Klokers Is...Back?

In perhaps one of the oddest press releases I have received in some time - and believe me, I've seen some dillies, this little biscuit snuck into my in-box this AM -

Courtesy of Klokers

2020

At the start of the year, Klokers announced a new, timeless journey with a new team and new ambitions. After having worked for 9 months on preparing this exciting adventure, we look forward to seeing you in a few days’ time with our totally upgraded e-shop! To celebrate both this renaissance and the 5th anniversary of the founding of Klokers, we propose a limited edition watch brimming with character...  Sketch out your dreams!

TO CELEBRATE ITS 5th ANNIVERSARY, 
KLOKERS IS REINVENTING ITS BEST-SELLER, FEATURING A SPECIAL EDITION ANTHRACITE 
limited to just 365 models.

Highlighted by the white graphic design of the markings, the anthracite colour of the watch face subtly matches the blood red squares.

This harmonious colour combination emphasises its masculine identity and its modest adaptation to the world around it.

This version superbly displays its graphical heritage with the circular slide rule and pushes back the boundaries which chalk and blackboard technology once imposed on mathematical demonstrations.

As every dad is unique and because every action shapes our personality, 

klokers is dedicating this new klok-01 to to the concept of otherness, something wonderful we all have in common.

from 545 € limited to just 365 models

Here's the link to the full announcement -

https://www.klokers.com/en/product/klok01anthracite

Remember that fun little watch that came out in 2016?  I remember it intimately as I, along with a handful of other outlets, promoted it prior to and during their Kickstarter. We then cheered it on during launch.  Then watched as the founders became increasingly aloof and (if I'm honest), arrogant.  

And then?  Less than (if memory serves) 3 years from introduction)...

The whole thing imploded.  

You can find some commentary on that here: Things Were Great Until They Weren't - Klokers

What went wrong?  Plenty.  Deliveries were sluggish on the first edition.  Some customers received watches that didn't work and then were challenged in getting them repaired.  The cases of the first iteration were actually plastic coated with material to look like metal.  Fair enough.  But then the coating on some models began to peel.  More Kickstarters happened, more delays.  Long story short?  A lot of money came in, but it seemed to run through the company like shit through a goose.  The distribution was not helpful as at least one distributor dumped a fair amount of stock onto the grey market to try and get a quick sales pop just months after the watch had been launched.

Here's the funny part - the guys who started Klokers were, pre-launch and launch?  Nice, cool guys who you wanted to see succeed.  Post launch and forward?  Let's just say there was a marked change of demeanor.

A brand is more than an item or product.  A brand is the people behind it.  

And as if to underscore this, the new iteration of Klokers is now known as (brace yourself) -

Klokers Branding

I have no idea what in the wide world of sports that is supposed to mean, I have no idea who is behind it, if the original founders are involved, and honestly?  I truly do not know if anything branded as "Klokers Branding" is going to resonate with the folks who went along for the ride the first time.

So here's hoping.  Here's hoping that whoever is taking up the mantel to try and resuscitate Klokers is fully committed and adequately funded.  Let's hope they take heed to everything that went wrong and could have gone better.  Let's hope that they listen to their customers - both the positive and negative.

Klokers II - Electric Boogaloo!

Curious to relate -

2020 and Klokers is announcing its new journey in time.
A legacy, a pioneering approach to time-piece
and accessory creation and innovation.

« When the very essence of a brand is respected, it cannot fail but to return 
all the stronger and more imaginative, without losing any of its integrity.
Today I am delighted to find these time-pieces which I designed. 
So easily identifiable, they have made Klokers’ reputation in just a few years.
It is a challenge that we will rise to together, to protect our time, 
which is the most precious commodity each of us has. »

Nicolas Boutherin
Concept Designer & Artistic Director at Klokers 

Building on their savoir-faire and their extensive expertise in industry,
product design, branding and the digital world, the entrepreneurs have developed
a new organisation with a view to cultivating and promoting 
the essence of Klokers both in France and internationally.

