Buy Kobold Watch
We made our name with our watches. Every Kobold is hand-built in our workshops in the U.S., Germany and Nepal. Kobold watches are invented, designed, prototyped, manufactured, assembled, and tested in-house. All Kobold watches are covered by a 10-year warranty against material defects and inferior workmanship. In 2021, we began producing case components in Germany. In 2022, Kobold endeavors to begin producing certain movement components in-house.
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***Kobold is back! When Kobold was founded in 1998, everyone told us it would fail. We proved all the critics wrong and in the process blazed the trail for the renaissance of American watchmaking. What followed between 2013-2018 were years of internal sabotage by now-former employees. Today, a new team is ensuring that every customer is 100% satisfied. We've taken the steps necessary to rebuild our company and now our customer service team is happy to answer your questions and address your concerns.
Kobold mourns the passing of Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, the master watchmaker and founder of Chronoswiss, who was regarded as one of the visionaries who rang in the renaissance of mechanical watches.Rüdiger was also one of the four founding fathers of Kobold. Read The Full Obituary Here
All Kobold watches are covered by a comprehensive 10-year-long warranty against material defects and faulty workmanship. Similarly, pre-owned watches overhauled by Kobold will be covered by a 3-year warranty. That's far more warranty coverage than offered by any other company in our industry.
Stay up to date with the latest Kobold news by joining us on Instagram. This is where you'll find daily announcements on watch production and branding, adventures and get-togethers. Never politically correct, always entertaining!
After more than two years of research and development, the Kobold Soarway case is unveiled. The first watch with this instantly recognizable case is the Kobold Polar Surveyor Chronograph, the world's first mechanical wristwatch with day/night indicator, GMT-hand, date, and chronograph function. The Polar Surveyor is developed together with explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and master watchmaker Gerd-R. Lang.
The Kobold Spirit of America is the first Kobold watch assembled in the United States. Radio and television personality Glenn Beck promotes five Kobold Spirit of America watches to raise funds for charity.
The first "American watch" in almost 40 years! The Kobold Spirit of America Automatic features the first 100% U.S.-made watch case since the seizure of Hamilton Watch Co.'s operations in 1969. The first Kobold watch with its dial marked "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."
In 2009, Kobold founder Michael Kobold accompanies Kobold ambassador Sir Ranulph Fiennes to the summit of Mount Everest. Both men wear Kobold watches. Ten meters below the summit, Michael collects a number of rocks, which are later turned into watch dials.
The Kobold Himalaya Everest Edition, the world's first watch with a dial made from Mount Everest summit rock, is unveiled as part of the opening ceremony of a new Kobold workshop and flagship store in Kathmandu, Nepal. The company is co-owned by two Sherpa mountain guides who accompanied Anita and Michael Kobold, as well as Sir Ranulph Fiennes, on their respective 2008, 2009 and 2010 expeditions to Mount Everest.
All four Kobold founding fathers -Carnegie Mellon University Professor Jack Roseman, master watchmaker Gerd-R. Lang, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Michael Kobold- inaugurate the company's purpose-built headquarters. The four men pay tribute the late Kobold brand ambassador, actor James Gandolfini, by extending the Kobold salute. Located in Amish Country in northwestern Pennsylvania, Merry Oaks Farm features a separate building housing the company's CNC fabrication shop.
During the previous two years, Kobold has undergone a period of intense turbulence following the delayed implementation of its in-house watch case-making operation, as well as due to the effects of an industry-wide crisis. Observers call this "the worst crisis in the watch industry's history." At the same time, India's secret economic blockade of Nepal is causing the worst humanitarian crisis in the country's history. Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Oli entrusts Michael Kobold with publicly exposing India's embargo. Michael has a difficult judgement call to make: save his ailing company or help the people of Nepal in their greatest hour of need.
Following the discovery of internal sabotage by former Kobold employees, Michael Kobold contacts the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Subsequently, organized crime detectives raid the homes of ex-employees and seize watches, components, tools and machinery valued in excess of $300,000 at cost.
