SwissPrimeBrands Co., Ltd. has begun importing the Swiss watch brand "Voutilainen." "Voutilainen" is available at only one authorized retailer in Japan, Takashimaya Watch Maison Tokyo Nihonbashi.
Vingt-8 28SC Center Seconds (2020 New Model, Grand Prix Winner in the Men's Watch Category at GPHG2020)
Founded in 2002 by watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, the watch brand "Voutilainen" is characterized by beautifully hand-finished dials and hands, and movement mechanisms that reinterpret tradition. Everything from design to parts production and assembly is done in-house. As the "HAND MADE" inscription on the dial suggests, each watch is made by hand, and the team of 26 skilled craftsmen (including seven watchmakers) can only produce around 50 watches per year. The brand has won the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (GPHG), known as the "Oscar of the watch world," eight times.
■ Features of "Voutilainen" watches
Guilloched dial
The company has its own dial manufacturer, Comblémine. Intricate guilloched decoration (engine-turned decoration) is applied by hand using traditional machines to a silver plate. A deep guilloching pattern of 0.2 mm is hand-engraved into the 0.8 mm thick dial. The reason silver, rather than 18K, is used as the material for guilloched dials is to ensure the most beautiful finish for the guilloched decoration. It takes a full four days for a silver plate to be transformed into a beautiful guilloched dial (in the case of the three-hand watch "Vingt-8" shown in the photo). The guilloching is done by two craftsmen with over 25 years of experience. Different base materials are used to match the surface decoration, such as silver for guilloched dials and 18K for enamel dials.
Hands
Breguet's 18K hands are hand-polished to give them a rounded surface, and their tips are hand-bent to create an organic curve. Breguet's famous hands are made of 18K gold with blued steel (tempered steel) crimped into them.
Indexes
18K applied indexes are fixed to the back of the dial with two prongs. Note that when the indexes and hands are colored, they are not painted but rather wet sandblasted (a technique in which wet sand is used to color the sandblasting at the same time).
Case
The brand has its own case manufacturer, Voutilainen & Cattin. The brazed teardrop lugs and the thick, softly curved case created by hand highlight the dial. Teardrop lugs were common in Swiss watches from the 1940s to 1960s, and are characterized not only by their aesthetic appeal but also by their ease of maintenance. According to Kari Voutilainen, brazed teardrop lugs are also superior in terms of strength.
In-house movement
The in-house movement, which is developed and designed in-house, features a large balance wheel that moves slowly at a low beat of 18,000 vibrations per hour, an original regulator mechanism, and hand-chamfered parts. The surfaces of the bridges are decorated with Côtes de Genève or frosted, and the corners are chamfered by hand. Even the gears and screws are meticulously hand-finished in the traditional style.
The direct impulse escapement, characterized by a large balance wheel and two escape wheels, is used in many models, including the flagship model "Vingtuit." Compared to the traditional Swiss lever escapement using an anchor, it has fewer contact surfaces and less friction, making it more energy efficient and allowing for an extended power reserve. Although it requires precise adjustment, it is a practical escapement. Voutilainen's direct impulse escapement is an evolution of Abraham-Louis Breguet's natural escapement, and the main differences are the presence or absence of polishing and other finishing touches, the shape of the pallet and escape wheel, and the arrest angle (which affects the oscillation angle).
The hairspring has a complex shape to achieve high precision. With a normal flat balance spring, misalignment of the balance stem due to imbalance in the balance wheel weight and shifts in the center of gravity due to differences in position affect accuracy. An effective solution to this is to adjust the outer or inner end of the balance spring. For example, the winding balance (Breguet balance) is a well-known outer adjustment, while the Grossmann curve is used for the inner end. While many watch companies use winding balance springs, Voutilainen uses both a Breguet outer balance spring and a Grossmann curve for the inner end, processing them in-house (referred to as Philippe outer end curve and Grossmann type balance spring, respectively). This advanced craftsmanship allows for high precision.
