Spotlight: Kudoke 2 British Heritage

I have long been an admirer of Kudoke watches since the first time I discovered their work, soon after I started taking a keener interest in independent watchmaking. Stefan Kudoke had completed his watchmaking training by age 20, and three years later qualified as a master watchmaker.

He is a current member of the AHCI collective of independent watchmakers, and in 2019 was the recipient of the GPHG Petite Aiguille Award for the Kudoke 2. In so doing he became the first independent watchmaker from Germany to take a GPHG award.

The traditional aesthetic of both the Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2 collections appeals to my personal tastes, but for me it is Stefan Kudoke’s creative talent as an engraver that stands out and is truly remarkable. This talent is showcased by his Kunstwerk collection, which translates as ‘works of art’.

My personal favourites are the KudOktopus and Free KudOktopus, featuring a remarkable and detailed engraving of an octopus on the skeletonised dial, with the Free KudOktopus expanding the engravings beyond the dial onto the case, as well as featuring two blued tentacles (complete with suction cups of course) as the hands for telling the time.

If you’re interested to learn more, please do check out my earlier article which looks at Kudoke watches here, as well as my interview with Stefan Kudoke here.

With my firm and longstanding admiration for Kudoke in mind, and my partnership with UK-based independent watchmaking specialist retailer The Limited Edition, I was naturally very excited to learn that Kudoke and TLE had partnered to create a new collaboration watch limited to just 30 pieces.

This watch was the Kudoke 2 British Heritage, a celebration of the link between British and Saxon watchmaking.

Pietro Tomajer of TLE says “Working with emerging talented watchmaker Stefan Kudoke to unleash the historical link between Saxon and British watchmaking was one of the most fulfilling projects we have been involved with. It really gives a warm sense of belonging and it is amazing to be able to leave a small mark in the glorious world of artisnal watchmaking.”

The collaboration seems a natural fit, too, as there is an intrinsic link between Kudoke’s work and the history of British watchmaking, as described by Stefan Kudoke: “The interesting part with collaborations is to learn about new aspects be it in history, design or crafts. With the start of our partnership with TLE in 2020 it was perfectly clear we had to incorporate the rich history of British watchmaking into a common edition.

“Fortunately I was quite familiar with some aspects as the inspiration for the architecture of Kaliber 1 actually came from an ancient British pocket watch movement! I very much enjoyed working with Pietro and the TLE team on this great project and hope there will be 30 happy new owners of a piece of independent watchmaking!”

The Kudoke 2 British Heritage was launched on the 1^st July this year, and I was able to get hands on with the watch a day earlier at a collectors’ evening hosted by The Limited Edition – if you are interested in learning more about these events, there will be more information to come in the next few weeks.

For now, though, let’s take a look at the watch in more detail.

Kudoke 2 British Heritage by Kudoke Watches x The Limited Edition

My first, and lasting overall impression from handling this watch can in essence be summed up in a single word – wow. This was my first word when I saw the watch, and I’m sure one which I uttered countless times as I tried it on for size and spent time exploring the details under a loupe.

It is absolutely stunning in person, and there are endless meticulously added details to enjoy from every angle. I have always found that when something has been created with so much attention to detail, you can tell – and with the Kudoke 2 British Heritage, you can most certainly tell.

An evolution of the GPHG award winning Kudoke 2, this watch is designed to champion the link between British and Saxon watchmaking. More specifically, the work of the great English watchmaker, Thomas Mudge, and German astronomer Hans Moritz von Brühl (known in London, where he spent most of his life, as John Maurice) who helped Mudge to advance his work in chronometry.

This link is celebrated on the Kudoke 2 British Heritage by building on the ‘base’ design of the Kudoke 2 watches in a few different areas.

The dial itself is a light golden colour, with a grenage finish that creates a grainy looking texture. This finish, combined with the lighter colour of the dial, creates an effect whereby the colour and ambiance on the dial are constantly changing ever so subtly each time you glance down at the watch. It is also a finish that was a popular choice during the era of Mudge and von Brühl.

