At Klokstraat 12 in Ghent, the shop consists of a single quiet room with one glass counter. Since 2012, when Ilse Verhoeven founded Kaname Watches, our approach to mechanical watchmaking has remained deliberately measured. We never keep more than twelve watches on our short list, and on most days, only five models rest inside the counter display. When a visitor steps through the door for an appointment, the counter is entirely clear save for a dark charcoal-brown wool felt tray. There are no crowded display cases, no sales banners, and no pressure to make an immediate decision.
Counter visits are hosted by Amara Diallo and run for forty-five minutes. Appointments can be reserved up to two weeks in advance, either through our online booking system or by calling +32 9 555 01 12. When scheduling, we ask visitors to share what watch they currently wear and their wrist circumference in centimetres. This modest preparation allows Amara to select three watches from the counter before the visitor arrives, setting them side by side on the felt tray so the comparison begins the moment you sit down.
On a typical autumn morning, the tray might hold the Aldren Square 28, the Nordhaven Tide 39, and the Vell Field 36. The Aldren Square 28, crafted in Biel with a hand-wound movement and a 42-hour power reserve, sits in a 28 mm square steel case with a cream dial at €1,420. Beside it, the Nordhaven Tide 39 from Aarhus offers a slate dial in a 39 mm round steel case with automatic winding and 100 metres of water resistance at €1,640. The third piece, the Vell Field 36 from Lyon, presents a 36 mm steel profile with a clean matt black dial at €1,280. Seeing three distinct silhouettes side by side clarifies proportions far more effectively than viewing dozens in a catalogue.
THE SECOND HALF OF THE VISIT
Amara begins by sliding the first piece toward your wrist, observing how the lugs align with your anatomy. A watch that looks modest in a photograph may wear broad if the lugs extend straight, while a square case requires careful alignment against the wrist bone. There is ample time to wind the crown, feel the click of the ratchet wheel, and observe the dial under warm side light. If a strap requires adjustment, partner craftsman Rafael Ortega in Porto provides hand-stitched calf or suede straps at €85, tailored to your exact measurements.
Around the thirty-minute mark, most visitors narrow their focus to one preferred piece. We do not ask for a purchasing commitment on the spot. Instead, Amara initiates our standard seven-day hold. The chosen watch is set aside in our Ghent cabinet, giving you a full week to consider how it fits into your daily routine. Should you confirm your choice, Jonas Albrecht prepares the watch for counter collection or dispatches it with insured EU delivery for €18, which is waived on orders exceeding €1,000. Every new piece is backed by our two-year warranty, serviced directly on Tomasz Wrona’s bench in our workshop.
Forty-five minutes is enough time to understand how a mechanical watch feels against your skin. By limiting the tray to three pieces and the counter to one visitor at a time, Kaname Watches preserves the calm, focused attention that mechanical objects deserve.