I guess we shall wait, and we shall see.  I am honestly not even remotely sure how the hell you build on savoir-faire, particularly of a brand that went into receivership.

Repeat - Yogi Berra on Brand Management

I originally came out with this just over three years ago.  At that time I was in Malmo, Sweden for the launch of Kronaby.  After a fairly successful launch, followed by a strong BaselWorld 17, and  a BaselWorld 18 that was off the chain (the booth was jam-packed and I saw someone in front of the booth with with a can of grease and a crowbar trying to get more people in), shortly prior to BaselWorld 2019, word leaked out that Kronaby was, in fact, toast.  Now it's funny looking back, because at the time I was somehow thinking that maybe the folks at Kronaby (and let's say that's the four shot-callers and a few key employees that, in hindsight, never should have been anywhere near a watch brand), might be approaching things differently.  Shortly after launch, it began to become clear that, in fact, that was not the case.  Just prior to their first full-on BaselWorld (I'm talking about a week prior) the brain trust in the marketing department thought it made sense to cancel a large chunk of media appointments that had already been booked.  The result, a lot of press took that particular fuck-you at face value and not only didn't bother to re-schedule, but wrote Kronaby out of their collective consciousness.  Ironically, that BaselWorld found all four of the shot-callers hanging out in front of their booth, not unlike used car salesmen prowling the lot, looking for a possible mark.  Curious to relate, the next year was quite good, with people literally spilling out of the booth!  So what happened?  Well, a few things and some that parallel another fairly spectacular fall from grace, Klokers.  And if and when I am asked to deliver a Ted Talk I will endeavor to boil it down to ten minutes or so ; )

But for now, it seems like a good time to re-heat this one!

Yogi Berra on Brand Management

A late night (in Malmo) Face Time call came in waking me from a peaceful slumber.  Clearly I need to figure out some sort of "out of office" message for that when I am out of the country ; )

Worrying that it could be Wendy and there might be something important, I picked up.  At first, relief as it was not Wendy but a fairly senior fellow who works for a company in Switzerland that produces, markets and sells watches.  We had not spoken in 11 months and he was unaware that I had moved to Salem, MA and was no longer in California (and clearly he did not know I was in Sweden).  This turned into the semi-annual call where X (no names, so don't ask!) was on his latest talent hunt.  It generally starts out with some pleasantries:

X:  "How's Mary?"
Me: "Who is Mary?"
X:  "Your wife!"
Me:  "Well, that's news to me as I've been calling her Wendy since 1992."

So let's just say that X's memory is not razor-sharp, and therefore it is safe to say, he's not so good on every detail ; )

X:  "We're looking for a brand manager for  (no names).  Any suggestions?"
Me:  "What happened to (no names)?  You were so sure they were perfect."
X:  "Well, it turns out that (no names) was not a good manager."

And then X split open like an over-stuffed piñata.  And out it flowed.  X shared all of the problems and I listened.  And to quote that other great commentator on the luxury industry, Yogi Berra:

It's like deja-vu, all over again.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/y/yogi_berra.html

"It's like de-javu, all over again."

You see, X and I have a very similar conversation approximately every 18 months.  It is not always exactly the same date, but generally tends to fall between the close of the year and JCK.
And every 18 months I tend to ask the same thing:
"Why do you keep hiring the same type of person and expect different results?"
Long time readers will know that Moneyball is my default reference, and I even gave a copy to X as a gift a year or so back.  I don't think he ever read it and it's pages were probably used to start a fire in his swanky ski chalet.  So I thought I would dumb it down in the hopes that he might get it this time.  So without further delay, here's some hiring advice from Yogi Berra himself -

