The story of Kari Voutilainen's Observatoire is one of serendipity and transformation. Introduced relatively early on in Voutilainen's independent career, it all began when he discovered several new-old stock base calibres of the Peseux 260, a movement famous in watchmaking circles for being an observatory-grade example made specifically for precision timing competitions at the the Geneva and Neuchâtel Observatories, and which had never been commercially available. It is estimated that only 3300 examples of this calibre were ever made, and is considered one of the most well-built and accurate movements.
Suitably named after its origins, the Observatoire was also among the first time-only watches created by Voutilainen, with only 50 pieces believed to have been created, making it especially rare and highly sought after. In recognition of the work put in to elevate an already impressive movement, the watch won the category of “Best Men's Watch” in 2007 at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).
This particular example has an orange-brown dial that features two different guilloché patterns – a basket weave pattern in the centre of the dial, and a hobnail pattern in the subdial and outer section. Each pattern reflects light differently, giving the dial a mixture of tones and fantastic depth, especially with the brushed sections that outline and separate the different parts of the dial. The applied Roman numerals are clear and legible against the pattern, while the seconds sub-dial features Arabic numerals instead, printed in white. Two triangles can be seen at 12 and 6 respectively, a trait shared across many of the Observatoire pieces.
Voutilainen also introduced his signature hands – the Observatoire hands – with this series. A slightly more dramatised version of the traditional Breguet hands, these feature large blued loops in combination with regular steel. Most, if not all of Voutilainen's watches now feature these hands. When it comes to the 38mm case, it sits comfortably on the wrist, and also features the signature tear-shaped lugs.
The manual-winding movement itself is one of the most accurate ever made, but it was still heavily modified by Kari Voutilainen for the Observatoire. Some of the aesthetic changes made include the high-level of finishing Voutilainen is famous for, with Geneva stripes on the bridges, chamfering on all the edges and perlage beneath. The timing screws used are made of platinum, contributing to a stunning movement.
Mechanically, some changes were made too, as Kari modified the entire escapement and inserted his own balance wheel, hairspring and escape-mechanism. The bridges were also remade and have a slightly different shape from the original, with the balance cock also made to be adjustable – a feature not available on the original Peseux 260 configuration. Most notably, the strategically engineered balance-spring with the exterior using a Breguet overcoil and the Grosmann curve for the interior, distributing tension evenly between the internal curve of the balance spring and the external overcoil. The free-sprung balance-wheel beats at 18,000 A/h.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Voutilainen Observatoire will be subject to 20% VAT
