All of Voutilainen’s timepieces are hand-made, polished using traditional watchmaking techniques like anglage, bevelling, Clou De Paris and more, then painstakingly assembled and tested. Aside from the balance springs, main springs and jewels, all parts of the movements used are made in-house.
One of Voutilainen’s signature would be its high-quality finishing cases, made only with precious metals. The brand is also known for its exquisite dial-work that evokes an era past where timekeeping was glorious and ornate. The atelier also offers a distinctly modern touch with its deep understanding of materials and production techniques, all housed under one roof.
Kari Voutilainen’s natural gift for perfection, coupled with his broad experience and deep understanding of very high quality, antique and complicated watches, are the quintessential ingredients for innovative creation in the art of watchmaking.
He is extremely involved in every detail, whether technical or aesthetic, like a true artist.
“The key to success as an independent watchmaker in my view is closely associated with seeing the reality around you. You have to strike a happy balance between making enough timepieces in order to be an established and proven atelier as well as to be taken seriously, which also means economically viable.” – Kari Voutilainen
Kari Voutilainen developed and devised a repeating mechanism which sounds the hours, followed by the ten minutes interval and then the exact minutes. This unusual and extraordinary watch is the first repeater of this kind.
One of the greatest lacquer studios of Japan, Unryuan, under the guidance of Mr. T. Kitamura, creates works of lacquer art that stand at the pinnacle of Japanese tradition. Exemplifying the passion to preserve the soul, spirit and identity of traditional Japanese culture, this superlative work engages us immediately on a physical level and one can only stand in awe at the commitment, patience and dedication required to create these works of art.
Using the techniques of lacquering with Saiei Makie and Somata Zaiku, the dial here took several months of work to complete.
The raw materials used for its creation are Kinpun (gold dust), Jyunkin-itakane (gold leaf), Yakou-gai (shell of great green turban) and Awabi-gai (abalone shell from New Zealand). For this particular Sarasamon design, gold channels are created first and then filled in with layers of a special organic compound made from an ancient recipe.