"We made too many wrong mistakes"
As an English teacher, I realize that this sentence makes no sense.  But look a little deeper and you will find a kernel of wisdom.  Essentially it reminds me of the anxiety and fear of looking foolish that compels recruiters, hiring managers and even CEOs to go with the same type of candidate again and again.  Simply put, the belief when hiring a brand manager in North America (I honestly can't speak to the other countries) is that they (usually he) must be a sales person.  Now, in and of itself this is good because, you know, you need to sell watches.  But there are several other elements that oftentimes get overlooked:
Management/coaching/mentoring.  Sales is, by its very nature, a fairly solitary pursuit.  While sales people get managed, it is very seldom that they have been called upon to manage the diverse group of personalities that typically make up a brand's office.
PR/Marketing/Media.  Again, frequently a lack of understanding of ROI vs. money actually spent.  If brand managers had a better understanding of this, then certain magazines and "influencers" would probably stop attending BaselWorld as the gravy train would clearly be shut down.  In addition, certain brands would not be the watch world equivalent of "Christmas/Easters" (i.e. people who only go to church two days a year).  Some of us call them Basel/Vegas.  You will only hear from these folks just prior to these two events.
Customer Service. Again, dealing with angry customers is an alien experience for a lot of these folks.

There are some people who, if they don't already know, you can't tell 'em.
Simply put, X, and plenty of other shot-callers in the industry just can't bring themselves to believe that there might be a different way to approach things.  As a friend of mine who works behind the scenes as a very in-demand consultant in Switzerland put it -
"these guys at Richemont, Swatch, and a lot of the others?  They're like trains running on the tracks.  They only move one way, and that's because the 'station master' (i.e. senior management) is following the same schedule they always have.  Which works great in normal times, but quite differently in a heavy snow storm".  And that snow storm started a few years ago and is still screwing up traffic ; )  Perhaps it is time to invest in an alternative "vehicle"?
Now X will probably go out and hire another big group loyalist who is expecting a base salary of 6 figures, business class travel, and a very deep marketing budget.

X:  "But they worked for Cartier for 20 years!"
Me: "So they are still with Cartier?"
X:  "No, but they were there from 92 - 2012."
Me: "So, essentially you are telling me that they have not worked for 4 - 5 years?"

At the risk of sounding mean, there is usually a reason why these people are available.

Nobody goes there anymore.  It's too crowded.
At the risk of sounding crass, X has a boner for big name, fancy retail partners.  The logic being that If you are in "so and so's" store in Las Vegas, LA or New York you will have made it big.  Sounds good, but the realities are something very, very different.  Those stores will most likely be MEMO. (Our old friend of the watch retailer meaning the brand provides the watches and waits for them to sell, and then maybe the retail partner will pay for them.  Then again, maybe not.)  So essentially the brand is acting as the bank, as well as the "supplier".  And if you think that is the only expense, consider the travel to visit the retail partner to do the safe count, the money that will be demanded for co-op advertising, the POS collateral materials that the retailer needs.  In other words, a shit-ton of money that the brand will be putting out there without any confirmed sale in sight.  And once the brand is in the store, they are fighting for case space, because frankly there are just too many brands.

So my strong advice for X after a few hours of sleep is this -
If you come to a fork in the road, take it. 
This is a perfect opportunity to consider a different approach.  There are plenty of talented people (some of them are even female) who despite not being solo artist salesmen might have exactly the talents and more importantly, the temperament to steer the Good Ship Watch Brand through the stormy seas of North America.

Or, you can go ahead do the same thing again, hoping for a different outcome -
Even Napoleon had his Watergate.

There are some people who, if they don't already know, you can't tell 'em.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/y/yogi_berra_2.html

It's like deja-vu, all over again.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/y/yogi_berra.html

It's like deja-vu, all over again.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/y/yogi_berra.html

Things Were Great, Until They Weren't - Klokers

Courtesy of Klokers

News reached the North Shore offices of Tempus Fugit that Klokers has ceased operations as of yesterday - July 2, 2019.  

