August 18th, 2025

🚨🚨🚨 well this was unexpected but a long time coming. This @kobold_expedition_tools SMG-2 is the newest member of the hive of scum and villainy. Kobold was one of those brands responsible for the resurgence of made in America watch manufacturing. This is one of those Kobold watches with the American made cases unlike other older models that had cases made in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Hong Kong. This badass tool has so many details that it will take me awhile to discover and appreciate. One small detail that already made a big impact is the blasted finish of the case is carried over to the head of the lug bars! I have never experienced this before on a watch. Talk about cohesive awesomeness.

I have been following Kobold since they first started. There’s a common love of a German brand that Michael Kobold and I share. That brand is Chronoswiss. Michael had the honor of receiving a mentorship with the master himself, Gerd R Lang! Many years ago I was supposed to go the Kobold farm to meet up with Michael and Gerd when he was visiting from Germany. Unfortunately it never happened.

I owned a Kobold Seal diver before. It was an awesome piece unfortunately I didn’t bond with it. This SMG-2 on the other hand is an instant love at first sight. When you know you know. That feeling has happened a few other times, with my SeL, with the Chronoswiss Timemaster, and with the Gruppo Ardito. I can’t wait to delve deeper into this Kobold.

Specifications:
Movement: Automatic, Swiss made
Caliber: ETA 2893-2
Case: 316L Stainless steel
Diameter: 43.5mm
Thickness: 15mm
Lug-to-Lug: mm
Dial: Deep Black with green markers (Black Ops style)
Bezel: Uni-directional rotating
Band: KTT “Field Khaki” military strap
Lug-Width: 22mm
Crown: Screw-down
Water Resistant up to 200m/660ft

August 25th, 2025

The @kobold_expedition_tools SMG-2 is quite the impressive watch. This is the second Kobold watch I’ve owned. The first was the Seal. It was a great watch but I just didn’t bond with it. I really wanted a Kobold in my collection and when I found this watch I knew this was the one. As soon as I opened up the box, it was incredible at first sight. The blasted finish of the case and the bezel immediately drew me in. The case finish is extremely well done and clean. Adds to the no nonsense vibe of this capable tool. Kobold watches are truly built for adventure. What I immediately appreciated about the bezel is how narrow it is so that the dial has a larger diameter appearance.

The large, triangular lume pip on the bezel is cohesive with the green hour markers on the dial. I always appreciate when a company demonstrates a dedication to the cohesiveness on a watch. The signed crown located at the 8h position is a conscious design choice that has not only the wearer’s comfort in mind but also the protection of the watch itself. It’s a position that significantly limits the chances of impact contact. This is an important detail for Kobold since they are making their watches for adventurers. The crown guards and the bottom left lug, offers additional protection for the crown.

I always appreciated the lug design on Kobold’s watches. They are so iconic which makes sense because one of Michael Kobold’s mentor, the late Gerd R Lang of Chronoswiss, has iconic lugs on his watches too. It also makes sense that I am a fan of both Kobold watches and Chronoswiss because both Michael and Gerd are two individuals who I admire. They are both two people who are responsible for my love and appreciation of mechanical watches. The drilled lugs with the solid screw bars are a definite must for a watch that is geared towards adventure. I absolutely love that the screw heads are blasted finished like the case. That is the ultimate example of dedication to cohesive design!

September 1st, 2025

The crown is a detail on a watch that my eyes almost immediately goes to when I first meet a watch. The SMG’s crown is packed full of details which I appreciate very much. The raised Kobold logo adds a nice touch of depth to the crown itself. The crown is easy to grip and operate. My only complaint on this crown is that there are very many threads so you have to be extremely careful with this crown when screwing it into the closed position.

The blasted finish of this case gives the watch more of a tool watch aesthetic. Obviously this is a tool watch but the finish on the case just adds so much more to functional aesthetics. Though it can’t be seen, the antimagnetic properties of this watch also make this watch that much more of a functional tool. That extra insurance adds to the ease of mind feeling when this watch is on the wrist. Even though titanium and bronze have taken the top spot of my favorite case material. Regardless of that, this stainless steel case looks incredible because of the blasted finish and this type of finish puts stainless steel back into contention for favorite case material.

