Croatian microbrand Perun entered the scene in 2024 with the Veles — an elegant watch that immediately signalled how deeply the brand embraces its Slavic heritage. That heritage was woven throughout the watch’s design. The 12 o’clock marker, for instance, was shaped after the horns associated with Veles — one of the most significant figures in Slavic mythology — while the crown and caseback continued the theme with additional symbolic references.
Beyond the cultural storytelling, the Veles was designed as a practical everyday watch, offering 150 meters of water resistance and powered by the Sellita SW221‑1 automatic movement. At €1,350, it sat in a middle ground — not unreasonable for a mechanical watch powered by a Swiss movement, but not exactly an easy entry point for a young microbrand making its debut.
Now Perun is back with its second model, and this time the Croatian brand is taking a more accessible approach while preserving the cultural influences and distinctive design language that gave the Veles its identity.
The new release is called the Knez, a name derived from an old Slavic title for a ruler or nobleman — roughly equivalent to a prince or duke in English.
The Knez — Classic Watch Design With a Perun Touch
When I first saw photos of Perun’s debut watch, the Veles, something rather specific came to mind: it looked like a “sporty gentleman’s watch”. I know, that’s hardly a recognised watch category in the world of horology, and perhaps it won’t make perfect sense to everyone, but that was simply the feeling it gave me. What I mean by that is that the Veles does look sporty, but at the same time, its classic colours, sword-shaped hands, cultural references and the overall dial layout give it a traditional and classic character as well.
That sense of elegance carries over to the Knez. The Knez is positioned as the dressier piece, and its proportions reflect that. The stainless-steel case measures 38 mm in diameter, 10 mm thick and 46.5 mm from lug to lug, with a 20 mm lug width. Perun hasn’t sacrificed everyday practicality in pursuit of a slimmer, dressier profile. A screw-down crown and 100 metres of water resistance make the Knez considerably more versatile than the traditional dress-watch formula might suggest. The watch is protected by sapphire crystals on both the front and caseback, while nighttime readability is aided by the use of Super-LumiNova BGW9.
The dial follows a fairly traditional watch design. This is a straightforward three-hander with a clean, classically arranged layout, offered in five colourways. Vir comes in blue, Gaj in green and Ponor in black, with all three featuring sunray-finished dials. Zora pairs a matte white dial with a pink seconds hand, while Mraz uses the same matte white base with a blue seconds hand. I have to say, the variants with contrasting seconds hands appear the most appealing to me.
The hands and indexes look elegant, with the indexes rendered in a three-dimensional, faceted form. While the Knez is simpler in appearance, Perun hasn’t abandoned the cultural references that are very much part of the brand’s identity. Branding in Glagolitic script appears on the dial beneath 12 o’clock, and additional symbolic references can be found in the form of hour markers at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions.
Turn the watch over and there is an exhibition caseback offering a view of the movement. There is no bracelet option; instead, the Knez comes on an Italian calf-leather strap with quick-release spring bars and subtle lining along the sides.
Swiss Mechanics at an Accessible Price Point
The timekeeping duties of the Knez are handled by the Sellita SW200-1 — an automatic movement offering around 38 hours of power reserve and operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz).
That leads me to one of the most interesting aspects of the Knez: its price. The watch costs €750 at retail, or €600 during the pre-order period. That seems like commendable value for money.
This is a new release, and we haven’t experienced the Knez on the wrist, so I can’t comment on the build quality or how the watch actually feels in person. However, what I can say is that, on paper, the price — especially the €600 pre-order price — seems like a pretty good deal to me.
Come on, this is a price range where many other microbrands are offering watches powered by Miyota, Seiko or Chinese movements. Here, you’re getting a watch assembled in Germany, with distinctive design cues and a Swiss movement — and not just any Swiss movement, but the reliable and trusted Sellita SW200-1. At €600, that makes the Knez a pretty compelling proposition.
For those interested, the Knez is now available to pre-order directly from Perun’s website.