■Models on display at Takashimaya Watch Maison Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Vingt-8 28SC Center Seconds (New model for 2020, Grand Prix winner in the Men's Watch category at GPHG2020)
Polished titanium (diameter 38.5mm, thickness 13.3mm), water resistant to 300 meters
Silver guilloche dial
In-house manual-wound movement (22 jewels, 18,000 vph, power reserve approximately 65 hours)
Price including tax: 10.23 million yen
Vingt-8 217QRS Calendar Retrograde
18KRG (diameter 39.0mm, thickness 11.5mm), water resistant to 3 ATM
Silver guilloche dial
In-house manual-wound movement (39 jewels, 18,000 vph, power reserve approximately 65 hours)
Price including tax: 16.28 million yen
Vingt-8
Platinum (diameter 39.0mm, thickness 11.5mm), water resistant to 3 bar
Silver guilloche dial
In-house manual-wound movement (21 jewels, 18,000 vph, power reserve approximately 65 hours)
Price including tax: 11.99 million yen
■Kari Voutilainen
Born in Finland in 1962. He began his career in Swiss watchmaking in 1989, working on antique restoration and the production of complicated mechanical watches. He later worked as a lecturer at the watchmaking school WOSTEP, before founding his own brand, "Voutilainen," in 2002. His atelier is located in Moutiers, Neuchâtel, Val-de-Travers, Switzerland. In 2006, he joined the Academie des Horlogers Indépendants (AHCI).
[List of Awards]
Grand Prix de Genève Watchmaking (GPHG)
2007 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: Observatoire)
2013 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: V-8R)
2014 Artistic Crafts Watch (Winning model: HISUI)
2015 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: GMR)
2017 Artistic Crafts Watch (Winning model: Aki-no-Kure)
2019 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: 28TI)
2019 Artistic Crafts Watch (Winning model: Starry Night Vine Yard)
2020 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: 28SC)
Best Watchmaker Achievement Award (2007, Finland)
Gaia Award (2014, La Chaux-de-Fonds International Watchmaking Museum (MIH))
■ Authorized Voutilainen Retailer Takashimaya Watch Maison Tokyo Nihonbashi
Takashimaya Watch Maison Tokyo Nihonbashi is located about a 5-minute walk from the Yaesu North Exit of JR Tokyo Station, making it a popular spot for watch fans from all over Japan. It carries a wide range of watch brands, from world-class brands to rare brands.
3-1-8 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027
TEL: 03-3211-4111
Business Hours: 10:30-19:30
Click here for company press release details
Vingt-8 28SC Center Seconds (2020 New Model, Grand Prix Winner in the Men's Watch Category at GPHG2020)Founded in 2002 by watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, the watch brand "Voutilainen" is characterized by beautifully hand-finished dials and hands, and movement mechanisms that reinterpret tradition. Everything from design to parts production and assembly is done in-house. As the "HAND MADE" inscription on the dial suggests, each watch is made by hand, and the team of 26 skilled craftsmen (including seven watchmakers) can only produce around 50 watches per year. The brand has won the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (GPHG), known as the "Oscar of the watch world," eight times.
■ Features of "Voutilainen" watches
Guilloched dial
The company has its own dial manufacturer, Comblémine. Intricate guilloched decoration (engine-turned decoration) is applied by hand using traditional machines to a silver plate. A deep guilloching pattern of 0.2 mm is hand-engraved into the 0.8 mm thick dial. The reason silver, rather than 18K, is used as the material for guilloched dials is to ensure the most beautiful finish for the guilloched decoration. It takes a full four days for a silver plate to be transformed into a beautiful guilloched dial (in the case of the three-hand watch "Vingt-8" shown in the photo). The guilloching is done by two craftsmen with over 25 years of experience. Different base materials are used to match the surface decoration, such as silver for guilloched dials and 18K for enamel dials.
Hands
Breguet's 18K hands are hand-polished to give them a rounded surface, and their tips are hand-bent to create an organic curve. Breguet's famous hands are made of 18K gold with blued steel (tempered steel) crimped into them.
