Kapten & Son

The Verdict

Time to upgrade your plastic-fantastic Casio? We know just the place. German watch brand Kapten & Son has just opened Australia’s first ever bricks and mortar store, and—hells yes—it’s in Melbourne. Prahran to be precise, tucked down King St just opposite the Town Hall (look out for the blue anchor sign as you’re walking down Chapel).

If you’re into watches—and since you’re a living, breathing Melbournian, you probably are—you’re gonna love this place. It’s basically watch porn: a minimalist boutique where you can come and browse the latest styles, designed straight out of Germany. Kapten & Son actually began a few years ago in Europe, when three university mates decided to give watch-making a try. They sold-out their first 100 prototypes, then the next 500...then the next 1000. Over the next few years, Kapten & Son went on to dominate the European casual watch market. And now we get to give it a try in-person. Score.

What makes this place cool is that it’s not just a shop; it’s a bespoke watch tailor service. You can book an appointment, come in, grab cheeky Pure Scot on the rocks, and Kapten’s experts will literally build your dream watch in front of you. You can mix and match bands, faces, sizes, different metals, until you find something that fits just right. (Of course, if you want to grab something off the shelf, you can do that too).

What sets these guys apart from other minimal watch brands is the quality. They’re made from 361L stainless steel (not the composite alloys you find in a lot of other models) and powered by a Ronda mechanism straight out of Switzerland. You can grab them in silver or rose gold (mod-minimal fans will appreciate the new ‘Pure’ range in white or matt black). They’re water resistant to 5 ATM and the glass is scratch proof. And if you’re looking to pick up a new pair of sunnies, Kapten does those too: an on-trend, 60s-inspired range with a nice heft to them.

You’ll be hearing the name Kapten & Son a lot over the next few months. If you want to get ahead of the curve, you’d better check them out pronto.  

Image credit: Jenna Fahey-White