This announcement was sent from Klokers HQ:

Dear Partner, You have been supported klokers for the past 5 years and we would like to thank you warmly. We are proud of the innovative watches we have created for passionate Time Travelers. Your contribution helped us to develop the whole concept and the brand. We owe you transparency and therefore we inform you that klokers has been through major difficulties.  We have done our best over the last few months to allow this fantastic adventure to keep going but we are sorry to inform you about the ceasing of the activity as of July 2nd, 2019. It has been a pleasure working with you, Best regards The klokers team

And their Facebook page reported this:

We are sorry to inform you that the klokers adventure has come to its end.
Many of you have been following us and adopted the klokers’ attitude and we are proud of it.

If you are the owner of a klokers and need information about your KLOK-01 or KLOK-08, please refer to our instructions on https://bit.ly/2FPpegd.

We would like to warmly thank you for your support over the past 5 years and wish your watch may live at your wrist as long as possible.

The New Klokers

I am generally not one to wax on about a current Kickstarter.  But in all honesty the latest from Klokers is pretty beguiling. 

It is not every plucky little start-up that can have the type of response the second time around that Klokers has, but this is a pretty impressive launch, and clearly sends the message that Klokers is not a one hit wonder.  With 28 days to go the Kloker's Kickstarter has already raised just over $425,000. 

Courtesy of Klokers

Two additional versions have been added as stretch goals -

*  Warm Gray and Peacock Blue dial with a 3N gold plated 316L stainless steel case
*  Dove Gray and Warm Gray dial with 316L stainless steel case

I personally still have my eye on the black -

Courtesy of Klokers

And the red -

Courtesy of Klokers

Counting the minutes till next September ; )

You can, if you are so inclined, access the Kloker's Kickstarter 
here -

Kloker's Kickstarter
 

Enjoy your watches!

The KLOK-08

From Klokers -

Courtesy of Klokers

The team from Klokers is back with an exciting new offering that is launching on Kickstarter.  Ladies and Gentlemen, and children of all ages, allow me to introduce the KLOK-08!

As the proud owner of the first KLOK-01s I have to say that this new offering is an exciting new iteration of the slide rule style.  As a comparison, here is my KLOK-01 -

You will note that the dial uses a slightly different layout with a slightly smaller sized font used for the minute wheel and a non-numeric second wheel.  And I have to say that it is a great variation on the original.

Courtesy of Klokers

The design team also stretched their palettes a bit, adding a gold tone case and crown.  While the romantic in me loves the original 01 for the wonderful color combinations, I have to be honest that this new take on the KLOKER's concept is equally satisfying for the same visceral reaction it brought me when I first saw the images.  This is something special.

Courtesy of Klokers

The colors that were selected are a bit more somber, offering a  pleasantly aged look.  All three offerings are at once timeless, and yet beguiling in their originality.  

Here are the pertinents, straight from the team in France:

KLOK-08
TIME DISPLAY
Two concentric disks turning counter- clockwise to indicate the time along the vertical axis in the top of the dial 
MATERIALS
Stainless steel casing and triple injected dial glass with integrated magnifying lens 
COLORS
White and pink gold; black and
beige; warm grey and orange.
DIMENSIONS
39 mm diameter x 10 mm high
WEIGHT
(with strap): 60 g
KLOKERS KEY
Patented xing system (stainless steel 316L) push-button at 8h to unlock KLOK-08
from its support (strap or accessory) 
MOVEMENT
Quartz counter-clockwise - Ronda Swiss Made
WATER RESISTANCE
30 m / 3 atm 

STRAPS
MATERIALS
4 types of straps : leather, alcantara, textile, steel milanese
COLORS
Leather: matte black, blue, caramel, yellow 
Alcantara: orange
Textile: mouse grey, lichen green, black 
Milanese: silver, black pink
LENGTH
230 mm
KLOKERS KEY
Patented xing system (stainless steel 316L) push-button at 8h to unlock KLOK-08 from its support (strap or accessory) 

The Catalyst

As Klokers has demonstrated this past year, watches can and should be fun!  And fear not, a nice long, photo-packed (decent photos, I promise) story is coming your way in a mere matter of hours!  But I was reminded of a conversation I had with a watch writer I greatly admire (Robert-Jan Broer) at a BaselWorld maybe four or five years ago regarding why we write about what we write about, why some outlets are better than others, what really makes the writer "tick".  Per Robert-Jan - "...remembering what was the catalyst, what pulled the trigger for you as a writer".

