Today, I’d like to talk about a type of watch we see far too rarely in high watchmaking. If you bring together diving with Denmark and Singapore, you’ll likely think of Atelier Holgur. Before discussing one of the Frømand model’s variations and what comes next, I’d like to introduce the people behind this bold project: putting a high-end movement into a dive watch.
Matthew de Bakker is of Dutch and Singaporean origin. Born in Belgium, Matthew had the chance to grow up in several countries, notably the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and France. After completing his university studies, he settled in Singapore to work in communications. Passionate about diving and a watch collector, Matthew developed a taste for watches in his teens, especially two models: a TAG Heuer Formula 1 given by his parents for his 18th birthday, and a Seiko SKX781 he bought with his first salary.
Asbjørn Simonen-Andersen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and his relationship with watchmaking is quite different. For him, it is a family story dating back to the late 1890s. The Simonen-Andersen family has a long watchmaking tradition, and his grandfather Holger’s tools are still perfectly preserved. He recalls childhood visits to his grandfather’s workshop, a place filled with mechanical watches and complex tools scattered across benches and shelves. As a child, he never knew whether he would devote himself to watchmaking, but he kept a fond memory of his grandfather and the time they spent handling mechanical objects together. While in high school in France, he met Matthew de Bakker, with whom he became friends, before returning to Denmark to build a career in management consulting.
One day, Asbjørn contacted Matthew to ask if he knew much about watches, as he was considering producing one in memory of his family heritage. It was an incredible coincidence, as Matthew was also thinking about creating his own watch. Their exchanges quickly intensified, and they moved from dreams to a concrete business plan to assess the project’s viability. In three months, they agreed to formalise that plan and to launch a single watch project. Combining Asbjørn’s classic identity with a manufacture movement inside a dive watch, one of Matthew’s prerequisites, the brand set out to innovate and step off the beaten path.
The following year, with help from a third cofounder, Matthew’s father Ferdinand (Ferry) de Bakker, a respected Singapore-based entrepreneur, they invested their own funds and decided to raise capital to finance development, prototyping, marketing, and production of the first Atelier Holgur Frømand. Given their backgrounds, Asbjørn focused more on administration and operations, while Matthew concentrated on product development and marketing. Ferry played a key role by advising on the business side and connecting them with highly competent people in finance and operations. In a year and a half, which is remarkably short for such a venture, they went from a blank page to the commercial launch of their first model.
Asbjørn’s great-grandfather and grandfather Holger, both watchmakers, inspired the brand name Atelier Holgur and its signature H on the movement and the buckle, which launched in October 2022. Even though watches have evolved greatly since Holger’s time, this detail gives the name real depth. Beyond the tribute, they aim to bring to Atelier Holgur his attention to detail, uncompromising quality, and exemplary customer service. This Nordic-inspired brand, specialising in robust dive watches, debuted with a Swiss watch, the Frømand, meaning frogman in Danish, with the ambition to redefine the dive watch genre. After the success of the first 100-piece edition, I would like to introduce one of the Frømand Edition Fumée variations, the Ocean Emerald, released in 2023. Now, let us move on to the presentation of the watch.
Table of Contents – Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald
What are the features of the Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald?
Case
The Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald features a Grade 5 titanium case water resistant to 300 m. It has a unidirectional dive bezel with 120 clicks per full 360° rotation in black DLC, plus fixed integrated strap bars in the spirit of the Tudor Pelagos FXD, giving the watch a modern tool-watch look. The case measures 40 mm in diameter, 13.5 mm in thickness, and 48 mm lug to lug. On the wrist I found it comfortable for daily wear thanks to the case architecture, even if I am not usually a fan of this level of thickness.
Grade 5 titanium is corrosion resistant, non-magnetic, and hypoallergenic. Its composition is 90% titanium, 6% aluminum, and 4% vanadium. It is more costly than Grade 2 titanium yet stronger and polishable to a bright shine. Because this alloy cannot be stamped, cases must be CNC machined, which increases manufacturing cost. Grade 5 can be damaged by high milling speeds and may ignite, so machining speeds must be reduced. Beyond the technical points, the titanium makes the watch very light at only 80 grams including strap.
Finishing combines microblasting and polishing. Despite the clear technical challenge, the surface work highlights the case lines. I particularly appreciated the tactile sound of the bezel action. There are pleasing details such as a nine-flats crown recalling a Viking sword pommel and fixed lugs referencing vintage military watches. For some reason, the fully polished caseback surface reminded me of the belly of a manta ray.
Dial
The Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald is fitted with a refined sunburst fumé green dial and a small-seconds subdial with fine concentric circles. Both the main dial and the subdial receive a gradient treatment that is brighter in the center and fades to squid-ink black at the edge.
The color choice is informed by the electromagnetic spectrum. Different wavelengths from red, orange, and yellow through green, blue, and violet carry different energy levels, which explains why colors disappear with depth. This natural phenomenon led Matthew and Asbjørn to select two dial colors that behave very differently underwater. Coral Fire red and this Ocean Emerald green have distinct visibility profiles, with the shorter wavelength green remaining visible at depth.
