Our Take

Stefan and Ev Kudoke captivated us with their watchmaking when we first met them at Baselworld 2018. Our love of the German indie pushed us to create one first Esperluxe-exclusive collaboration – the K2 Grüner Wald Sonderedition (Green Forest Special Edition) in 2020. With the fantastic reception to that timepiece and overwhelming demand, clients asked us if we’ll ever make the Grüner Wald dial again. So after four years we’re partnering with Kudoke and beyond excited to present the K3 Grüner Wald Sonderedition II.

Limited to 18 timepieces, this EsperLuxe 5 year anniversary exclusive brings back the Grüner Wald dial, featuring a deep forest green inspired by Stefan’s forest surroundings in the German watchmaking haven of Saxony. On the dial, the steel hands are flame tempered brown to complete the color palette of the forest. But more than dial color variation, this special edition really leans into the brand’s specialty: hand-engraving. Going above and beyond the standard engraving found on the Kudoke main bridges, the entire mainplate of this timepiece features a relief engraving of a traditional oak leaf design.

The K3 pushes Kudoke to its next level. One of the biggest challenges for every watchmaker is retaining the design language established for a collection without the timepieces becoming aesthetically monotonous. Here, the Kudoke K3 is a big swing, moving things in a new direction while maintaining a strong connection to its predecessors. While this timepiece has retained the same, “traditional” indication of minutes with a large hand and dial ring, it is the indication of hours that propels the collection’s evolution in the Kudoke 3.

Placed on an attached plate and divided into three dials on the level below the central dial, the hour is indicated with the help of a triple-armed hour hand—each hand with different lengths running between the two dials. When one arm of the hand reaches the end of the hour scale, the next longer or shorter arm appears at the beginning of the next hour scale. Hours 2, 6 and 10 are then shown twice on diƂerent scales before the current hand arm moves on. This is inspired by a combination of an old english pocket watch (for the upper dial) and the Glashütte Original Panoretrograph with a three-tier countdown function, a piece Stefan worked on during his time in the atelier for prototypes and complications at GO.

As with previous models, the understated 39mm stainless steel case with classic onion crown and 10.3 mm case height provides an appropriate setting for this classic yet extravagant watch. The heart of which, KALIBER 1, is exposed through the sapphire crystal case back with its relief engraving, “Sonderedition II,” and oak leaf motif engraved on the balance cock. Thrilled to collaborate once more with Kudoke, the K3 represents high-level, creative watchmaking at honest prices.

The Details

Case:

• Stainless Steel, completely polished
• Diameter 39 mm, Height 10.3 mm
• Waterresistant up to 5 ATM
• Onion crown stainless steel
• Screwed base and bezel
• Sapphire glass on top and back

Movement:

• Inhouse-movement Kaliber 1, hand winding
• Diameter 30 mm
• Height 4.3 mm
• 18 jewels
• Rate: 28’800 vibrations per hour
• Power reserve: 46 hours
• Relief engraved wheel bridge „Sonderedition II“
• Hand-engraved balance cock with "oak leaf“ motif

Dial and Hands:

• Frosted two-part dial with rhodinized chapter ring and plate to indicate hours in three sections
• Lower dial frosted forest green
• Steel hands tempered brown, minute hand with infinity symbol, three-arm hour hand

Strap and Buckle:

• Organic bovine leather strap, grained, mocca brown with quick release system and stainless steel pin buckle
• Additional Alcantara strap, stonegrey with quick release system and stainless steel pin buckle