The Klokers Klok-01 is unique, cool, sophisticated, and interesting. For so many of the watches I take a look at on WWR, it’s a take on the traditional form – strap, springbars, hands, quartz or automatic movement. There’s an unlimited variety of this formula, and many many makers do it well. To really make an interesting step, however, one must look outside the traditional form, and invent something totally new. Klokers has done just that with its Klok-01, the second piece from this artsy and interesting French brand.

I spent the past week with the Klok-01, on my wrist, in my pocket, and on my desk, cycling through two leather straps as well as the desk stand and pocket case. In short, it’s a fresh and interesting take on the watch, with unique design elements. It’s polycarbonate case is questionable, but its overall look and utility is unwavering, and it makes a handsome addition to your wrist, or desk.

First Impressions

This watch is so darn cool! From the beginning, the box it came in was interesting – a simple white box, with the Klok-01 presented in the middle of a foam panel, with straps curving around. Simple and easy. I appreciate Klokers for swaying away from some sort of garish presentation box, and going for a simple white box, intended for the single opening.

The Klok-01 makes an immediate impression. Presented apart from the straps, it’s an immediate nod to the creativity and versatility of the piece. I put on one of the straps include, and then slid and clicked the Klok-01 into the mount, and there it is, on my wrist.

Setting with the large crown is easy, although it takes a moment of getting used to setting the dials backwards. More on how to read it below.

The straps are finished nicely, with the custom mounting bracket really making them stand out as cool items themselves.

The black leather pocket case/desk stand is finished in soft black leather, although the positioning of the clock mount, and general build seem a little under-built to me.

Fit and Finish

It’s important to remember that the case of the Klok-01 is polycarbonate plastic. It appears to be one piece going from the silvered case section to the clear domed crystal section. Given that it’s all plastic, the finish is perfect – no scratches or scuffs, and a smooth transition from silver to clear. On first glance, it’s hard to tell that the case body is plastic – but it is.

The caseback is brushed stainless steel, and has helpful etchings explaining the latching mechanism, and which screws to remove for battery service.

Dial printing is perfect, and I especially love the subtle red index markings on the black color edition. That little touch really makes it extra interesting.

The crown has an etched Klokers logo, and Klokers is printed on the index marker as well. Finally, it’s worth noting that “Hours” “Minutes” “Seconds” is printed in English, French, and German around the edges of each ring. Cool!

On the Wrist

Klok-01 is certainly an eye catcher. It’s a larger watch, but certainly NOT huge. The relatively sleek case sits on my wrist nicely, and although it sits a little higher than most watches, because of the mounting mechanism, it’s not unwieldy at all. The size is just right to make the dials clearly visible, without becoming cumbersome.

Because it’s primarily made of plastic, this watch is much lighter than you’d expect based on its size. It feels light and airy on the wrist, and is easy to wear for an entire day. The metal mounting bits of the strap warm up after you’ve worn it for a bit, and actually feels quite nice. As far as an every day wearer, this is a great option comfort wise.

Reading the time off the dial takes getting used to – time is read on the red index line, and given that the entire face is visible under the clear plastic, it looks a bit complicated when you first glance at it. It’s not the easiest to glance at the time in a quick moment, but a very slightly longer glance at the index is really all it takes. Definitely not much more of a distraction, and certainly worth it.

The Klok-01 is certainly eye catching, but not ostentatious or flashy. I loved wearing this and talking about it with friends – but never felt like I was making an overly flashy statement, like wearing some sort of diamond and gold giant tourbillon watch or something. This one is just interesting and cool.

As a daily wear, the only hangup I had was the plastic crystal – will that scratch easily?

Complications

Time

The Klok-01 is simple  – Hour, Minute, Second. But how it shows the time is unique. Here’s how to read the Klok-01:

Three concentric discs (hours, minutes and seconds) rotate counter-clockwise to indicate the time along the vertical axis at 12 o’clock (patent-pending).

Feedback

The unique styling of the Klok-01 leads to some interesting materials, design, and usability quirks. None are particularly insurmountable, and arguably add a bit of interest to the piece. However, there’s one issue that haunts me every time I wear it – the polycarbonate (plastic) crystal. Most watch crystals are made from either sapphire or mineral glass, save for some smartwatches. These very hard materials are selected for their clarity and scratch resistance, among other qualities. However, for some reason, Klokers has opted for a plastic crystal – oh so scratchable plastic. That means that even brushing the watch up against slightly harder plastic, your wall, edge of your desk, or really anywhere else has the potential to scratch it. That’s a bit of a letdown, and a constant fear I have while wearing it. I’d say if there was one thing Klokers could do here, it’s switch to an all stainless steel case, and domed sapphire or at least mineral glass crystal.

Besides that, the piece is great!

Should You Buy It?

If you’re looking for a truly unique, functional, and inspired watch to wear around the city or to the office, the Klok-01 fits the bill. Its look is unique, its clear and readable, and its latching system lets it transition from your wristwatch to your desk clock. Looking for a weekend beater, outdoors sportster, or gala sweeper, this is not the one.

Final Thoughts

The Klokers Klok-01 is a truly unique, inspired time piece. The combination of interesting materials, a unique, interesting, and eye catching face, clear legibility, and innovative and flexible latching system make this a standout timepiece of any collection – certainly mine. Go grab a Klok-01 and set yourself apart from the crowd. 

• Brand & Model: Klokers Klok-01
• Price: 399,00 €
• Who we think it might be for:
• If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Use a domed sapphire or mineral glass crystal, instead of polycarbonate. As hard as the polycarbonate may be, it’s still going to scratch much much much more easily than sapphire. As a daily wearing watch, pocket watch, and versatile mounting watch, scratch resistance is really key here – the polycarbonate really just doesn’t cut it.
• What spoke to me the most about this watch: The slide-rule inspired design, with that super unique bezel, and easy to read index. This is a unique piece for unique people.

Specs

KLOK-01 WATCH-HEAD

• Circular slide rule inspired watch
• Three discs (H, M, S) turn counter-clockwise
• Time display along a vertical line at 12 o’clock
• Swiss Made Movement, High Tech Ronda
• Interchangeable strap
• Dimensions: Ø 44 mm, 11.5 mm deep
• Material: metal-polymer composite
• Glass: transparent polymer with built-in magnifying lens
• Water Resistant
• Swiss Made
• Movement: Ronda movement (quartz)
• 1,5 V battery
• Two-year warranty
• The klokers key: a pushbutton at 8 o’clock to unlock the watch head from its base
• Colors: yellow, blue and gray.

STRAP KLINK-01

• Interchangeable strap
• Dimensions: 230 mm x 22 mm
• Strap material: real leather, alcantara (sand)
• Pin buckle material: stainless steel; engraved buckle
• Colors: matte black, satin black, chocolate brown, indigo blue, sand, newport yellow

DESK & POCKET

• Dimensions: 90 x 55 x 20 mm folded, 245 x 55 mm opened
• Color: matte black
• Compatible with KLOK-01 and KLOK-02
• Case made from high quality PU (smooth grain evoking the full grain of genuine leather)
• Metallic parts made from stainless steel

Upcoming: The KLOK-08

Stay tuned for a comprehensive writeup of Klokers’ latest piece, the KLOK-08