And this BaselWorld with all its shortcomings, missteps and bungled opportunities?  It did quite a bit to refresh my attitude about watches, the people who make them, and those of us who cover them.  So it was on Saturday evening that rather than go to yet another goofy "cocktail" at a brand booth (i.e. a large group of writers, retailers and others drawn like moths to a flame by the promise of free prosecco and finger food, I found myself hanging out and chatting with the folks from Besançon, checking out the collection.  And it reminded me of what got me into this whole thing in the first place ; )

So in that spirit, here is a fun piece from Lip, the Mythic Classic, also known as the Classic 671140 -

Courtesy of Lip

It is resolutely design forward, and whimsical at the same time.  And like the wonderful new offerings from Klokers, it requires you to realign your perspective a bit in how you view the time.  And after a BaselWorld that has been described by 2 friends of mine as being similar to an unfulfilled romantic evening - Long and Quiet, maybe watches like this are just the tonic to help us get our passion back!

The case measures 35 mm by 35 mm and is crafted of silver brushed stainless steel, so in this instance it would seem that it is indeed hip to be square.  The movement is Miyota's 2034 and the strap is of leather. 

Priced at 179,00 €, this is a lot of watch fun for not too much money.

The AIRSPEED

From CJR Watches!

One of the real pleasures of writing this blog is that you get to follow, and sometimes in a vicarious way, live people's dreams.  In what is, admittedly, an incredibly frustrating and predictable industry, occasionally you come across someone who genuinely has a passion and wants to make something original.  Enter CJR.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to do an advanced review of the new AIRSPEED watches BEFORE they are to be made available to the public.  In the interest of fairness, I wanted to wait until after the Kickstarter fund raiser began, because in all honesty, I did not necessarily want to encourage, or discourage people from checking these watches out before the Kickstarter had even started.  

Well, I have good news for you on two counts -

1.  The watches are AMAZING values for the price!  They offer perhaps the best value for money of ANY watch - big brand, micro brand or Kickstarter project that I have seen so far this year.  You may recall the Klokers watch which is indeed very cool and created a huge stir on Kickstarter?

In many ways I would have to say that while the Klokers watch set the standard for what a Kickstarter watch could and should be, based on my 2 week experience with the prototypes of the AIRSPEED from CJR, the bar is about to be raised again!

2.  The Kickstarter has launched and it appears that the watch will happen, because they have already reached their goal -

226

backers

$75,203

pledged of $30,000 goal

And I guess there is a third piece of good news - there is still time - and space - for you to jump on this and get an AIRSPEED for yourself!

Here is a link to their Kickstarter campaign page -

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bhmagnet/airspeed-regulator-watch?ref=facebook

So I will be doing a review in three parts - part one tonight, part two tomorrow, part three on Friday.

I will be getting into all of the details, as well as my impressions of the watch, how it has performed, what it is like to wear, and - spoiler alert - why I really think the AIRSPEED is the SHIT THAT KILLED ELVIS!

Stay Tuned!

Time Well Spent - a Review of the New KLOK-01

From Klokers

Courtesy of Klokers

Over the past few years there has been a lot of buzz, excitement, anticipation, and ultimately - disappointment with watches coming out of the Kickstarter pipeline.  I want to start this review by stating loudly and clearly - this is not one of those times!

The Klokers Countdown Continues...

