Hailing from the capital city of Dresden, the German watchmaker Stefan Kudoke began his watchmaking journey at a very young age. Before setting up his eponymous brand in 2008, he had several stints at Glashütte Original, Blancpain, Omega, Jaquet Droz, and Breguet. During the early days of Kudoke, Stefan greatly emphasized the brand’s German heritage and origin despite using only Unitas calibres at the time. In the years that followed, Stefan eventually went on and produced its very own first in-house calibre — the Kaliber 1, which is the beating heart of the timepiece that we have on offer here today — the Kudoke 2.
Today, what lies before us is no mere Kudoke 2 (not implying that the Kudoke 2 is ordinary, to begin with). This is the Kudoke 2 ‘Starry Night’ Grail Watch 8 — a limited edition variant made in collaboration with Grail Watch, an initiative founded by Wei Koh of Revolution and the Rake magazine, which dedicates itself to collaborating with brands in creating, curating and showcasing timepieces of the utmost ambition, imagination, and sheer coolness.
The moment I first held the Kudoke 2 in my hands, I could not get over how gorgeous and charming the watch is in the metal. It may look simple on the outside, but a closer look at its deep blue dial would reveal a masterful exercise of technical sophistication, design flourishes, and artistic expression. Particularly in this variant, the dial showcases an intricate guilloche pattern resembling delicate ripples, set against a mesmerizing rich blue background inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's renowned masterpiece, ‘Starry Night’. There is a certain hypnotic quality to it which allows it to interact subtly with different shades of lighting. The execution on all levels shown here on the dial is nothing short of exceptional.
Another notable design element here is the beautiful domed disc located at the 12 o ‘clock position. It is hand engraved, galvanized in gold, black, and white rhodium, and rotates in a 24-hour cycle which poetically depicts the sun, the moon, and stars as well as the day or the night. You will also find a tastefully discrete arrow that indicates the time of the day. The peripheral ring surrounding the disc and the primary dial are both coated with SuperLuminova which glows in blue and green respectively, which lends a much-needed visual aid under dark lighting conditions. The hour and minute hands here feature a Kudoke Handwerk signature ‘infinity’ motif.
As far as case size goes, the blue CVD-treated grade 5 titanium case of the Kudoke 2 measures 39mm in diameter by 10.7mm in thickness, which I find quite appropriate for modern wrist sizes. This blue-treated case combined with the blue dial truly makes for an aesthetic you do not see very often.
Turn the watch over and you will find the magnificent hand-wound Kaliber 1-24H greeting you in all of its glory beneath the exhibition case back. What makes this movement interesting is that it was inspired by early English pocket watch movements from the 17th century, which explains the frosted finishing found on the flat surfaces of the plates and the meticulous engraving on the balance cock and the gilt bridge. An absolute visual treat, if you ask me. In terms of technical performance, the Kaliber 1-24 runs a power reserve of approximately 46 hours.
All things considered, the Kudoke 2 is the type of watch that requires you to, in the words of John Mayer, “look closer, look closer still”. Because only by looking closer will this understated work of art reveal to you its true beauty. To me, this is why watches from independent watchmakers are so special and exciting — the amount of attention given to the tiniest little details makes the watch a real pleasure to wear and experience.
Limited to only 30 pieces worldwide, the Kudoke 2 ‘Starry Night' Grail Watch 8 is a truly special timepiece. Building upon the foundation of the Kudoke 2's base design, Wei Koh and Grail Watch recognised its potential and elevated it to an extraordinary level.
