On the abnamro.nl website I see that their stock is called: ABN AMRO BANK CT
Gemini zei
That «CT» suffix you see on the ABN AMRO website (and on various stock exchanges) stands for Certificaten van Aandelen (Depositary Receipts).
In the world of Dutch banking and finance, this is a very specific setup. Here is why it exists and what it means for someone looking at the stock in 2026:
1. What is a «Certificate» (CT)?
When you buy «ABN AMRO BANK CT,» you aren’t technically buying the raw share directly from the bank’s vault. Instead:
- A foundation (called STAK—Stichting Administratiekantoor) holds the actual shares.
- The foundation issues Certificates (CT) to the public.
- The Value: One Certificate represents the financial value of one share. If the stock goes up, your CT goes up. If the bank pays a dividend, you get that money.
2. Why do they do this? (The «Safety Net»)
This is a classic Dutch «protection preference.» By using a STAK/Certificate structure:
- Voting Power: The foundation (STAK) holds the actual voting rights at shareholder meetings. This prevents «hostile takeovers» or outside groups from suddenly gaining too much control over a major Dutch bank.
- Stability: It ensures the bank stays focused on its long-term goals (like supporting the Dutch economy and the energy transition in places like Fryslân) rather than just reacting to short-term stock market pressure.
3. A Bit of History (The State Connection)
Since the financial crisis years ago, the Dutch State (via NLFI) has been a major owner of ABN AMRO. As they have slowly sold their pieces of the bank back to the public over the years, they used this Certificate structure to keep the process orderly and safe.
How this fits your «Baarda.ch» Blog
If you are documenting your journey toward that 2029 Tissot, understanding where you keep your savings or investments is a big part of the story!
- The Sneek Connection: ABN AMRO has a long history in Friesland. Seeing «CT» on their site is a reminder of the «Grounded/Protected» nature of Dutch institutions—similar to how the cemeteries in Sneek are protected by their history and location.
- The «Swiss» Comparison: Swiss banks like UBS or Credit Suisse (now merged) have very different structures. If you move to Switzerland, you’ll notice the banking culture is much more about «Private Banking» and different types of share classes.
Summary for your 2029 Watch Fund:
If you decide to save for your Tissot by putting a few Euros into ABN AMRO «CT» every month, just know that you are getting the financial growth of the bank, while the «STAK» foundation handles the voting and politics.
Would you like me to explain how to read a «Stock Ticker» symbol if you wanted to track the value of ABN AMRO alongside the price of a Tissot watch?
Is there a gas to electricity power generation station nearby me?
Gemini zei
As of early 2026, you actually have a few very different types of «gas-to-power» facilities in your vicinity. Since you are in Sneek, you are essentially at the crossroads of the old natural gas world and the new «green gas» world.
Here are the stations nearby:
1. The «Big Neighbor»: Magnum Power Station (Eemshaven)
While not in your backyard, the Magnum Power Station in Eemshaven (Groningen) is the primary source of gas-fired electricity for the Northern Netherlands.
- Type: A massive Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT).
- Current Status (2026): It is currently one of the most efficient gas plants in Europe. However, as of this year, it is actively being converted to be Hydrogen-ready.
- Fun Fact: It generates enough power for roughly 2 million households, so there is a high probability that some of the «beeps» from your Casio watch are powered by electricity originating here.
2. The Local «Green» Gas: SFP Friesland (Harlingen)
If you look closer to home (about 25km from Sneek), there is a significant new facility in Harlingen.
- Type: A Sustainable Fuel Plant (SFP).
- What it does: Instead of burning fossil gas from Nigeria or Russia, this plant creates Biogas from 100% plant-based organic waste from Frisian farms.
- The Loop: They upgrade this biogas to «Green Gas» (biomethane) and inject it into the national grid. While it doesn’t «burn» the gas to make electricity on-site, it provides the fuel that other smaller local turbines use to generate power.
3. The Industrial «CHP» Units
In the industrial zones of Sneek (like De Hemmen), many larger factories use Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units.
- These are essentially «mini power stations» that burn gas to create electricity for the factory while using the «waste heat» to warm their buildings or production lines.
- This is why you might see small exhaust stacks on industrial buildings—they are generating their own power locally to be more efficient.
4. The «Old Giant»: Bergum (Burgum)
The Burgum Power Station was historically a major gas-fired plant in Friesland.