The case shape, the lug design and caseback all lend to the overall wearing experience of this watch. Comfort is never an issue for me so I place higher value on wrist presence. This watch has an excellent presentation on the wrist. It’s no nonsense badass aesthetics make it something special to wear. It also makes it standout in the wretched hive of scum and villainy. I appreciate how each watch in the collection has its own unique personality & soul.

September 8th, 2025

This matte black dial is exactly the type of dial that made me fall in love with this style of dial years ago. There is something magical and stunning about the depth of darkness in a matte black dial. An abyss that absorbs the light like a leach. The large, green markers were the perfect legible design choice for this black dial. I like Kobold’s decision to go with this bold color instead of going with the traditional choice of white/black. The raised quality of the markers and numerals add to the depth of detail on the SMG’s dial. The classic cardinal numerals on the dial are ideal in font and size. The size of the numerals is absolutely perfect and makes for a great legible dial. Kobold made sure this legibility was carried over into dark environments as well by the generous application of lume to both the markers and to the hands. The hands are proportioned with great precision. This is an example of Michael Kobold’s eye for design and clearly attributed to his mentorship under Gerd R-Lang.

The way Kobold applied the lume to the second hand is brilliant. Not only did the ‘lollipop’ portion of the second had receive the lume treatment but also the tip of the hand as well. The portions of the hands without the lume are black and this design choice gives a bit of stealth vibes to the dial. A cool detail is when I am in low light environments it appears as if the lume portions are free floating.

The date window is done just right. It’s located in a section where it doesn’t take away a cardinal numeral or any GMT/military numerals. The other detail Kobold got right is the black date wheel. It blends in nicely with the black dial which basically allows it to be hidden until it is needed. The numerals on the date wheel are white. At first I was thinking thar it would have been a next level move to have the date numerals printed in the same green but after some thought I realized why they weren’t. It would have given the appearance of the GMT/military numerals and could cause some quick glance confusion.

September 15th, 2025

It has quickly become a personal favorite in my collection. This is my second Kobold that I have owned, the first was the Seal. I appreciate Kobold watches because they are made for adventure and Michael Kobold himself is a modern explorer/adventurer. I also like that Michael enlisted the help of explorers like Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Philippe Cousteau and others to assist in the design process of the watches. Who better than the explorers themselves to have provide input into the design of the watches that are made for adventure.

The shock resistance, the antimagnetic properties are two examples of how Kobold implemented the input of the explorers/adventurers. I appreciate those design choices, especially the antimagnetic properties of the SMG-2. The extra protection it provides for the ETA 2893-2 movement is that insurance that assists in that “no second thought once the watch is on the wrist” ease of mind that I do appreciate about the watches that I wear.

Kobold cases themselves were designed with the adventurer/explorer in mind. The crown position is another example of this. Kobold’s choice to place the crown in this position allows not only for extra comfort but also protection for the crown itself. This is a difficult position for impact strikes for the crown as opposed to the usual 3 o’clock position which is much more common for a point of impact not only during daily wear but while wearing during outdoor adventures. As many of you know, I value designs and engineering that allow for that ease of mind. I don’t want to have to worry about a watch once it is on my wrist. The only time I want to know that I am wearing a watch is when I need it for the time……and to admire it, of course!

September 22nd, 2025

This watch is a very capable and dependable tool. It was designed for those who demand a durable watch that can be relied upon when needed and sit in the wings taking abuse throughout the adventure. The design of this watch fits that and its engineering & quality insures that it will handle most anything that is thrown at it.

You ever look at a watch and think to yourself “did the design team even spend time with this watch?!?” There are some watches that just look thrown together into a hodgepodge mess. The SMG-3 is the exact opposite of that. Each detail has been carefully and thoughtfully planned out in an almost a way of total exhaustion. Which isn’t a bad thing by any means because the end result is almost always amazing.

