Updated date:

Nov 3, 2019

Review of the Kronen & Sohne KS069 Automatic Watch

Author:

Walter Shillington is an avid collector of mechanical watches. His reviews focus on inexpensive but often intriguing Chinese timepieces.

Kronen & Söhne KS069 Automatic Watch
Walter B Shillington

One of the first watches I reviewed was the Kronen & Söhne’s KS04. I really liked this timepiece and decided to purchase another watch from this company. I chose the KS069, which retails for $34.99 on Amazon.

The timepiece arrived earlier than expected but was, unfortunately, broken. The dealer promptly dispatched a replacement.

Description

Most Chinese watches arrive tag-less and wrapped in a layer of bubble wrap. The KS069 was packed in a proper watch box lined with foam. Included were the watch, a buffing cloth, tag, international maintenance guarantee card, and an instruction manual.

This automatic watch includes what is described as a tourbillon cage. This infers the cage rotates and that the timepiece’s balance wheel and escapement are contained within. This type of gravity-defying mechanism is fitted into a selection of expensive watches and used to improve accuracy.

The KS069 is not a Tourbillon. What Kronen & Söhne did was cut a hole in the dial, exposing the balance wheel. Since this wheel and its associated hair spring are bouncing back and forth at a rate of eight times a second, it is fun to watch.

Two subdials are located near the top of the watch face. The left dial displays the time in twenty-four-hour format. The second features a rotating dial onto which the sun and moon are painted.

The KS069’s third subdial is crammed between the center of the face and the opening that displays the timing wheel. A tiny, bright red pointer indicates the passing seconds.

Silver hands are easily identifiable against this watch’s white dial and are coated with luminous paint. The dial is nicely engraved, and four shiny studs mark several of the hours. Time is adjusted by pulling out and rotating the crown.

Tom Adelstein authored an interesting article concerning KS watches. Mr. Adelstein notes that Liaoning Watch Factory in Andong, China manufactures movements for Kronen & Söhne. I removed the back of the watch but could not confirm the manufacturer of the movement. Kronen & Söhne is engraved on the rotor, which indicates this mechanism was produced for this specific watch company.

The band is reasonably thick and constructed of PU leather. This is not a band you will need to replace right away.

Manufacturer

Kronen & Söhne is a German company established in 1992. They are run by NCN Group, a company that specializes in marketing. Other brands controlled by NCN consist of SHARK, HOTARU, AGENT.X, and TAYLOR COLE. NCN Group operates under the umbrella of SOWATCHES and appears to be based in the orient. The official KS website no longer in operation.

Kronen & Söhne do not actually operate a watch factory. They purchase the required components from a variety of Chinese manufacturers. These parts, in turn, are assembled into watches and packaged by other companies.

KS watches are sold via internet vendors and are widely available through outlets such as eBay and Amazon.

Specifications

Brand: Kronen & Söhne

Condition: New with box and tags

Part number: KS069 Navigator Series

Visual Appeal

The KS069 features an attractive dial, although I found the heavy use of unnecessary numbering to be a distraction. A flat crystal ensures glare is kept to a minimum, and the glass cover on the case-back allows a view of the watch’s rotor. I found the rising sun and moon, viewed against the white backdrop of the main dial, to be quite striking.

Accuracy

The twenty-four-hour clock and day/night indicator worked fine.

I tested the KS069 in my Diplomat watch winder for ten days. During this period, the timepiece gained an average of 71 seconds per day. Accuracy is extremely poor.

After being removed from the winder, I measured how long the watch continued to keep time. Power reserve works out to 27 hours.

Durability

The original test watch arrived broken. I suspect the problem was associated with the main spring or gear assembly. The replacement KS069 functioned properly but accuracy proved poor. These difficulties suggest less than adequate quality control.

The watch case is composed of stainless steel and glass surfaces are scratch resistant. There is noticeable sloppiness when adjusting the time, however, this does not affect operation.

The band, while composed of PU leather, is of reasonable quality and should last for several months.

Overall Impression

While support at Kronen & Söhne is extremely good, this model suffers from a lack of quality control and exhibits poor accuracy. The KS069 is not recommended.

Unlike many Chinese watch companies, Kronen & Söhne makes the effort to package their timepieces in watch boxes and provide tags and documentation. The following poll is an attempt to gauge how important packaging is in relationship to the extra costs the manufacturer must pass on to its customers.

Questions & Answers

Question: How do I set the current date?

Answer: Normally with mechanical watches, you pull out the crown to the first position and turn it either clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the date. Generally, you adjust the time of an automatic watch by pulling the crown fully out. This particular watch, however, is not capable of displaying the date.

Comments

Frank Napoli on April 17, 2020:

I have a AS161 Aviator ...I am trying to contact to register my product for warranty ....sight not available ...anyone have suggestions

Walter Shillington (author) from Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada on August 15, 2019:

I would like to note, Manny Ferreira, that there are some very good watch manufacturers in China; Parnis, for example, is an excellent brand.

Manny Ferreira on August 15, 2019:

I had purchased 3, different models. All automatic, to be used as a gifts. The one very much like the one you show, last 5 weeks! Stop and died..The others last less than 5 weeks. What a shame! I was very embarrassed What a rip-of. I was to naive, because i did not know nothing about watches. Also I didn't now they were made in China! They looks so nice!....Made in China...never. I have learned my lesson

Walter Shillington (author) from Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada on February 14, 2019:

Hi Afeet. To be fair, Tom was commenting on a different model of Kronen & Sohne watch. The KS069 is an automatic. It's just not a very good one.

Rick on September 21, 2018:

The timing is very easy to regulate ! Youtube gives easy videos and you will get good timing. It may take a few times in 24 hours but you'll get there .Fix the timing and a great watch is on you wrist.

Col.Rapr

Robert J Ganshorn on June 29, 2018:

Thank you for this thoughtful review.