To honor the centenary of the De Stijl movement, the Dutch retailer has partnered with the German watchmaker to release a limited edition of timepieces.

Ace Jewelers has partnered with Nomos Glashütte to launch a limited edition watch. The occasion? Well, the new co-designed timepieces – of which there will only be 100 examples – are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Dutch art movement De Stijl.

The German brand is of course best known for its clean and sophisticated designs and quality mechanical movements, all at reasonable prices. The award-winning Nomos design bureau, Berlinerblau, draws from various design and artistic movements, including the famed Bauhaus school, to create its watches.

That makes the contemporary company the perfect fit for any collaboration, especially when the Dutch De Stijl movement is in question. Meaning “The Style”, it is one of Netherland’s most influential modern art styles. Founded in 1917 and also known as Neoplasticism, the movement has defied natural forms and colors and rather focuses on their abstraction.

The Dutch retailer, too, has been praised for its innovation, especially for its business model. Its two physical boutiques in Amsterdam are complemented by a user friendly online eBoutique, which has taken top prize in its class for the last three years. Getting the brick-and-mortar and online retail balance right can be tough, but Ace Jewelers looks to have figured it out.

The clean design aesthetic of Nomos watches gave Ace the perfect canvas to realize this project. The “Ace x Nomos 100 Years De Stijl” features a white silver-plated dial fitted inside the modestly-sized 38mm stainless steel Orion case.

So, what’s different from the usual offering we might get from a Nomos design? Well, it’s all in the details. For example, the hour markers are an ode to De Stijl – each one is of a different length and line weight. It is a subtle nod to Mondriaan’s Composition with Lines or Rietveld’s Red & Blue chair, part of the same artistic movement. The end result is subtle yet unique, with the asymmetrical hour marker each suggesting that every passing moment is unique itself.

The monochrome dial is offset with bold primary colors in small doses, another element borrowed from De Stijl. Take, for example, the German watchmaker’s hand-wound Alpha movement, which now features blued screws, red synthetic rubies, and a yellow balance wheel. This work of art can be appreciated fully through the sapphire crystal case back.

This new limited edition is a natural fit between the German watchmaker and the Dutch art movement. Staying true to both means that this watch should feel just as contemporary 100 years from now. And because it’s based on solid German watchmaking and a clean design, I wouldn’t bet against these watches still keeping time and looking good 100 years on.