Kari Voutilainen has followed the tried-and-true path for modern independent makers – learning his craft at the restoration house of Michel Parmigiani after graduating from watchmaking school – before taking on a teaching role at the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program. His next step to was to establish himself as an independent watchmaker, something he has managed to do with a degree of success seldom seen in this segment of the market.
First produced in 2011, the Vingt-8, underpinned by its wide palette of customisations, has gone on to become the backbone of the Finnish watchmaker’s catalogue of offerings. This example, that was retailed in 2016, features a platinum 39mm case with a three-part case construction. The bezel and mid case wear rounded profiles. The bezel around the display caseback is flatter, with a groove around the well-proportioned crown to make it easier to engage it to set the time. All parts are evenly high-polished.
On display is the calibre 28, a movement developed entirely in-house and regulated by the double-wheel escapement, another Voutilainen calling card. It features a free-sprung balance with Breguet overcoil, a Grossmann interior curve, and direct impulse escapement with two large escapement wheels. Not only is it highly engineered, it is also beautifully hand-finished. The plates are decorated with côtes de Geneve, with the edges featuring precise anglage. The balance wheel is crafted from rose gold, with the timing weights on it crafted from the same material, while the balance bridge wears beautiful black polishing. The calibre is multi-layered in its arrangement, giving it visual depth. Screwed on rose gold plaques on the baseplate wear the brand mark as well as the serial number.
The ivory dial, paired with the white, previous metal case gives this example a distinctly understated countenance. The dial is built on a base of sterling silver and features a smorgasbord of patterns of guilloche, all machine turned by hand. The hour markers, both of the Arabic numeral and baton variety, are applied on a ring of a hobnail pattern. Outside it sits a satiné circulaire chapter of minutes, with plots corresponding to the hour markers as well as the Arabic numerals. The centre of the dial wears deep, wave-patterned guilloché, arranged in a roseate. The subsidiary seconds register has basket weave guilloché in the centre. Mirroring the layout of the dial, the seconds register also features a satiné circulaire chapter of seconds plots.
The hands, true to the Voutilainen aesthetic, are of the observatoire variety. In keeping with the understated nature of the dial, the hands are white gold, with the hours and minutes featuring heat-blued inserts. The seconds hand is a simple baton with a prominent circular counter weight.
Between the teardrop-shaped lugs, 20mm apart, the watch wears a black alligator leather strap with a signed buckle, also forged from platinum. The watch comes as a complete set, with all requisite paperwork and a beautifully crafted Cedric Vichard box it was retailed with. In addition, it features a booklet about the watchbox maker.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Voutilainen Vingt-8 will be subject to 20% VAT
