Case Design & Movement

The Klokers Klok-01 comes in a 44mm-wide and 11.5mm-thick metal-polymer composite case that feels both light and relatively robust – though it certainly is no sports watch. Water-resistance is rated at 5 (yes, five) meters – which is about the same as most watches rated at 5 atmospheres or 50 meters actually manage. To find out why that is, read this Ask us Anything we published on water resistance ratings. That said, I would not recommend taking your Klokers watch swimming – leather straps are a not a fan of such sporty activities anyway, and the Klokers Klok-01 only comes on leather for the time being (though new materials are possibly to come later on).

The movement inside is what Klokers calls a “Swiss Made high precision quartz movement” that drives the rotary discs thanks to the use of “extremely efficient Lavet-type bidirectional and energy efficient micro-motors.” In short, it’s a modified quartz watch, and while it would have been cool to see a slowly gliding seconds disc in the center, a quartz movement will be more reliable and require less maintenance than a mechanical caliber that would need to continuously drive these large and heavy discs (not to mention the considerable price increase).

Wearability

The single strap works well for both men and women, while the double strap (that wraps around the wrist twice) is definitely for the ladies – it looks and wears nicely without the watch on too (…I’m told). It is comfortable, with the straps being flexible and ready to be worn, unlike the super stiff leather straps many luxury brands insist on using for whatever inexplicable reason.

On the wrist, the Klokers Klok-01 looks unobtrusively cool. As I’m looking at my images now, I realize how it appears more visually complex in photographs than it does on the wrist. The Klokers Klok-01 is so much more fun than it is in-your-face, and that is a good thing. There is a fine line between being (heaven forbid) trendy, and just plain ostentatious – but the Klokers Klok-01 I never felt to come across as the latter, only the former.

One need not worry too much about the 44mm size either: the case has no lugs at all, so the “lug-to-lug” distance, meaning the height of the watch is also just 44mm, keeping it safe from extending over the edges of any but the smallest of wrists. Something to consider, though, is that the straps leave the case’s top and bottom edges at a rather flat angle, and that adds both visually and physically to how the watch looks on smaller wrists.

Summary

The Klokers Klok-01, with its versatile and fun design accessorizes, I could compare in a way to a red pair of Converse Chuck Taylors. With the right attire (and personality), you can get away with wearing it on any but the most formal of occasions… and to create a new, fashionable watch from scratch that manages to imitate that sort of versatility is, in my mind, the most a fashion brand’s designer could hope for.

Worry not, though, as the Klokers Klok-01 is much better-made, more unique, and much harder to come by than Chuck Taylors – and if you want a reliable and lively-looking watch that will be unique on you, the Klokers Klok-01 will more than likely fit the bill.

Producing two models at this time (with more to come), the Klokers Klok-01 is the cheaper option at €399 with a single strap or €429 with the double, while the more complicated Klok-02 (with retrograde displays and a funky hour indicator) runs for a dearer €865. Arguably, the Klokers Klok-01 competes in the upper segment of fashion watches, but it adds quite a bit in design and execution for not that much more of a premium – and it will be better made from case to straps, than most of its competition in this segment.

Last but not least, Klokers Klok-01 deliveries will start very soon, in mid-October (for new purchases, not the Kickstarter ones) – and for those of you in NYC, on October 20th, 2016, there is a Klokers launch event at the Revel, on 10 Little West 12th St. klokers.com

Necessary Data

>Brand: Klokers
>Model: Klok-01
>Price:  €399
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: One that likes to dictate and follow the latest trends – and is looking for something versatile and cool, but not too expensive.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Additional straps are pricy, even though they are high quality.
>Best characteristic of watch: Wears and looks awesome with pretty much any outfit – both on him or her. Strap docking system works really well.