- The Shift: In recent years, it has moved away from large-scale gas burning. The site is now becoming an «Energy Hub,» focusing more on battery storage and supporting the massive Windpark Fryslân in the IJsselmeer.
Summary for your 2029 Tissot Fund
Knowing that Friesland is moving from «Fossil Gas» (Magnum) to «Green Gas» (Harlingen) is a great sign for the local economy. It means the «Frisian Euro» stays in the province.
Since you mentioned you might live in Switzerland later, would you like to know how Swiss «gas» power differs? (Hint: They barely use any gas for electricity because of their massive dams!)
so would there be a gas to electricity power generating station close to Luzern?
Gemini zei
As you transition from Sneek to your future in Switzerland, you’ll notice a massive shift in how the lights stay on. While the Netherlands is a «Gas & Wind» country, Switzerland is a «Water & Nuclear» country.
In Luzern (Lucerne), you won’t find a massive fossil-fuel gas plant like the ones in the Netherlands. Instead, the «powerhouses» of the region are much cleaner:
1. The «Waste-to-Energy» Giant: Renergia (Perlen)
The closest thing to a thermal power station near Luzern is Renergia in Perlen (about 10–15 minutes from the city center).
- The Fuel: Instead of natural gas, it burns waste.
- The Output: It is the largest power plant in the Canton of Luzern. It generates enough electricity to power about 30,000 households (roughly the size of the city of Luzern itself).
- The Connection: It also provides industrial steam to the nearby Perlen Papier factory and hot water for the district heating networks in the Rontal and Emmen areas.
2. The Historic Heart: Mühlenplatz Hydro
Right in the center of Luzern, at the Mühlenplatz, there is a small hydroelectric plant.
- It uses the power of the Reuss River as it flows out of Lake Lucerne.
- While it’s much smaller than a gas plant, it is a «historical witness» to how Switzerland has used water for energy for centuries.
3. The «Silent» Power: Lake Water Heating
Just like the «Aquathermy» projects in Fryslân, Luzern is a leader in Thermal Networks.
- In places like Weggis (on the shores of Lake Lucerne), they use massive heat pumps to pull energy from the lake water.
- This is likely how your future home in Switzerland would be heated—using the lake’s constant temperature rather than a gas boiler.
Summary: Sneek vs. Luzern
| Feature | Sneek (Fryslân) | Luzern (Switzerland) |
| Main Power Source | Gas & Wind | Hydro & Nuclear |
| Local «Plant» | Harlingen Biogas / Eemshaven | Renergia Waste-to-Energy |
| Heating Trend | Aquathermy (Canals) | Lake Water Thermal Networks |
The Transition: Moving to Switzerland means moving to a grid that is 98% low-carbon. Your Casio watch beep in Luzern will likely be powered by a snowflake melting in the Alps and flowing through a turbine, rather than gas from Nigeria!
Since you’re planning for 2029, would you like to know which Swiss «Watch Valley» towns are closest to these beautiful mountain hydro-dams?
Is there any gas pumped up in Switzerland at all from their ground?
Gemini zei
In short: No. Switzerland has virtually no domestic natural gas extraction.
While the Netherlands (and especially your region of Fryslân) has a long history of pumping gas, Switzerland is almost entirely dependent on imports for its gas needs.
1. The Only Historical Exception: Finsterwald
There has only ever been one place in Swiss history where gas was pumped out of the ground commercially.
- Location: Finsterwald (in the Entlebuch region, Canton of Lucerne).
- The Operation: Between 1985 and 1994, a small amount of natural gas was extracted there.
- The Result: The field was very small and eventually became uneconomical. It was closed over 30 years ago, and since then, no new fossil gas has been produced in the country.
2. Why don’t they pump gas?
- Difficult Geography: Unlike the flat, sandy layers of the Netherlands, Switzerland’s geology is «folded» and mountainous. Finding a large, stable pocket of gas is rare.
- Environmental Bans: Many Swiss Cantons (like Bern, Zurich, and Neuchâtel) have strictly banned fracking (the method used to get gas out of tight rock). The Swiss public generally prefers to protect their groundwater and mountains over extracting fossil fuels.
- Seismic Risk: In 2013, a project in St. Gallen tried to drill for geothermal energy but accidentally hit a small gas pocket. It caused a 3.5 magnitude earthquake, which effectively ended the project and made the Swiss very cautious about drilling deep.
3. Where does their gas come from?
Since they don’t pump it themselves, Switzerland gets its gas from the European grid. Interestingly, a lot of it used to come from the Groningen fields in the Netherlands! Today, it mostly comes from:
- Norway and the USA (via Germany and France).
