Rikketik - Atmosphere of the big world

During the past year, we have participated in various watch and antique events around Finland and we have also been organizing our own event. In connection with my holiday trip to Holland, I decided to go get inspiration from a local watch event and see what the mood is like in the big world.

Rikketik, Europe's largest event focused on vintage watches, is organized four times a year and annually gathers thousands of sellers and more than 10,000 visitors.

Rikketik, Europe's largest event focused on vintage watches, is organized four times a year and annually gathers thousands of sellers and more than 10,000 visitors. The event takes place in Houten, on the southeast side of Amsterdam, and the journey there conveniently takes less than an hour using public transport.

I arrived at the venue in Houten around ten o'clock in the morning and there were already a lot of people waiting. Owners of Rikketik's paid annual membership can enter right after eight o'clock, and so-called outsiders can enter from nine o'clock if they want to, if they are willing to pay a little extra. I didn't know what to expect from the event, so I thought that by the time I arrived, the biggest traffic jam would have already cleared and I would be able to look at the watches in peace. Oh, how wrong I was.

The tables were filled with vintage watches, the likes of which you never see at Finnish events, and many of which I've never even gotten to see live.

The facilities were large and there were a lot of people. There was always a mass of people at almost every sales table, through which you had to make your way to see the watches. You had to wait for the best tables, but the wait was worth it. The tables were filled with vintage watches, the likes of which you never see at Finnish events, and many of which I've never even gotten to see live. I also saw a lot of watches that I didn't even know existed. The clear main focus of the event was on vintage watches, but there were also modern watches, wall-, pocket- and table clocks, spare parts, advertisements and watch literature. There is guaranteed to be something for everyone interested in watches, and even more so in many different price ranges. In contrast to Finland, the most popular and most used payment method was clearly cash, which the participant of the event should have plenty of with him, because it is indeed possible to make finds.

(Three hard hitting chronographs. Heuer Bundeswehr, Heuer Pasadena and IWC Porsche Design.)

(A special Longines designed by Serge Manzoni, with silver case.)

(Omega made an ana-digi watch for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, which you rarely see. However, there were no less than five of them on the table in the picture! And there were other interesting ones, such as the IWC chronograph and A. Lange & Söhne.)

(The brown and blue Breitling Bullhead chronographs in the middle of the photo caught my attention in particular.)

(A table full of Jaeger LeCoultre Atmos table clocks.)

(In my opinion, one of the finest vintage watches and even more so equipped with an interesting story. There were Universal Geneva Polerouters on this table everywhere.)

(An older gentleman's amazing table. In the picture at least a Citizen Bullhead, a few Longines Weems, a Zenith El Primero, several old Tudor Submariners and a long list of other high class watches and especially chronographs.)

(In addition to the clocks, a few tables also contained old watch dials, used and unused.)

(Old table clocks and everything else interesting.)

(Rolex man's dream table. Nice set of Submariners, Sea-Dwellers and GMT-Masters. Also one Sinn chronograph and a few Cartiers.)

After the event, my head was literally spinning. And not only because of the number of people, but in general, seeing such a wide and versatile supply, obvious demand and central European purchasing power made my brain spin. The trip was really successful and I got a lot of new ideas for the future, which I will start implementing little by little. My visit to Rikketiki will definitely not be my last.