Faced with the effects of years-long internal sabotage by employees intent on running their own customization and repair business following the company's eventual demise, Michael Kobold -on the eve of his brand's 20th anniversary- has to face the prospect of shutting down Kobold once all customers affected by the sabotage receive their watches.
In 2019, the long process of rebuilding the Kobold brand begins. In addition to continuing the process of returning previously stolen, recovered watches to their respective owners, the company announces several new collaborations, including with members of the U.S. Submarine Service. Kobold also unveils a watch that has been in the works since 2015: the Richard Byrd.
Kobold Watch Company is a microbrand that was ahead of its time. Before Kickstarter was a thing, Kobold was able to build a brand and loyal following on prebuys and crowdfunding. The brand filled a need in the watch market with a tool watch that was actually made to be worn. Koboldians care about their watches, but they aren't scared to get them dirty and wear them on their daily adventures.
A kobold is a word that in German mythology refers to a mischievous gnome or spirit that inhabits (or haunts) houses or lives underground such as in caves or mines. However, this definition is not related to the word "KOBOLD" on the dial of Kobold watches: Kobold is the family name of the watch brand's founder.
Kobold watches are collected and worn by celebrities and famous people in many different walks of life, from the silver screen to politics. Most notably is the relationship between the brand's owner and James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano), explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and even Bill Clinton. Kobolds have been seen in movies and TV shows, but also on the wrists of active members of the US military with boots on the ground. KeepTheTime has sold Kobolds to stars, billionaires and soldiers across the world.
Although many collectors are looking for a brand new Kobold watch, the reality is that those are hard to come by. The microbrand does not produce many watches per year and there may be a wait time for any new watch orders. Some of the older Kobold watch models are no longer produced by the company, therefore, your only option me be to find a used piece. KeepTheTime specializes in pre-owned and rare Kobold watches, which gives collectors the chance to find a long lost model they have been searching for. We're always updating our inventory and our available pre-owned Kobold watches are ready to ship - no pre-buys, no reservations, no waitlists... just fast shipping and on your wrist in as little as 24 hours.
As one of the early micro-watch brands that was looking for ways to pioneer a new era of American made timepieces, Kobold watches have global origins with an emphasis on being assembled in USA. This is why many Kobold timepieces are signed with various countries of origin such as: Made in Germany, Swiss Made, Made in USA, Nepal, etc. Things have changed with the brand over the years and the reality is that most small watch companies do the best they can to source components from all over the world to construct a finished product. Kobold watches are not made in one single place. This is why a Kobold watch could have a Swiss movement, inside a case that was machined in USA and assembled in Nepal - with parts potentially from other countries as well. To get a better idea, you'll want to look for the markings on the dial and caseback of each specific piece.
It depends on who you ask! As with every brand, Kobold has lovers and haters. One thing we know for certain is that Kobold watches are worn by serious collectors all over the world. Some of these collectors specifically seek out Kobold watches to wear in combat, others wear them because they enjoy having a watch that nobody else in their circle will have. As for build quality: reliable workhorse movements, steel or titanium, sapphire crystals, screw-down crowns... all the boxes are checked for luxury tool watches. If you are an enthusiast who leans towards smaller microbrands, then a Kobold or two might be for you. They are eye-catching conversation starters that can take a beating. If you see a Kobold watch (especially a classic model) you like, go for it as they are becoming harder and harder to come by!
"We made our name with our watches. Every Kobold is hand-built in our workshops in the U.S., Germany and Nepal. Most of our watch cases are made in our own workshops. We designate our cases either as Made in USA or Made in Germany. Kobold watches are invented, designed, prototyped, manufactured, assembled, and tested in-house." -Kobold Watch Co.
The Himalaya Everest Edition HW features a dial fashioned from a piece of rock collected just below the summit of Mount Everest. The dial is more than three times as thick as regular dial and contributes a significant amount to the weight of the watch. To offset this weight increase, the new Himalaya Everest Edition II has a case made from polished aerospace-grade titanium. (An 18K rose gold case is available on request.) 041b061a72