Kudoke 2 Grüner Wald Sonderedition
The Kudoke 2 Grüner Wald Sonderedition is the latest creation from husband and wife team, Stefan and Ev Kudoke. Limited to just 10 pieces, the watch is being sold exclusively by online watch specialist, Esperluxe. Crafted in Saxony, this model features a hand-wound movement and a high quotient of hand craftsmanship.
When the subject of German watches comes up in discussion, attention invariably turns to Glashütte, a picturesque town in Saxony. Nestling in the foothills of the Ore Mountains, Glashütte is widely regarded as the epicentre of German watchmaking.
However, the high-end brand, Kudoke is based in Weifa, approximately 70 kilometres east of Glashütte. Like Glashütte, Weifa is located in Saxony albeit it is much smaller. Clearly, this provides Stefan Kudoke with the peace and quiet so highly prized by watchmakers.
The firm is run by husband and wife team, Stefan and Ev. Stefan has vast experience working for Glashütte Original as well as other companies belonging to Swatch Group.
The independent brand came to the attention of the world’s watch press and legions of horophiles when it won the GPHG ‘Petite Aiguille’ prize in 2019. This prize-winning model, the Kudoke 2, is equipped with a day/night indicator at noon, exquisite hour and minute hands and a gorgeous hand-wound movement with engraved balance cock. Kudoke collaborated with Austrian brand, Habring², in order to produce the Kudoke 2’s hand-wound movement
Now, Kudoke has returned with a new version of its Kudoke 2 model, the Grüner Wald Sonderedition, available exclusively from EsperLuxe, an online retailer with a predilection for independent watch brands. Stefan chose to reference the countryside of his native Saxony, endowing this new model with a forest green dial and naming it the Grüner Wald Sonderedition. The movement, visible via an exhibition caseback, is equipped with gilded bridges and includes large expanses of hand-engraved detail. The watch is limited to just 10 pieces.
The brand’s press release
In 2019 Christopher Daaboul of EsperLuxe first met with Stefan Kudokeat Baselworld’s dedicated AHCI (Académie Horlogèredes Créateurs Indépendants) space. There was so much to love about Stefan’s work – strong German watchmaking aesthetic and high-quality craftsmanship at great prices. So immediately Chris knew this was a perfect match for EsperLuxe in line with the philosophy of promoting boutique and independent watchmaking.
18 months later, Kudoke and EsperLuxe are proud to unveil an exclusive collaboration: The Kudoke2 Grüner Wald Sonder edition (Green Forest Special Edition). The name for this Esperluxe exclusive relates to the dial’s colour, a deep textured green inspired by Stefan’s forest surroundings in the German watchmaking haven of Saxony. But more than dial colour variation, this special edition is really about the watchmaker’s speciality: hand-engraving.
While understated, the dial features a frosted green that can be described as a deep teal colour. It is grained to achieve a coarser texture that reflects beautifully in various lighting. The GrünerWald also features the unusual and quite creative, mirror polished, infinity-symbol hour hand accompanying a raised chapter ring for the minutes. The timepiece retains the eye-catching design emblem of the Kudoke2: its day-night indicator at 12 o’clock. It’s a stunning visual highlighted by the domed disk with hand-engraved gold plating to represent the day, and white and black rhodium for night.
If the dial side of KUDOKE2 represents more subtlety and elegance, the case back displays the overt look of artisanal craftsmanship. Stefan’s first in-house calibre, KALIBER1, is used in the KUDOKE2, and makes its link to 19th century, English pocket watches with gilded bridges and a large, hand-engraved balance cock across the centre of the movement. Accompanying, the floral engraving work is the “Sonderedition” designation as a special edition in German, along with the plaque indicating the limited “one of ten” description. Lastly, a subtle LE is hand-engraved representing EsperLuxe branding.
The KUDOKE2 GrünerWald Sonder edition is a special edition of 10 pieces available exclusively from EsperLuxe.
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