Fancy something a little bit different Then the Kaal Watch Multiverse might be right up your street. Or, rather, in your constellation.
Kaal Watch Multiverse Review
Okay. First things first: This is a watch with a huge, 3-dimensional planet Earth in the middle of the dial. You’ve spotted this already, and it would be remiss of me not to get it out of the way immediately. The Kaal Watch Multiverse is not a watch for everyone. Dare I say it’s a novelty watch, but I have reviewed novelty watches before – the MAALS Jump Over the Moon and the TACS AVL-2 spring to mind – and I quite liked both of those.
You’ll have already decided whether this watch would ever have a place in your collection and I will not be trying to persuade you otherwise. The watch will ultimately retail at $699 but is on preorder for $369 with a Kickstarter campaign starting soon where the watch will start at $399.
Case
A first glance, the Kaal Watch Multiverse looks massive. The 19mm depth contributes a lot to this, with the crystal domed to accommodate the 3D dial. It’s a somewhat more conservative 42mm in diameter but, have no doubt, this watch is not going to fit under your cuffs. Inside is a Seiko NH35A, part of which is visible through a small hole on the embossed 3D case back. Finishing is good all-round, and there’s a nice lumed logo on the crown.
How is it to wear? Well, I found that the diameter combined with the thickness made it look (although not feel) top-heavy and I was constantly worried about knocking the sapphire crystal. I never really gelled with the watch, and never achieved that feeling of not noticing I was wearing it.
Dial and Hands
That dial, then. It’s an acquired taste, and you’re either going to love or hate it. What is interesting is the way you tell the time: instead of an hour hand it has a big, rotating hours disc that you read off at what would typically be “12 O’Clock”. The minutes and seconds have traditional hands, but this rather quirky arrangement works well in practice. It is a different approach to the “big curved hands” I’ve seen on similar watches like the OVD Mars Mission Control.
Finishing of the dial components is excellent – nothing looks or feels cheap, and everything is firmly attached. There’s Superluminova C3 on the time-telling parts for better visibility in low light. Overall, build quality is outstanding.
Strap and Buckle
The Horween leather strap is thick and supple, reminding me of the better Spinnaker straps I have handled. The buckle is a standard signed tang, but it works well and holds the watch securely.
The stitching is well done: I’d say it is a step above the average quality of watch band at the Kaal Watch Multiverse’s price range. I do like quick-release spring bars, and this strap has them: although it initially looks like the watch has a screwed bar like a Panerai, the screw heads on the watch case are false.
Kaal Watch Multiverse – Video Review
What I Liked
- Build quality is excellent all-round
- There are no catalogue parts in the watch case and dial: you get a very unique-looking watch
- The strap is excellent
What I Didn’t Like
- The Multiverse is an uncompromising watch with a design you’ll either love or hate
- I found the watch is too thick for its diameter
- The price – for me – is too high for a novelty watch
Kaal Watch Multiverse – the WRUK Verdict
I’ll ignore the watch’s design, as usual, when giving my verdict. You know if you find the watch attractive and won’t be convinced either way by my view. The build quality is superb, but I just can’t get past the RRP – I think that the watch is just too expensive for what will necessarily be a rarely-worn novelty watch, and there is nothing within that would justify buying it from a horological perspective. If you like it, you’ll get a good deal at the preorder price, but I can’t recommend buying a Kall Watch Multiverse for full price.
Buy a Kaal Watch Multiverse
The watch will ultimately retail at $699 but is on preorder for $369 with a Kickstarter campaign starting soon where the watch will start at $399. Find out more at https://kaalwatch.com/pre-order/
The Kickstarter goes live on 23rd October 2020 at this link.
One Reply to “Kaal Watch Multiverse Review”