Often with watches, we are promised something that goes above and beyond just telling time. Whether in the form of water resistance that can survive terrifying depths, the ability to measure lap times and speeds to absurd precision, or track the motion of celestial bodies to name but a few, watches do a lot of stuff that frankly, we don?t often need. When I first saw the De Rijke & Co. Amalfi 1S driving watch, I had a feeling that it would fall into a similar category. Novel, but unnecessary.
Before getting to the watch, a quick intro to the brand. Based in the Netherlands, De Rijke & Co. is a relatively new company founded by Laurens De Rijke, a designer and engineer. Inspired during an 11,000 kilometer Vespa ride, Laurens designed the Amalfi series to be an ideal watch for the ?gentleman driver.? That is to say, not race car drivers or those who aspire towards achieving high speeds, but rather those who drive for the pleasure of the road and the landscapes they traverse. The name exemplifies this, being taken from a romantic notion of driving along the Amalfi coast. First launched with a limited edition of just 99 pieces, the Amalfi 1S is now back in a non-limited, but still numbered edition.
The trick up the sleeve of the Amalfi 1S is the ability for the dial to swivel within the case, allowing it to be oriented at different positions within a 90-degree arc. The idea is that the watch can transform and be worn at various angles to best suit the needs and, per...