Perceived depth and legibility are striking, further enhanced by the black DLC bezel. The hour and minute hands are broad and partially openworked, generously filled with Super-LumiNova, and they play against large applied indexes that use raised blocks to create a 3D luminous effect. A special mention goes to the azurage small-seconds subdial at six o’clock, framed by a white luminescent railroad track that adds a subtle touch of originality. In low light the watch transforms as the white details glow an intense neon green.
Movement
Inside the Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald is a beautiful automatic movement from Schwarz-Etienne. Customized for Atelier Holgur and used for the first time in a dive watch, the ASE 200 micro-rotor calibre is far from the utilitarian movements that equipped divers of old. Beating at 21,600 vph (3 Hz), it offers an excellent 86-hour power reserve and refined finishing.
The decoration is carefully executed and speaks to very high-level engineering. The calibre has hacking seconds, openworked components, a sandblasted finish, and hand-polished bevels. Polished-head screws and the jewels sit in polished sinks. This refined movement surpasses what is typically found in most dive watches. For context, the architecture is identical to other Schwarz-Etienne movements used in limited pieces such as the Schwarz-Etienne Roma Synergy by Kari Voutilainen and by brands like Ming and Havid Nagan.
Strap
The Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald comes with two robust and comfortable straps, each fitted with a Grade 5 titanium buckle and made from recycled ocean plastic produced by Tide Ocean Material, supporting a more sustainable approach. The first is a two-piece daily strap with hook-and-loop closure and tabs. The second is a dive strap in pass-through format, also with hook-and-loop closure and edge accents matched to the dial color. I also tried the watch on a Delugs Delcro Black strap, a very comfortable slightly elastic option that allows a perfect micro-adjusted fit.
How much does the Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald?
The Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald is limited to 8 pieces and priced at 11,500 CHF before taxes. It is currently sold out.
Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald: the ultimate diver ?
The Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald is a true dive watch with all the essential features. It does not claim ISO 6425 compliance, yet its 300-meter water resistance, elapsed time indication and overall construction make it perfectly suited to marine use. It is a modern, well-proportioned watch that rewards a closer look without feeling oversized on the wrist. I especially liked the green dial that shifts from yellow-green to black, bringing real energy to the piece. It is a tone you could imagine on a fish skimming a coral reef. I also appreciated the sword and helmet symbols on the buckle and movement, a thoughtful nod to Danish Viking legends and to Asbjørn Simonen-Andersen’s grandfather.
In the end, the Frømand is richly equipped and ideal for collectors who feel fatigue with sameness in this segment. At launch the brand described it as highly functional, perfectly suited to an active lifestyle, while remaining resolutely elegant. The message was clear at the time: practical and style are not mutually exclusive. I find that idea fully present here, since this watch makes you want to wear it both in the water and every day. It quickly shows that there are no compromises on function or quality. The watches are manufactured by Schwarz-Etienne in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which also supplies the movement (ASE 200). The original case design, careful detailing and this surprising, even disconcerting, calibre make for a striking object.
Price is on everyone’s mind, yet this is a genuinely singular proposition. You might be tempted, at similar budgets, to choose a professional model from the brand with the crown, but I think the question should be framed differently. If you are looking for a decorated movement inside a watch you can put through its paces in any environment, this brand answers that brief. If you prefer a clear split between your tool watches and your most horological pieces, this proposal will not speak to you, and that is perfectly fine. Independent watchmaking does not seek consensus. It aims to place the right watch in front of the right demand, even when that demand is not mainstream.
As for what to expect from a version 2.0 and future models, Matthew de Bakker says he is working on the straps and exploring design collaborations, potentially with an independent watchmaker he admires. For now he remains focused on the Frømand and notes that Atelier Holgur is in no rush to release novelties outside the dive watch category. They have nevertheless developed a more pared-back field watch concept that remains elegant, equally robust, and faithful to the brand’s ethos of exploration and preservation. My thanks to Matthew de Bakker, whom I met at the first Timezones in Dubai last November. I enjoy offbeat propositions and I am curious to see what this small team has in store for 2026.
Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald – Watch Specifications
- Brand: Atelier Holgur
- Model: Frømand Edition Fumée Ocean Emerald
- Case Material: Grade 5 Titanium, polished and microblasted finish with Integrated strap bars
- Dial: snailing with 3D applied Super-LumiNova®, sub-seconds
- Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds
- Movement: Schwarz-Etienne ASE 200 for Atelier Holgur, Self-Winding, 21’600vph frequency (3Hz), 33 jewels and 198 parts
- Power Reserve: 86 Hours
- Water Resistance: 30 ATM
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Caseback: Sapphire
- Case Dimension: 40 mm (Diameter) × 13.5 mm (Thickness)
- Lug to Lug: 48 mm
- Strap: Daily wear strap with Hook & Loop fastener and pin system + Diving single loop strap with Hook & Loop fastener adjustment
- Availability : Limited Edition of 8 Pieces – SOLD OUT
- Retail Price: 11,500 CHF (excluding VAT)
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Do you think a dive watch and a high-horology movement are compatible? Do you like the overall aesthetic of this piece? Share your thoughts in the comments.
For more information about Atelier Holgur, click here.