Stefan Kudoke’s signature infinity style hour hand has been blued for this watch, along with the minute hand, which looks fantastic against the light gold colour of the dial. The same colour blue has also been used on the lacquered Roman numerals and markers adorning the chapter ring around the edge of the dial, which serves to tie the colour blue nicely into the overall colourway on the watch.

With the Kudoke 2, the star of the show was always the hand-engraved day-night indication at the top of the dial. This is shown by a single disc which rotates once every 24 hours, which is split into two halves – a golden sun on one half, with a moon and stars on the other.

For the Kudoke 2 British Heritage, you will notice a discrete, additional, single golden star in amongst the moon and stars. This star serves to both indicate the time (the day-night indication has its own ring surrounding it with hour markers added) and is also the signature hallmark of The Limited Edition, in place of the small triangle/arrowhead normally seen on the Kudoke 2.

The same well-proportioned 39mm and 10.7mm thick stainless steel case has been used, which offers a practical 50m water resistance rating. With the Kudoke 2 British Heritage, the case has been brushed on the caseband as well as the caseback, marking a first for Kudoke.

I think this works really well, bringing an element of consistency through the watch as this brushing both mirrors and highlights the brushing on both the chapter rings, the Kudoke signage, and the graining effect of the dial. This, plus the practical and well-sized fluted onion crown, helps to accentuate the polished facets on the case by creating a well-balanced contrast.

However, all this being said, the star of the show is undoubtedly what is on display through the sapphire caseback window.

In a testament to Thomas Mudge, the in-house Kaliber 1-24H manual-wind movement has been decorated with a beautiful motif using flat-engraving. This is the type of engraving commonly used in the era of Mudge and something that he himself was particularly adept at creating, making this the most perfect way to celebrate the heritage that this watch champions so eloquently.

Words really cannot do this justice – under a loupe it looks utterly magnificent. Rather than try to describe this engraving in any more depth, I thought it better to be guided by the old adage of “a picture is worth a thousand words”, so here’s three:

This engraving is staggeringly all done by hand, and I honestly dread to think how long this must have taken to do. I suspect this is also a significant part of why there will only be 30 of these watches every produced, and even then, at a rate of ten per year during 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Movements on Kudoke watches are not engraved to this extent as a default (whilst the balance cock is engraved, any additional engraving is an optional extra), so having the movement engraved in this way is truly wonderful to see, and a great vehicle to appreciate the handcraft that goes into these watches.

I know from my time working with Pietro that he is a keen advocate of sustainability in watchmaking, and so the Kudoke 2 British Heritage is presented on a light grey Alcantara strap with pin buckle, as well as an additional Alcantara strap in blue to provide a different option. Both straps are quick release making the changeover a quick and simple process – something I wish a lot more brands would provide as standard.

In Summary

As I said earlier, if I had to sum this watch up in a single word, it would be wow.

On the wrist, the watch felt fantastic – the 39mm size is exceedingly comfortable, and at 10.7mm it is discrete enough to not feel too bulky, whilst also providing a level of wrist presence which I really enjoy. This is the first time I had seen a Kudoke watch in person, and I was blown away by the quality – it is no wonder to me after having seen this that Stefan Kudoke is fast becoming increasingly in demand with collectors around the world!

With a full UK retail price of £12,840 this is certainly a step up in price from the Kudoke 2, however I think this is money well spent considering what you are getting, especially with the jaw-dropping engraving on the movement, and a 1 of 30 pieces limited edition from someone I consider to be a star of the future.

To learn more about Kudoke, visit Kudoke.eu or follow Kudoke Watches on Instagram. You can also visit our partners at The Limited Edition.

Be sure to mention “Watch Affinity” when speaking with the team at The Limited Edition to receive a small gift with any order!

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You might also be interested in:

• Value for Money in Independent Watchmaking – Part 1
• In Conversation with Stefan Kudoke
• Watch Finishing Techniques
• Watch Stationery and Gift Ideas
• Watch Books, Watch Boxes and more at the Watch Affinity Shop on Amazon (commissions earned)

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