splash proof, and rain proof (please do not use it during sauna, bathing, or diving). The luminous pointer makes it more convenient to use at night. All of these provide you with a comfortable wearing experience.
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How did the workshop make the dial and movement?
Restoring a guilloché machine
During Monochrome’s workshop visit, van Ormelingen described restoring a roughly 120-year-old Lienhard guilloché machine with help from family. The hand-turned machine enabled the founders to cut the dial’s intricate patterns directly into the surface. Monochrome reported that the silver dial was bleached with acid, not painted, giving it a pale finish beneath the engraved pattern.
A tourbillon base reworked in Belgium
The Old Mind movement should not be described as wholly originated in Belgium. Launch-era coverage says the founders sourced a tourbillon base from BCP in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, then remade or substantially reworked elements including the bridges and baseplate in Belgium. That distinction matters: the watch combines an externally sourced foundation with significant work by the small Van Bricht team.
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- 【Art Design】The hollowed out surface is paired with an independent small second hand dial and a difficult to manufacture tourbillon, easy for you to see the movement between the gears of the movement and feel the beauty of industry at any time; Diamond scale surrounding the dial and the dodecagon bezel create an artistic aesthetic. The specially rhombus strap let the watch more unique. Carefully designed and carved, our magnificent men's automatic mechanical watches are deeply loved.
- 【No Battery Required】Our classic mechanical watch uses an automatic self-winding mechanism and does not require a battery. Wind-up: Rotate the button clockwise (no need to pull it out, just in the normal position) for 30 full turns to obtain enough energy for a whole day.
- 【High Quality Movement】Imported movement, very quiet, even when working at night, it won't make a lot of noise. The tourbillon makes this watch more precise in time than regular mechanical watches. One full string can provide 45 hours of electricity, with a lifespan of over 10 years.
- 【Comfortable to Wear】Durable stainless steel strap is easy to use and adjust length with tools. The high-strength mineral glass on the watch case provides scratch protection. High quality watch case, resistant to fading. 30 meter waterproof, sweat proof, splash proof, and rain proof (please do not use it during sauna, bathing, or diving). The luminous pointer makes it more convenient to use at night. All of these provide you with a comfortable wearing experience.
- 【Exquisite Gift】This fashionable skeleton tourbillon automatic watch is suitable for any casual or formal occasion. Its elegant appearance is easy to match with any men's clothing, making your wrist the focal point. Unique design, exquisite craftsmanship, luxurious appearance, and exquisite packaging make it the perfect gift for holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, graduation ceremonies, Father's Day, and birthdays.
Hand finishing
Monochrome credited Guillaume Melin with hand polishing the movement, including black polishing, using boxwood, copper, and steel. The feature also reported that the sapphire caseback sits 0.003 mm from the movement. These are descriptions and specifications from the 2020 workshop feature, not independently verified measurements here. Melin characterized the process this way: “It is all handwork, the traditional way, all the way down to the last micron. I’m constantly checking and polishing with my eyes and pure fingerspitzengefühl (instinct).”
What were the Old Mind’s reported price and production plans?
Hodinkee’s August 2019 launch report described the Old Mind as available for pre-order at €45,000 and reported a planned edition of 25 pieces. Monochrome also cited €45,000 and 25 pieces in its 2020 coverage. Monochrome reported that about nine watches had been made by the time of its workshop visit; that was an interim count, not a verified final production total.
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- [Mechanical Movement] This watch has manual self-winding. Please consider that mechanical watches that require manual winding can only keep time for a short time after winding. To prevent running or inaccurate time, it is advised that you verify the time periodically and wind up the chain 15–20 times.
- [Waterproof] Water resistant to 50m (165ft) -suitable for short periods of recreational swimming and showering, but not diving or snorkeling
- [Ideal as a Gift] This beautiful retro-style watch can be worn on any occasion or given as a gift to your father, brother, partner, or boyfriend. At weddings and any holiday gatherings, it can be a really appreciated and elegant gift.
- [Professional After-Sale Service] Please contact us if you need any additional details about our watches. We will be happy to answer and help you anytime.
Those figures describe launch-era reporting only. The cited articles do not establish whether the 25-piece plan was completed, whether production continued, or what the watch costs or availability might be now. Current ordering details have not been verified.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What makes Van Bricht notable?
The Old Mind’s significance lies in the way its details connect to the scale and setting of the project: a Walloon workshop, a restored guilloché machine, a dial pattern organized around the tourbillon, and movement components remade locally around a sourced base. It is a specific example of independent watchmaking, not evidence for broader claims about the size or typical practices of Belgian watchmaking.
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- [Luxurious Mechanical Watch] High quality hollow mechanical watch appearance retro gorgeous, exquisite carving and design of the golden appearance of the European nobility more highlight your noble identity extraordinary taste, to bring you a pleasant luxury experience
For the founders, the watch was both a technical undertaking and a personal ambition. The available launch-era accounts document its design and reported making in unusually concrete terms, while leaving its present commercial status unanswered.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Monochrome Watches, “Van Bricht, Independent Watchmaking from Wallonia, Belgium,” 25 February 2020
- Hodinkee, “Introducing The Van Bricht ‘Old Mind’,” 30 August 2019
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