It’s no surprise that I love a good tool watch. I am one of those people who still relies heavily on my watch as a tool both at work and in my everyday life. Having a capable watch that I can depend on is extremely important to me. The SMG-2 is proving itself to be one of those truly dependable tools. Not only does this watch look incredibly good but more importantly it functions without flaw. I will always appreciate function first but it definitely adds a bit more awesomeness when a watch design looks as good as it functions.

September 29th, 2025

A watch made for professionals for use in the field. A very capable and well made tool watch with a reliable GMT movement ticking away inside, the ETA 2893-2. Not only does this movement have Incabloc anti shock device but it also has antimagnetic protection as well.

I don’t intentionally abuse my watches. For example I would never purposefully drop my watch on concrete or a boulder. Has that happened unintentionally? Yes it has, several times. Would I purposefully slam my watch against steel or asphalt? No, but did it accidentally happen? Of course. These examples and countless other things have happened to my watches and that’s one of many reasons why I choose the watches that I do. Abuse happens on a daily basis and in a multitude of ways that can never be planned for but it’s nice to have watches that are always prepared to handle it. When I say that once I put my watch on, I don’t worry about it, this is why the hive is what it is. When the abuse happens it’s not given a second thought.

The Kobold SMG-2 is one of those watches that once it’s on my wrist, I can have peace of mind not worrying about it. Scratches and dents don’t upset me, rather I view them as memory extenders. A watch and each of its scratches and dents tell individual stories, the longer have a watch, the longer the story becomes and before you know it, your watch is a novel with many, many chapters.

October 6th, 2025

The details on this one are right up my alley. What really works well for me on this one is the green on black. The style of in which Kobold did the hours/markers in the thick green set against the matte black dial not only makes for an extremely legible dial but also is so damn aesthetically pleasing. All you Paneristi fans know how good “sausage” style markers/numerals are.

If I were to describe this watch in one word, it would be tactical. The tactical design is apparent throughout this piece in its entirety. The blasted case with no polished bits. Even the lug screw heads are blasted. That’s a design detail that I can’t talk about enough. The black trimmed hands set against the matte black dial adds a touch of stealth. Yes, I get that the green isn’t very stealth but its legibility in both light and dark environments is some of the best I have ever experienced. I know that “the best” gets tossed around a lot, but after own 1,000+ watches from all kinds of brands, the experienced based opinion here isn’t tossed around freely without some merit behind it.

This is the 4th Kobold watch that I have personally experienced and it’s definitely one of my personal favorites. The reason why I like it so much is because of that tactical design language that encompasses this watch through and through. Add in the fact that it’s down with great quality and precision, and it’s a winner of a watch. I am absolutely loving it on this Kobold canvas strap too. It’s the ideal combo for me in regard to this watch.

October 13th, 2025

This tool watch is definitely up my alley, in terms of design, engineering, quality and overall aesthetics. At this point in my watch loving journey, I am extremely picky about my watches. I know exactly what doesn’t work for me, so it doesn’t take me long to realize if a watch is a keeper or not. I do give it a substantial amount of time just to be 100% certain. During a watch’s trial, I like to try it in every season, every weather condition, all temperatures and all environments. Thankfully I know what brands to completely avoid. Brands like Rolex, Tudor, I know from experience that they don’t pass my quality control standards so they are brands I will never buy again.

I will always stand behind the fact that personally experiencing a watch/brand is the best teacher of allowing the wearer to understand what works or what doesn’t work. Just because a brand works or doesn’t work for someone, that doesn’t mean that you will experience it the same.

October 20th, 2025

I have been enjoying my trio of Kobold watches. They are old school, badass tools. They are exactly what I need with nothing more that isn’t needed/necessary. Over the years, I have grown to appreciate a GMT watch. It’s been a tricky road finding the one that I can truly bond with. It’s like the equivalent of my quest to find a blue dial watch that I can bond with. Still haven’t found one of those but thankfully I found my GMT with this watch. The details on the case and on the dial are so me. One complaint about this watch is it’s very hard to photograph……..while I am complaining, Kobold could have given a few more threads on the screw down crown.

