Suzanne Wong
Some watches are introverts. You kind of have to get to know them before you’re allowed to discover their true beauty. This watch is not like that. If this watch was a person, it would be the star of every gathering. It would be that one party guest who magnetically draws every eye in the room and holds it until the end of the evening. Watches fall in that category of things that are so subjective, it’s rare to have a consensus about any one timepiece. This is probably the only watch I’ve ever come across that has elicited a single unanimous response from everyone who encounters it. That response is, without fail and without hesitation, an instinctive “Wow”. Don’t let its association with one of the world’s biggest TV series put you off — watch nerds have a deplorable habit of looking down on watches that have a strong pop culture association, they seem to think it detracts from the horological value of a timepiece. It’s called a floating tourbillon, distinguishing it from a flying tourbillon, because of the sheer verticality of the rotating escapement. You should know that this takes some serious engineering. But you don’t need me to fire technical details at you when you’re confronted with something this stunning. Let’s face it, would you even hear them? I can only speak for myself, but I’m hearing a dramatic and iconic TV theme tune as I lose myself staring at this powerful mechanical creation.
Marie de Pimodan
The expression "winter is coming" (which is more than a reality, if today's Scottish weather is anything to go by), dragons waving in the cloudy sky, underhand battles for an iron throne... There's no doubt about it, this watch by Kross Studio immediately transports us to the world of "Game of Thrones" and its successor series, "House of Dragon". Once it's on your wrist, it doesn't matter about the rivalries between the different Houses or those that once raged between the Scottish clans: all that matters is the hyper-cool look of the watch and the hypnotic oscillations of its central tourbillon. Aside from the very organic design of the model, with its titanium case resembling a pebble reminiscent of dragon scales, I am most impressed by the way the watch changes its appearance depending on the angle from which it is viewed. Seen from above, the central tourbillon literally floats above the mechanism, which is encircled by damascus steel specially made by the foundry that produced the Valyrian steel for the swords in the HBO series. Viewed from the side, the tourbillon still sits majestically beneath the glass dome. So you can admire it from every angle and literally plunge into the fantastic world of the series.
Sophie Furley
I think I can safely say that Kross Studio was my biggest surprise last year. I had heard the name and a little bit of the story, but I had never actually seen any of the watches or visited the workshop. When I discovered that the company was literally down the road from my house, I kind of invited myself over! And as my colleague Suzanne mentions above: Wow! Each model is linked to a character or a film, but don’t be mistaken, these aren’t grown up toys, they are high-performance horological collectibles for both watch and film lovers. There are limited series with Batman, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Space Jam, and the model we tested, Game of Thrones. The work that goes into each limited edition is phenomenal with complications and finishing to rival any of the large historic watchmaking houses. What else will blow your socks off is Kross Studio’s sense of details. Each watch box is a work of art in its own right. The Batman series, for example, comes in the Batman night projector that was modelled on the film’s actual prop, and our Game of Thrones edition came in a dragon egg! The Kross Studio people are mad – in a refreshingly good way – and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
Allissa Pataki
“WOW!” was my initial reaction when I first saw this timepiece. There is lots to unpack and I will try my best in the next few lines. One of the first things that stands out with this watch is its faithfulness to the Game of Thrones universe. I mean, the watch is in the shape of an actual dragon egg, thanks to its domed case. It immediately sets the mood. To complement the shape and to give the piece texture, its grade 5 titanium case is covered in three-dimensional engravings that imitate the scales of a dragon. I appreciate that attention to detail and was pleased to see that its case back was engraved with the name of the Rhaegal dragon that inspired its creation. Another cool element is that the dial is made of Damasteel (which is a type of steel comprised of multiple dark and shimmering layers) and was forged by the same foundry that made the metal for the series’ swords. How awesome is that?
But, the big showstopper of this piece is the KS7005 Manufacture Caliber with its Central Floating Tourbillon. And when they meant floating, they weren’t kidding around. It literally looks like it’s poking out of the watch, hovering in space. There is no reflection on the glass, which makes it look invisible. I don’t know how they were able to do it, but it is an impressive feat of engineering. It had me gazing from a thousand different angles to try and catch a glimpse of the glass, which meant I was actually scrutinizing the movement from every viewpoint and I have to say, it is quite stunning.
Some might be shocked to hear that I still have not watched the TV show. But while doing some more research about this timepiece, I think it has won me over. If I can keep my eyes off the tourbillon for more than a few seconds, then I might try to catch the first episode!