Courtesy of Klokers

A little more than 3 days to go!

A Bit of a Teaser from the Folks at Klokers!

I don't usually get this excited about Kickstarter projects, I just have to be clear about that.  This one, on the other hand, this one intrigues me!

Here is a short video that has done nothing but hit the desire buttons for me ; )

KLOK-01

"Alain Silberstein meets Breitling"  - in the best possible way.  These were the thoughts that a colleague and I had.  Wonderful colors combining with a classic slide rule design.  I love it already!

With all of the new watches being hurled out at us, this one has really caught my eye and imagination.  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls; allow me to introduce the Klokers KLOK-01.

Courtesy of Klokers

This is a watch that you will be able to purchase via a Kickstarter fundraiser that is set to launch in September.

It will be available in three different color themes -

Courtesy of Klokers

                                     YELLOW

Courtesy of Klokers

                            
                                    GREY

Courtesy of Klokers


INDIGO

I am partial to the yellow myself ; )

As this is a brand new thing and I have no earlier reference to go by, here is the release just as I received it this AM -

Machines to travel through time

Come back with us through time, anytime from the 1970s all the way back to the 17th century, when slide rules really did rule. Before the advent of cheap pocket calculators, slide rules were the fastest method for working out complex calculations.

klokers pays homage to this iconic, form-follows-function instrument with the brand's first watch, the KLOK-01, featuring three rotating disks displaying time along a vertical line and a patented interchangeable bracelet system.

klokers watches are highly evocative, triggering memories and personal stories from iconic objects of our past. They are like time shuttles for the wrist, reviving timeless style elements and channeling them into fresh, contemporary, playful timepieces respecting the origins of their inspiration.

The KLOK-01 display is a graphical representation of a slide rule using three rotating concentric rings to display the time along a vertical red line. The rings — one each for hours, minutes, and seconds — rotate at different speeds, making the whole dial a symphony of motion.

An integrated magnifying lens in the crystal ensures high legibility when reading the time. The 44 mm case is fabricated from a modern composite of stainless steel and polymers for maximum strength and comfort.

klokers watches easily, and securely, clip on and off a patented docking "jewel" on the bracelet, allowing for interchangeability of watches and bracelets to suit the owner's mood and fashion.

The bracelet (KLOK-00) is also designed to be worn by itself.

KLOK-01 is more than a watch: both the timepiece and bracelet are stylish, stand-alone fashion accessories.

KLOK-01 is priced at $389 and will be officially launched by a Kickstarter campaign in September 2015 in a numbered edition launch model of 200 pieces each in yellow, grey, and indigo.

You can stay up to date with our Kickstarter campaign and qualify for the $199, 40% discounted, numbered edition launch model by registering at 

www.klokers.com

KLOK-01: the watch

Inspiration

KLOK-01 is inspired by the slide rule, a once ubiquitous calculating instrument. A slide rule is a mechanical analog computer usually comprising three scales, one of which slides between the other two. The slide rule was primarily used for multiplication and division, but it's also suitable for calculating more complex functions such as roots, logarithms, and trigonometry.

In a similar way, the dial of KLOK-01 is composed of three circular disks — one each for the hours, minutes and seconds — which rotate at different speeds to slide past each other.

Slide rules are available in both linear and circular models (the latter being the inspiration for KLOK-01). They were used extensively until the 1970s, but became largely obsolete in the mid-҆70s with the arrival of cheap electronic calculators.

Technology

KLOK-01 is Swiss Made and features a high-tech movement with a high-precision quartz movement. The rotating disk displays are driven by high-efficiency, bi-directionally functioning Lavet micro-motors that boast low power consumption.

These disks display the time on a vertical red line at the top of the dial. An integrated magnifying lens in the crystal ensures maximum legibility when reading the time.