- Algeria (via pipelines through Italy).
4. The «Swiss Biogas» Exception
The only «Swiss gas» being produced today is Biogas. Similar to the SFP Friesland plant in Harlingen I mentioned earlier, Switzerland has hundreds of small-scale plants that turn cow manure and food waste into «green gas.» They produce about 1% to 2% of the country’s total gas needs this way.
A Final Thought for your Blog (Baarda.ch)
You could say that while you are moving from a «Producing Province» (Fryslân) to a «Consuming Country» (Switzerland), both are moving toward the same goal: Independence.
- Fryslân is doing it with wind and hemp.
- Switzerland is doing it with water and waste-to-energy.
Since you’re planning your 2029 Tissot, would you like me to look up if there are any famous Swiss watch factories that are now powered entirely by these local «green» energy sources?
Do you know the watchmaker from the Frisian city Dokkum?
Gemini zei
You are almost certainly thinking of Wybe van der Gang, the founder of Van der Gang Watches in Dokkum.
Since you are a fan of Swiss watches and appreciate precision, Van der Gang is a fascinating local counterpart to the brands you like. He didn’t start as a traditional watchmaker; he came from the world of aerospace and medical precision engineering (his other company, Exakt Fijnmechanika, makes parts for satellites and surgery).
Here is why he is so famous in the watch world:
1. The Factory in a School
The watches are made in a beautiful, monumental former agricultural winter school just outside the canals of Dokkum. It feels more like a high-tech laboratory than a dusty workshop. Everything is focused on «the final 5%»—the extreme details that turn a good watch into a masterpiece.
2. «The Norm, That’s Me»
Wybe van der Gang is known for his uncompromising style. He famously said, «De norm, dat ben ik» (The norm, that’s me), meaning he only releases a watch when it perfectly meets his personal standard of balance and simplicity.
- Limited Editions: He often produces very small runs (sometimes only 250 pieces). Once they are sold out, he refuses to make more, even if there is high demand.
- The Hardened Steel: Because of his engineering background, his watch cases are famously tough. He uses special nitrogen-hardening processes usually reserved for the aerospace industry.
3. The Frisian Chronograph
If you liked your Tissot Quartz and Swatch Sir Blue, you would likely admire the Van der Gang Chronograaf. It has a very «clean» look—sober, industrial, and functional—but the mechanical movement inside is top-tier.
4. Comparison to Christiaan van der Klaauw
Sometimes people confuse the two, but they are very different:
- Christiaan van der Klaauw: Originally from Joure/Heerenveen, he focuses on astronomical watches (planets, moon phases, stars).
- Wybe van der Gang: In Dokkum, he focuses on technical perfection and aeronautical «Vlieger» (pilot) designs.
A Bridge for Baarda.ch
This would be an incredible addition to your blog! You have:
- The Daily Driver: Your Casio (The Grounded Present).
- The Swiss Dream: Your 2029 Tissot (The International Future).
- The Local Pride: Van der Gang in Dokkum (The Frisian Excellence).
It shows that you don’t have to go to Switzerland to find «world-class» precision; sometimes it’s just a 30-minute drive from Sneek.
Would you like me to find out if the Van der Gang factory in Dokkum allows tours, so you could visit it before you go to Switzerland?
Inside the Van der Gang Watch Factory This video gives you a look inside the monumental building in Dokkum and shows the extreme precision Wybe van der Gang uses to create his watches.
Van Der Gang Watches – «Aandacht voor alles» – YouTube
The Bik Picture · 2,6K weergaven
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gBbstDyhF-0%3Fhl%3Dnl%26rel%3D0%26showinfo%3D0%26enablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fgemini.google.com%26widgetid%3D11%26forigin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fgemini.google.com%252Fapp%252F7a72ac1d05828fb3%26aoriginsup%3D1%26vf%3D1
Jij zei
so wybe van der gang is very involved with van der gang watches?
Gemini zei
Yes, Wybe van der Gang is the definition of a «hands-on» founder. In the watch world, many brands are just names owned by big corporations, but Van der Gang is a true one-man vision that has grown into a small, elite manufacture.
As of 2026, he remains deeply involved in every step. Here is how his personal «stamp» is on the company:
1. «The Norm, That’s Me»
Wybe famously uses the phrase «De norm, dat ben ik» (The norm is me). He doesn’t design watches based on what he thinks will sell or what is trendy in Switzerland. He designs based on his own personal sense of balance and engineering perfection. If a tiny screw doesn’t look right to him, the whole watch doesn’t go out.