Indexes
18K applied indexes are fixed to the back of the dial with two prongs. Note that when the indexes and hands are colored, they are not painted but rather wet sandblasted (a technique in which wet sand is used to color the sandblasting at the same time).
Case
The brand has its own case manufacturer, Voutilainen & Cattin. The brazed teardrop lugs and the thick, softly curved case created by hand highlight the dial. Teardrop lugs were common in Swiss watches from the 1940s to 1960s, and are characterized not only by their aesthetic appeal but also by their ease of maintenance. According to Kari Voutilainen, brazed teardrop lugs are also superior in terms of strength.
In-house movement
The in-house movement, which is developed and designed in-house, features a large balance wheel that moves slowly at a low beat of 18,000 vibrations per hour, an original regulator mechanism, and hand-chamfered parts. The surfaces of the bridges are decorated with Côtes de Genève or frosted, and the corners are chamfered by hand. Even the gears and screws are meticulously hand-finished in the traditional style.
The direct impulse escapement, characterized by a large balance wheel and two escape wheels, is used in many models, including the flagship model "Vingtuit." Compared to the traditional Swiss lever escapement using an anchor, it has fewer contact surfaces and less friction, making it more energy efficient and allowing for an extended power reserve. Although it requires precise adjustment, it is a practical escapement. Voutilainen's direct impulse escapement is an evolution of Abraham-Louis Breguet's natural escapement, and the main differences are the presence or absence of polishing and other finishing touches, the shape of the pallet and escape wheel, and the arrest angle (which affects the oscillation angle).
The hairspring has a complex shape to achieve high precision. With a normal flat balance spring, misalignment of the balance stem due to imbalance in the balance wheel weight and shifts in the center of gravity due to differences in position affect accuracy. An effective solution to this is to adjust the outer or inner end of the balance spring. For example, the winding balance (Breguet balance) is a well-known outer adjustment, while the Grossmann curve is used for the inner end. While many watch companies use winding balance springs, Voutilainen uses both a Breguet outer balance spring and a Grossmann curve for the inner end, processing them in-house (referred to as Philippe outer end curve and Grossmann type balance spring, respectively). This advanced craftsmanship allows for high precision.
■Models on display at Takashimaya Watch Maison Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Vingt-8 28SC Center Seconds (New model for 2020, Grand Prix winner in the Men's Watch category at GPHG2020)
Price including tax: 10.23 million yen
Vingt-8 217QRS Calendar Retrograde
Price including tax: 16.28 million yen
Vingt-8
Price including tax: 11.99 million yen
■Kari Voutilainen
Born in Finland in 1962. He began his career in Swiss watchmaking in 1989, working on antique restoration and the production of complicated mechanical watches. He later worked as a lecturer at the watchmaking school WOSTEP, before founding his own brand, "Voutilainen," in 2002. His atelier is located in Moutiers, Neuchâtel, Val-de-Travers, Switzerland. In 2006, he joined the Academie des Horlogers Indépendants (AHCI).
[List of Awards]
Grand Prix de Genève Watchmaking (GPHG)
2007 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: Observatoire)
2013 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: V-8R)
2014 Artistic Crafts Watch (Winning model: HISUI)
2015 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: GMR)
2017 Artistic Crafts Watch (Winning model: Aki-no-Kure)
2019 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: 28TI)
2019 Artistic Crafts Watch (Winning model: Starry Night Vine Yard)
2020 Men's Watch Award (Winning model: 28SC)
Best Watchmaker Achievement Award (2007, Finland)
Gaia Award (2014, La Chaux-de-Fonds International Watchmaking Museum (MIH))
■ Authorized Voutilainen Retailer Takashimaya Watch Maison Tokyo Nihonbashi
Takashimaya Watch Maison Tokyo Nihonbashi is located about a 5-minute walk from the Yaesu North Exit of JR Tokyo Station, making it a popular spot for watch fans from all over Japan. It carries a wide range of watch brands, from world-class brands to rare brands.
3-1-8 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027
TEL: 03-3211-4111
Business Hours: 10:30-19:30
Click here for company press release details
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