17 Questions to a well-dressed man – Koen Verseveldt
Photo credit: Koen Verseveldt
Koen Verseveldt is young and dynamic gentleman with multiple passions. Two of them are particularly interesting which are watches and clothing. Those passions go very well together, and we often see that watch lovers enjoy clothing and clothing aficionados are true watch enthusiasts. Koen is a watchmaker and vintage watch dealer which you can find more information about on his webpage Horlogica. When it comes to clothing, he enjoys tweed. He has a big appreciation for this cloth and the way it is made. He owns many tweed vests made from tweed that he bought himself and brought to a tailor. Those vests are his trademark meanwhile and they have a function too. Koen collects pocket watches and to wear a pocket watch, you need a vest. Between choosing a new tweed, a lot of watchmaking and selling he had some time to answer the “17 questions to a well-dressed man”. The answers, you can find below.
What are you wearing today?
A pair of dark slim fit jeans, light blue dress shirt, Harris Tweed waistcoat and my Waltham railroad grade pocket watch from 1918.
If you had to choose to spend money either on a suit or on a watch, what would you choose?
I would choose the watch, because I’m more passionate about watches then I am about suits. Attributing to this is that I barely encounter occasions where it is considered “appropriate” to wear a suit. I often wear waistcoats and jackets on non-matching trousers, which is also more “my style” then a full two of three-piece suits.
What jewellery could a man wear?
Definitely a watch, either a wristwatch or pocket watch. It’s the foremost piece of jewellery that a man can wear. I believe that a watch can tell you a lot about the person who wears it, way more then any other piece of jewellery could ever do. I do like cufflinks and tie bars but rarely wear them myself. And of course, a wedding ring, if someone happens to be married.
Tie or a bowtie?
Without doubt a tie… I’ve bought two bowties a few years ago and never ever wore them…. It’s just not for me. I do like ties in certain combinations and whenever I wear a suit, a tie just finishes the look. In most situation I encounter it’s just “too much” and I experience wearing a tie not necessarily comfortable.
Do you remember your first jacket?
To be honest, no… probably it was a jacket that I found at the thrift store and wore to a party when I was a student.
However, I remember and still have my first “real” jacket. It’s a Polo Ralph Lauren sportscoat made from a very nice blue flax/wool blend, which I bough in 2017. It’s a fantastic jacket, which fits like it’s been custom made and feels and looks like a quality piece all the way through. I still regularly wear it, especially in summer.
What is your favourite watch?
Asking to a watch enthusiast what his favourite watch is, is like asking a parent to choose his favourite child! I really love vintage wristwatches. My favourite brands are Omega, Longines and Zenith, since they have great heritage and made fantastic watches in the 1950’s and 60’s. A few months ago, I acquired a vintage Omega Constellation from 1962 with so called Pie Pan dial, which is currently my favourite wristwatch.
I’m not the kind of collector who keeps buying more and more watches. I prefer to have a small collection with every individual piece in excellent condition. This gives me more joy then a larger collection where the condition of the individual pieces is lower. If don’t wear a specific watch enough I’ll sell it and look for something else. Every vintage watch is unique and if I don’t enjoy it, somebody else should have the chance to do so.
I also have a passion for pocket watches. I really like both Swiss and American pocket watches made between 1890-1930. My favourite pocket watch is a railroad grade Waltham 645 in a gold filled case. I bought it a few years ago and it turned out to be in mint condition, both optically and technically. After fully overhauling the movement it’s still running amazingly accurate, it gains a few seconds a week at most. I love it that something a hundred years old can still be used daily and performs as well as the day that it left the factory.
Fountain pen or ballpoint?
That’s depending on the occasion. I own a Pelikan Souveran fountain pen and I absolutely love writing with it. It’s just pure joy to handle a writing instrument that has been made with such care and attention and to know that it will last a lifetime when I take proper care of it. However, for faster notes, I prefer a ballpoint since the ink dries quicker and there is less chance of making a mess when you’re in a hurry. A few weeks ago, I received two Cross Century Classic ballpoints as a gift from a friend and I really like them!
Have you found the perfect garment yet?
Definitely a tweed waistcoat. Waistcoats are rather uncommon nowadays and rarely worn in a way that makes sense. I have all of my waistcoats custom made, most of them from (Harris) tweed and always with the back made from the same fabric as the front. It’s close to impossible to find that in stores, but I think I looks way better when worn without a jacket. A well-tailored waistcoat offers you the slim and elegant look that a jacket can give and adds the possibility to wear my pocket watches and to roll my shirt sleeves (which I tend to do often).
Explain your biggest passion in one sentence?
Everything that has to do with vintage watches. Whether it’s buying, selling, restoring, researching history or talking about watches.
What is your guilty pleasure?
I think I’ll stick to the original definition of a “guilty pleasure” (in music) …. I do really like Dutch carnival music and I think most people wouldn’t expect this from me since I never celebrate carnival… but I just like the music.
Who is the best dressed man in the world for you?
I wouldn’t know…I’m not really into following style icons or things like that. I think its wonderful if someone pays attention his or her appearance, which is already a rarity nowadays in my opinion (especially for men). Personally, I love a more classical style, but on somebody else a different style can look great as long attention is being paid. I can enjoy looking at it while it wouldn’t be something for me to wear.
The best book you ever read?
I’m not really a reader, but when I do read I prefer business books. One book that I still remember as being very interesting is “Never split the difference” written by Chris Vos. He’s a former hostage negotiator and the book is both about negotiating techniques and reflecting on the situations he has encountered in his career. Currently, I’m reading “Influence” by Robert Cialdini. In marketing this is referred to one of the best books on the psychology and basic principles behind all marketing.
Which city should one go shopping?
Honestly, I wouldn’t know…
Tweed or flannel?
Definitely tweed, preferably Harris Tweed. I am a really big fan of Harris Tweed, due to the exceptional heritage and craftsmanship. I really love the rich colours the fabric has, due to the wool fibres being dyed in different colours before being mixed and spun into yarn. What also adds for me is that all Harris Tweed is always woven on a manually powered looms, which means that attention being paid to every centimeter that is woven by the weaver.
The most elegant restaurant in the world for you?
I’m not really onto “high dining”. Although I love good food, I can also really enjoy things like “all you can eat sushi” or a simply but well-prepared meal at the local pub. For me, good company is at least as important as the food. However, both should be at least good.
Describe your style in three words?
Classic, modern, refined.
Best purchase you did in the last 6 months?
When it comes to clothing, it’s a very nice half lined sportscoat that I found at the thrift store a few month ago. It’s been made-to-measure from a beautiful light blue wool fabric by Fratelli Tallia di Delfino. It’s half canvas and although it’s been made for someone else, it fits me perfectly!
However, the best purchase in the past 6 months has been a Bosch Shirtmaster. These machines were introduced to the market in 2003 and it irons dress shirts by inflating them with hot air. They were a true innovation, but due to the high price (close to 1000 euro when new) they never became really popular. I came across this machine coincidentally on a second-hand website and was able to purchase is for very little and gave it a thorough clean. It turned out that it works absolutely perfect! You put the still damp shirt onto the machine and 7-8 minutes later you have a completely dry and crisply ironed shirt. Very happy with it!