Part of the fascination that drives my interest in watches is the endless variations in design and, even more so, completely new ideas that result in something I have never seen before. Most of these true innovations come from small independent brands that do not need to cater to the mass market. Recently, I was lucky to discover such a true innovation. And I could even arrange to have it for myself for a while, so I can present it to you in detail. This is the Kudoke 5.
The Kudokes (Ev on the left, Stefan at the bottom) and their team
Kudoke
In case you don’t know the brand Kudoke, let me give you a brief introduction. The mastermind behind it is Stefan Kudoke. Stefan and his wife, Ev, manage the brand. A small but fine team invests significant effort and manual labor to create high-end timepieces that offer remarkable value for the price. Kudoke is located in the village Weifa, which lies close to Germany’s easternmost point.
Stefan Kudoke is an AHCI member. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, follow the link and inform yourself because it matters! The brand won the Petite Aiguille at the GPHG twice. These key facts alone should have you on the edge of your seat, but wait until you discover the details of what I am going to show you.
Meeting other watch enthusiasts to discuss the nerdy aspects of our passion is a wonderful experience. Topping that, though, is meeting the people who create the timepieces and having the opportunity to engage in an in-depth conversation about each other’s points of view. I had that pleasure last October at WatchTime Düsseldorf, where I met with Stefan Kudoke. The last time I’d seen him was in 2019, so we had a lot of catching up to do. And this was the first time I saw the Kudoke 5 live.
Meet the Kudoke 5
The first peculiarity of the Kudoke 5 — or K5 — you discover is the dramatically domed crystal. Below that, you notice an equally domed disk showing an artistic interpretation of the Sun and the Moon, representing day and night. On the latter half of this disk is a golden arrow that points to a 24-hour scale surrounding the disk. The disk rotates once a day and combines a day-night indication with a one-hand (arrow) time display. When the Kudoke 5 prototype was unveiled last spring, the little golden arrow indicating the time was much smaller. In the final version, it is larger to improve readability.
The design of this watch is a magnified version of a very similar disk on the Kudoke 2. There, it simply serves as a day-night indicator. The style of the engraved motifs is typical of Kudoke. Before the brand introduced the Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2 as the first members of the Handwerk (handcraft) series, Kudoke was known for the designs that form the “Kunstwerk” (artwork) series today. Those watches boast plentiful engravings in a style that’s more expressive or artistic than decorative. In my opinion, the design of the central disk on the Kudoke 5 suits the whole watch quite well.
The Kudoke 5 on the wrist
Trying on the K5 surprised me in several ways. The design works pleasantly on the wrist. I like it. This watch doesn’t appear like a flamboyant, extravagant statement. It just looks good — really good. I can easily imagine wearing the K5 in a business context without worrying about its artistic expression. Next, the domed crystal is not too tall. It may look like it is, but it gently slips under a shirt’s cuff. Then, even though the watch’s 38mm diameter is below my minimum for a watch, it works on my 19cm wrist. In combination with the contrasting chaper ring, the thin concave bezel makes the K5 appear larger. The 47mm lug-to-lug length contributes to this impression.
Reading the exact time at a glance requires some familiarization. The chapter ring around the dial covers 24 hours, and an arrow-shaped index marks every 30 minutes. Straight, bold lines indicate 15-minute intervals, while shorter and thinner hash marks separate time into 7.5-minute units. Indicating the exact time is not the primary purpose of this watch. It might sound weird to you that indicating the time is not necessarily the main purpose of a watch. But if we are honest, today, hardly anyone wears a mechanical watch primarily to know the time.
Wearing comfort
Apart from the crystal, the K5 has a rather slim profile. Even including the domed crystal, the watch is only 12.5mm thick. The lugs bend beyond the bottom of the case to hug the wrist, and the relatively large onion crown facilitates easy operation.
The soft calfskin strap makes wearing the Kudoke 5 even more comfortable. It puts a smile on my face to read “Handgemacht in Deutschland” (handmade in Germany) on the inside of the strap. Also, the shape of the branded, polished pin buckle is more complex than it appears at first.
Design details
Taking a closer look at the case reveals the manual finishing the Kudoke team applied. The sharp edge between the brushed side and the mirror-polished chamfer along the lug is exemplary, and the polished top of the lugs and the finishing of the concave bezel are flawless. Pleasingly, the round rims of the bezel and case back extend a smidgen beyond the case’s sides, enhancing the shape of the case flanks. The top of the lugs follows this tiny detail of the bezel. While the case of the K5 may appear simple, it most definitely is not.
The engraving of the central disk is complex. In addition to the black and white rhodium and gold plating, there are several surface textures.
The management of energy inside a watch movement is often overlooked, but it’s crucial, especially with a design like this. As you can easily guess, moving a disk that covers almost the complete dial requires considerably more force than moving a few thin hands. To accomplish this, the first step was to reduce the disk’s weight by minimizing its thickness. The central disk is a fraction of a millimeter thick, which means engraving it is no easy task. The most important design decision was to rest the disk on ball bearings to ensure low friction. To prevent maintenance issues, the chosen zirconia ball bearings require no additional lubrication. Stefan Kudoke told me that blowing against the disk with a small bellows used by watchmakers to remove dust is enough to make the disk rotate. Problem solved!
The movement — a prime example of hand-finishing
The K5’s screw-in case back provides a broad view of the Kaliber 1-24H_L. The base movement was developed in cooperation with Habring², and each version is entirely hand-finished by Kudoke.
The central detail of the movement, both visually and regarding its position, is the big hand-engraved balance cock. Embedded in traditional patterns is an infinity symbol, one of the brand’s signature design elements. The edges of the balance cock are chamfered and polished. Carrying the balance cock is one wide gear bridge. The bridge’s surface is finely grained, which Kudoke achieves through a specialized reaming technique.
The highlight of this movement for me is the edge of the gear bridge surrounding the balance. This edge has a rounded chamfer. You only find this type of manual finishing in traditionally made top-range movements. A flat 45° chamfer is easy enough for a CNC machine to apply, but a rounded chamfer can only be applied by hand. The challenge is to achieve the same curvature and width along the entire edge. In Kudoke’s Kaliber 1, this edge with a rounded chamfer even extends across a very long arc. There are not many people on this planet who possess the skill to execute this decoration.
The attention to detail is also evident in the small Kudoke name plaque. The edge surrounding the brushed and hand-engraved plaque has a round chamfer. It is attached to the gear bridge with two screws featuring chamfered, black-polished screw heads.
In the standard configuration, all movement bridges and the balance cock are plated with gold. Since every Kudoke watch is individually manufactured, and because individuality is important to Stefan Kudoke, you can also have the gear bridge completely engraved or even skeletonized. If you are willing to pay for the extra effort, several other enhancements are possible.
Conclusion
The Kudoke 5 is a refreshing deviation from the common design patterns you find in most watches. Today, many watches are either tools or works of art. The K5 certainly belongs to the latter group. It is a true piece of art for your wrist, and it even displays the time. The execution is exemplary. Kudoke produces around 200 timepieces per year, so the K5 is rarer than many other brands’ limited editions. With several customization options, you can turn it into an even more personal watch.
The K5 offers a lot. And it does so at a rather fair price of €17,900 excluding taxes. Kudoke operates in a mode typical for small, independent brands. Your Kudoke watch is not just one of many serially produced items. Rather, it is the result of an interactive process in which the brand involves you. This is independent watchmaking at its finest. You can learn more about Kudoke on the brand’s homepage.
What is your opinion about the Kudoke 5? Do you like it? Can you imagine wearing such a watch, or is this something you can’t relate to at all? Let me know in the comments below!