Kobold did redeem itself with the rest of this watch. The classic Kobold case design, with their iconic lugs is something that I find myself appreciating quite a bit. Kobold has that same magnetism that Chronoswiss has for me. I am not sure if it’s because Gerd R. Lang was one of Michael Kobold’s mentors so subconsciously I was drawn to Kobold or if it’s because Kobold makes badass tools that are reminiscent of why I fell in love with tool watches……well I know the answer and it’s both lol. I still wish I was able to make it to Kobold’e farm to meet both Michael and Gerd many years ago.

I have had this Kobold canvas for a few years now since I owned the Seal. I kept it before I traded the Seal because I thought the canvas strap was too cool to give up. I am so glad that I kept it because it works so damn well on the SMG-2. I have a new leather strap coming that I might put on this watch, though it might just stay on this canvas because I love this look.

October 27th, 2025

The way Kobold filled this numerals and hour markers is my preferred style/design. The Paneristi’s refer to it as “sausage style.” The irony is I prefer that style as opposed to the sandwich style Panerai dials.

The tactical vibe of this watch sets it apart from other tools in my box. Its tactical vibe makes sense for 2 reasons, one being that the SMG-2 was designed with input from Navy Seals (Kobold NEC 5326: A watch made exclusively for Navy Seals, not sold to civilians) and the other reason that the tactical vibe of this watch makes sense is the name of the model which refers to sub machine gun or SMG for short. The was a mysterious SMG-2 gun make by Heckler and Koch. Google that and you can read the interesting story about that prototype gun.

November 2nd, 2025

The naked Kobold SMG 2 is ready to let all of its details hang out for all to see. I have been enjoying this badass tool of a watch. The finish on this case is incredible. I tried to capture it in this series hence the naked look. This is the type of finish that is pure tool watch. Look at this finish and look at this dial, notice anything? Not one polished detail. Exactly how a tool watch should be.

Obviously there’s not a legibility issue with this one. The matte black dial and hands absorb the light brilliantly with no unnecessary glare. The sapphire crystal offers a clear few into this dial from every angle. Like I mentioned before, the hands are proportioned to this dial just the way I prefer. Not too short or skinny.

I am trying to find an exit strap for this watch. I have some new straps coming in, there might be one that will compliment this watch perfectly. I like how a strap can extend the personality of a watch and add to it as well. Straps have so much more character than bracelets do. Rubber straps and bracelets don’t have any character, they are cold and emotionless. I don’t mean temperature cold, I mean they are like quartz, soulless, lifeless. They don’t evoke any feeling. That’s how I view them anyhow.

I was strongly considering a new camera but now I am second guessing myself. The past two days I find myself really liking my pictures. They might not look different to you in terms of quality but I feel like they are.

November 10th, 2025

This watch definitely reignited my appreciation for this brand. I highly recommend Kobold. They are quintessential tools. It blows my mind how underrated their watches are. Pure purpose driven watches. The Soarway case is iconic. It’s a case design that didn’t just happen. It was through tons of planning and was birthed through the collaborations of some people who knows their stuff. Those individuals were none other than Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Gerd-R Lang and of course Michael Kobold.

This watch makes me smile every time I see it. The finish, the design and its inception all are reasons why I appreciate this watch. I definitely recommend this watch to anyone looking for a tool watch with a GMT function. Setting the GMT is so incredibly easy and smooth. I really appreciate having a GMT function on this watch. The GMT hand is so well done.

Kobold’s website has new models available. If you are interested, check them out. There’s a couple of older Kobold models that I would love to add to my collection. My budget doesn’t allow me to buy new but those of you who prefer to buy new, their website features a nice selection of new watches.

https://koboldwatch.com

Thanks for reading.