Kari Voutilainen 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 has gone on to become the backbone of the Finnish watchmaker’s catalogue of offerings. This 39mm case, forged from titanium, features 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 wear a rose finish, with the côtes de Geneve decorating them lining up exactly, while the visible wheels wear a range of finishes – from black polished to radial brushed. The edges of the bridges feature anglage and the balance is beautifully black polished. The calibre is multi-layered in its arrangement, something that gives it visual depth. Screwed on plaques wear the brand mark as well as the serial number.
The grey dial, built on a base of sterling silver, features a range 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 the plots corresponding to the hour markers as well as the Arabic numerals of a heavier weight to the aid of easy time-reading. 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 printed minutes.
The hands, true to the Voutilainen aesthetic, are of the observatoire variety. They feature a high contrast, frosted silver finish, with heat-blued inserts in the hours and minutes hands. 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 titanium. The watch comes as a complete set, with all requisite paperwork and box it was retailed with.
The watch is currently with Voutilainen, undergoing final checks, and will be available within the following weeks.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Voutilainen Vingt-8 will be subject to 20% VAT
