Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean review! On this shiok Sunday, I’m reviewing the new Alpesailer from Filipino watch label, Klo & Co.
When I heard of Klo & Co, I was instantly intrigued – I don’t know of any other watch brands that hail from the Philippines. Combined with the fact that sport watches are all the rage recently, I knew I had to take a look at the Alpesailer when I saw the brand’s initial announcement. I reached out to the brand, and they kindly sent one over for me to review. Without further ado, let’s see if it’s any good!
Klo & Co – the Brand
As aforementioned, Klo & Co is a Filipino brand, and was founded in 2015 by the trio of Kenn, Bryan, and Ralph. The three are true watch enthusiasts, and came up with the idea for the brand over a meal and some coffee. They believe that “exceptional watch design should be accessible to all who appreciate it”, and that their watches “express this belief through sophisticated design, remarkable quality, and outstanding overall value”.
To me, Klo & Co is a true blue microbrand, and reminded me of why I started reviewing microbrand watches. These are simply three friends who are watch enthusiasts, who saw a gap in the market, and tried to fill it with something they could call their own. Unlike many of the generic designs churned out by the big brands, this is a passion project for the founders. There is something wondrous about that.
Without further ado, let’s delve into the review!
Klo & Co Alpesailer – Build Quality
For the price, the build quality of the Alpesailer is rock solid.
Firstly, the Klo & Co Alpesailer utilises a flat sapphire crystal. As aforementioned numerous times in my previous reviews, I’m a huge advocate of sapphire crystal due to their inherent scratch-resisting properties. Personally, I always look for sapphire crystal in my modern watches as it adds greatly to the durability of the watch. The sapphire crystal is also coated with AR coating, so you don’t have to worry about getting nasty reflections. In addition, the Alpesailer boasts a water resistant rating of 100M, so you don’t have to worry about it getting wet in the rain, under the tap, etc.
The ubiquitous Seiko NH35A movement powers the Klo & Co Alpesailer. Some quick specs: the movement beats at 21600 vibrations per hour, has 42 hours of power reserve, contains 24 jewels, and is hacking. I’m a fan of the Seiko NH35 movement, and greatly prefer it to the Miyota 8 series movement (which is the alternative movement commonly seen at this price point). This is due to the fact that unlike the NH35, the Miyota 8 series movements are non-hacking, suffer from a stuttering second hand (some models), and in my own experience with the Miyota movements, are also more prone to accuracy problems.
I’m actually really impressed by the bracelet of the Klo & Co Alpesailer. It’s very well finished, with brushing at the front and polishing on the sides. The clasp fastens with ease as well, and there’s a lovely engraving of the brand’s logo. Overall, the integrated bracelet feels solid, and it is comfortable on the wrist. I’ll go out on a limb and say that this is probably the best metal bracelet I’ve personally experienced around the ~S$500 price point. It’s definitely better than those ratty bracelets found on similarly priced Seikos. Given that the Alpesailer has an integrated bracelet, the comfort and execution of said bracelet is paramount, and on that front I’m pleased to report that Klo & Co delivered.
Overall, the Klo & Co has great build quality for the price – this is one sturdy watch.
Klo & Co Alpesailer – Design
While the Klo & Co Alpesailer clearly takes inspiration from some of its haute horology brothers, I think it has enough of its own design impetus to distinguish itself.
Let’s start by taking a look at the dial. When I first saw the dial, it immediately reminded me of the dials of a couple of watches – the IWC Aquatimer, the Audemars Piguet Offshore Diver, just to name a few. It has that iconic supercompressor dial, with the inner rotating bezel that gives the watch an utilitarian vibe. I like the white aesthetics of the applied indices, bezel markers and the hands, which enhances the industrial feel of the watch. I also appreciated Klo & Co adopting a black date window here to better match the dark dial, as well as complement the white of the other numerals on the watch. Interestingly, the brand adopted a gold second hand. I’m on the fence on that one. On one hand, I think it adds a touch of luxe to the watch, making the dial look slightly dressier. On the other hand, thematically it is out of place with the utilitarian, sporty, industrial nature of the watch. Personally, I like it as my personal tastes definitely swing more towards the dressy side. However, that might not be the case for you.
The variant that Klo & Co decided is their “Deep Blue” colourway (the other one available is the “Polar White” shown previously). Imagine my surprise when the watch arrived and I found out that the colour was more of a purplish blue! Under direct sunlight, the dial looks distinctly more purplish in colour. I actually liked it. There’s no shortage of blue dial watches on the market, but purple dials are decidedly rarer. I also love the royal nature of the purplish dial, which makes the Alpesailer the perfect balance of dress and sport – it reminded me of the Patek Philippe Nautilus in that regard. The sunburst texture of the dial is well executed too, and looks stunning under sunlight.
Take the Alpesailer under the shade, and the dial looks more blue than purple. I honestly found this rather intriguing – it looks like two different watches under different lighting conditions. I’m not sure if this was the intended effect from Klo & Co, but it definitely makes the watch much more interesting on the wrist.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the Alpesailer, the bezel looks to be very inspired by Audemars Piguet and Hublot. If you look carefully, you will notice that the bezel is circular, but with octagonal edges. I suspect some watch enthusiasts may scoff at this, deeming it the bastard child of the two aforementioned brands. Personally, I’m fine with it. In fact, I think it’s quite smart of Klo & Co to integrate both designs (meant to resemble a porthole) in the Alpesailer. We also get the iconic bezel screws, but here Klo & Co made the interesting decision to blacken them. Again, I think this is a genius way of paying homage to the watch’s horological inspirations, but being different enough to not be labelled a mere homage or a rip-off. However, I do wish that the top crown (which operates the internal rotating bezel) was a screw-down one, like the bottom crown. As the top crown is not screw down, I find the bezel to get misaligned occasionally when the crown rotated accidentally. It’s no deal-breaker by any stretch, but it’s still a minor annoyance.