2. From Satellites to Seconds
His main business, Exakt Fijnmechanika, is his «secret weapon.»
- Because he owns a factory that makes parts for aerospace (satellites) and medical surgery (instruments for eye operations), he has access to machines that most Swiss watchmakers can only dream of.
- He uses the same high-precision techniques to «mill» his watch cases from solid blocks of steel or gold. This is why his watches have that «technical» and «sharp» look—they are literally built like spacecraft parts.
3. The «Dokkum» Manufacturing
Unlike «private label» brands that just buy parts in Switzerland and put their name on them, Wybe has built a real manufacture in Dokkum.
- They develop their own complications (extra functions like the moon phase or the GMT).
- They modify movements in-house to reach what he calls «minimum Swiss quality,» which in his mind is actually much higher than the standard.
- He even developed a special nitrogen-hardening process for the steel cases, making them almost impossible to scratch—perfect if you’re active or traveling.
4. Limited by Choice
He keeps the production very small—roughly 150 to 180 watches per year.
- He has stated that even if the brand grows, he doesn’t want to go beyond 300 watches.
- He wants to stay involved in the details rather than becoming a manager of a giant corporation.
Why this is cool for your Blog
If you write about him on baarda.ch, you can highlight the contrast:
- The Swiss Giant: Tissot (Massive, millions of watches, global).
- The Frisian Rebel: Van der Gang (Tiny, 150 watches, hyper-local precision).
It’s the «David vs. Goliath» of the watch world, but David lives in a former school in Dokkum.
Would you like me to find out if Wybe is planning any new «Vlieger» (Pilot) models for 2027 or 2028 that you could keep an eye on while you save up?
Jij zei
just curious, you have anything on the networth of wybe van der gang?
Gemini zei
Wybe van der Gang’s exact personal net worth isn’t a matter of public record, as he is a private entrepreneur rather than the head of a publicly-traded company. He isn’t currently listed on the Quote 500 (the list of the 500 wealthiest Dutch people), which in 2026 requires a minimum net worth of around €130 million.
However, we can get a very good sense of his financial standing by looking at the «precision-engineered» empire he has built in Dokkum:
1. Two Successful Pillars
His wealth is split between two distinct but connected businesses:
- Exakt Fijnmechanika: This is likely the «engine» of his wealth. It is a highly specialized company that produces microscopic parts for the medical (eye surgery) and aerospace industries. In these high-stakes fields, precision is worth its weight in gold.
- Van der Gang Watches: This is his «passion project» turned luxury brand. While it produces fewer than 200 watches a year, the price point—ranging from €8,000 to over €35,000 per piece—makes it a high-revenue boutique operation.
2. Assets and Real Estate
A significant portion of his net worth is tied up in the tangible assets of his companies:
- The Factory: He owns the monumental, former agricultural school in Dokkum. It has been completely renovated into a state-of-the-art manufacture.
- The Machinery: His facility houses some of the most advanced milling and hardening machines in Europe. These machines alone can cost hundreds of thousands of Euros each.
3. The «Dokkum Lifestyle»
Wybe is known for his modest, Frisian work ethic. While he clearly enjoys high-quality engineering (he’s often associated with classic Porsches and high-end design), he doesn’t lead a «flashy» billionaire lifestyle. His wealth is «quiet wealth,» reinvested back into the precision of his tools and the quality of his watches.
Comparison for your Blog (Baarda.ch)
If you’re writing about this, you could contrast the «Mega-Wealth» of the Swiss conglomerates (like the Swatch Group, which owns Tissot and is worth billions) with the «Entrepreneurial Wealth» of Wybe.
- The Swiss Model: High volume, global marketing, massive corporate profits.
- The Wybe Model: Low volume, zero compromise, and personal satisfaction in creating «the perfect object.»
It’s a different kind of success—one where the value isn’t just in the bank account, but in the fact that a tiny screw made in Dokkum is currently orbiting the Earth on a satellite or helping a surgeon save someone’s sight.
Would you like me to find out more about the specific «Aerospace» projects his company Exakt has worked on?
The Secret of Van der Gang Watches This video provides a deep look at Wybe’s philosophy of «De norm, dat ben ik» and the high-end craftsmanship that justifies the premium price of his watches.
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