The 44 mm case of KLOK-01 is made from a composite metal polymer offering high strength and low weight and ensuring that the timepiece fits comfortably on wrists of all sizes. A pusher at 8 o'clock on the case band releases the watch from the docking "jewel" for ease of changing watches and bracelets.

Docking jewel for interchangeability

All of klokers bracelets feature a patented docking "jewel" that enables quick and easy interchangeability of watches and bracelets. The watch is detached from the bracelet by a pusher on the case band at 8 o'clock.

Stand alone bracelet

klokers bracelets (KLOK-00) are designed to also be worn alone as attractive accessories in their own right. With a wide range of colors, textures, and materials available, the easily interchangeable bracelets ensure that your klokers' bracelet and/or watch will always suit your mood and clothing.

Colors available in 2015 include matte black leather, silky black leather, indigo leather, orange alcantara, mouse-gray alcantara, and Newport yellow leather. Two new collections of bracelets will be launched each year.

KLOK-01: technical details

KLOK-01 is available in a numbered edition Kickstarter launch model of 200 pieces each in yellow, grey, and indigo.

Functionality
Hours, minutes, and seconds displayed by counterclockwise-rotating concentric disks. Docking jewel enabling easily interchangeable straps.

Dial
Time display: three concentric disks rotate to indicate the time along vertical red line at top of dial. Seconds displayed in gray in the center, minutes in red, and hours in black around the perimeter of the dial.

Case

Material: composite metal polymer

Dimensions: 44 mm diameter x 17 mm high

Water resistance: 30 m / 90’ / 3 atm

Docking jewel: pusher on case band at 8 o'clock for quick release of case from docking jewel
Crystal: anti-reflect treated transparent polymer with integrated magnifying lens for time display

Movement
Swiss Made Ronda movement with Lavet micro-motors powering the indications

Bracelet

Docking jewel: quick release dock in brushed, hypoallergenic-treated, 316L stainless steel
Bracelet: 22 mm, genuine leather, designed to be worn with or without watch
Buckle: stainless steel pin buckle

Colors available 2015: matte black leather, silky black leather, indigo leather, orange alcantara, mouse-gray alcantara, and Newport yellow leather

About klokers

                       

In this era of being constantly switched on and permanently connected, when everything appears to be not just rushing past us, but accelerating away, klokers reclaims the time that escapes us. klokers designs and manufactures machines that time travel through time.

Each klokers timepiece is inspired by an iconic object or instrument with a design so powerful that it has left memories still embedded in the collective unconsciousness of today. KLOK-01 recalls the slide rule, an analog pocket computing instrument. klokers timepieces are not faux vintage, but rather a bridge allowing us to travel through the past, the present, and the future.

klokers’ founders

Nicolas Boutherin, co-founder, president, and artistic director

From creating cartoons to luxury goods, Nicolas built his career in various domains such as communication, innovation, and media. He has worked as art director and general manager in both start-ups like InVisio and major corporations including Publicis, Canal +, and Arpin 1817.

A very distinctive concept of telling the time took shape after long study and research from work done by physicist Etienne Klein, sociologists Hartmut Rosa, and Zygmunt Bauman, and author Daniele Del Giudice. An understanding of the needs and desires of our contemporary lifestyles grew after he absorbed the writings of author Richard Florida and the marketing analysis of Seth Godin.

One day, the stars aligned and the klokers concept crystallized.

Richard Piras, co-founder and CEO

After fifteen years in technological innovation, electric vehicles, aeronautics, and medical devices, Richard started reconsidering the appreciation of time and contributed to pushing traditional watchmaking out of its comfort zone.

Richard has had a lifelong fascination with celestial mechanics and starry skies. Time is an important element of the universe, but until now no human being has been able to define time without using the concept of time itself.

After more than ten years as an entrepreneur in the Swiss horological industry, Richard met Nicolas Boutherin during a professional dinner. They discovered that they shared the same human values and thoughts regarding a new concept in watchmaking.

One day, the stars aligned and the klokers concept became clear.