What blew me away was the finishing of the watch. It’s the best finishing I’ve ever seen on a ~S$500 watch, period. Just look at it! Firstly, the case is faceted, and the sculpted angles look stunning. Secondly, the edges are beveled, with the polished finishing on the beveled edges contrasting nicely with the brushed finishing of the main body. I’m blown away that Klo & Co have managed to achieve such a high level of finishing on a ~S$500 watch.
The main crown of the Alpesailer is a screw-down one, and is sized appropriately making hand-winding the watch an ease. Aesthetically, both crowns are topped with black onyx. I’m not a fan of this. What’s onyx doing on a sports watch? It just looks out of place. I would have much preferred Klo & Co to have simply etched their logo on a brushed crown, with contrasting polished finishing on the sides. My guess is that the brand was inspired by the iconic black crowns of the Royal Oak Offshore models, but my personal opinion is that it’s off the mark here.
The caseback of the Alpesailer is rather spartan, simply etched with the brand’s logo and what I assume is a serial number. Again, it’s clearly reminiscent of the closed casebacks from early Royal Oaks. I like it – the brushed and simple finishing reinforces the industrial, sports/tool vibe of the watch, unlike the aforementioned onyx crowns.
At 41mm wide, the proportions of the Alpesailer is perfect. I appreciate the restraint that Klo & Co has shown here – when designing a sports/tool watch, it’s easy to cave in to the temptation of making the watch big, as Hublot has. On my 6.5 inch wrist, the watch wears terrifically. The case isn’t that thick too at 12mm, making this a very versatile watch that can be worn for almost all occasions.
All in all, I liked the design of the Klo & Co Alpesailer. I think the brand has taken the extra effort to distinguish themselves from the high horology timepieces that were their inspiration. The end result is a watch that pays homage to an aesthetic that’s very in trend currently, but without looking like a clear rip-off of a particular model or even brand. The finishing on the Alpesailer is simply superb too – colour me impressed!
Shootout: Klo & Co Alpesailer vs Spectre Time Phantom II
If you’re looking for an affordable (sub-S$1000) microbrand sports watch, the Spectre Time Phantom II is an obvious choice. I reviewed the Phantom II in detail here.
In terms of specifications, the Spectre Time Phantom II edges out the Klo & Co Alpesailer. The Seiko NH35A movement that the Alpesailer uses is reliable, but ultimately rather pedestrian. In contrast, the Phantom II features the Swiss STP 1-11 movement, which is more accurate and beats at a higher frequency. Furthermore, the Phantom II possesses Swiss Superluminova C1 – the Alpesailer does not have lume.
From an aesthetics standpoint, it’s a much closer fight. Both are obviously inspired by Genta’s designs, and it shows in the porthole bezels, the bezel screws, and the integrated bracelet. Both also feature a sunburst blue dial. Both watches are stunningly finished too, for the price. In my opinion, which suits you better depends on your personal preference. The Phantom II reminds me of the Royal Oak, while the Alpesailer evokes its younger sibling, the Royal Oak Offshore. The former leans more towards the elegant side, the latter more towards the sporty side.
Where the Alpesailer trumps the Phantom II is in its price – it’s almost ~S$300 cheaper. I personally think the price difference is warranted, given the superior specifications of the Phanom II. However, if you don’t want to spend that much on a microbrand watch, the Alpesailer is a great alternative. I genuinely think you can’t go wrong with either here.
Conclusion – so the Klo & Co Alpesailer “shiok” or not?
I really, really like the Klo & Co Alpesailer. It’s one of the best value proposition that I’ve reviewed recently, possibly this entire year. In this current COVID-19 situation, wearing the watch has definitely brightened my mood. I think it’s phenomenal for the price. The specifications of the watch is decent, the proportions are terrific, the design is thoughtful, and the watch is well-finished. If you like the aesthetics of a sports watch, but can’t afford a Royal Oak/Hublot/Nautilus/IWC Ingenieur, the Alpesailer scratches the itch really well for a literal fraction of the price.
For those interested, you can quote “WAHSOSHIOK” upon checkout to enjoy free worldwide shipping! If you’re in Singapore, you save about S$35 in shipping fees. Klo & Co is still a relatively unknown brand, even in the microbrand watch scene – I got a feeling that will change with the Alpesailer!
View the full range of Klo & Co’s offerings here.
Other Reviews:
Here are some other reviews of the Klo & Co Alpesailer you can check out!
Monochrome Watches
SJX
Watch Review Blog
Esquire’s Magazine
Specifications:
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel, Triple-finished (bevelled, polished, and brushed)
- Case Size: 41mm Diameter
- Case Height: 12mm
- Crown: Onyx Black Crown
- Case Back: Radial Sunburst 316L Stainless Steel Case Back
- Bracelet: 316L Stainless Steel, Tapered, Triple-finished Bracelet
- Dial: Deep Blue Sunburst Dial
- Inner Bezel: Matte Deep Blue, Rotating, Bi-directional
- Caliber: KCM 02 (NH35); Japanese 24 Jewels Self-Winding Automatic Movement with 42 hours Power Reserve
- Crystal: Anti-Reflective Sapphire Crystal
- Water Resistance: 10 ATM / 100 Meters / 330 Feet
- Features: Rotating Inner Bezel, Hacking Seconds, Bi-Directional Winding, Diashock System, Date with Quick Set
- Warranty: One Year Service Warranty
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
