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拍品專文
With Kari Voutilainen Certificate booklet dated August 2011 and signed by Kari Voutilainen. The Certificate confirms that this Vingt-8 wristwatch with the case and movement number 28-19 has an in-house movement with direct impulse and that the dial has been engine-turned by hand and is in silver. The lot is further accompanied by its original Kari Voutilainen wooden presentation box with domed top and outer packaging, as well as a booklet from artisan presentation box maker Cédric Vichard confirming that the special Voutilainen Wristwatch Display Box was made in December 2010. Moreover, it is delivered with polishing cloth, Guarantee booklet and spare Kari Voutilainen crocodile leather strap.
The present watch is in excellent overall condition and it is with pleasure that Christie's announces that Kari Voutilainen has graciously offered the purchaser of this timepiece, bearing the individual no. 19, the 19th copy of the brand new book Kari Voutilainen - Horlogerie d'Art by Theodore Diehl, just published this fall. The first 150 examples of the book are numbered and signed by Mr. Voutilainen. It will thus be a rare opportunity for the astute collector to obtain one of the numbered and signed books together with this lot.
The present watch was crafted in-house by independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen in 2011. All parts of the watch were made completely in his atelier, be it the guilloché dial, main plates, bridges, hands, pinions, etc. The only exception are the jewels, mainspring and hairspring, which require specialized industrial production.
The Vingt-8 model features a special new direct impulse escapement by Kari Voutilainen. In Voutilainen's own words, the movement was inspired by the so-called class of 'natural' escapments (échappement naturel) codified by Breguet in 1789. It uses two escape wheels (rather than a single one as is customary) with a large balance of 13.60 mm. The two steel escape wheels give direct impulse to the balance through impulse rollers which (as an ensemble) has impulse jewels mounted on it. A lever between the two escape wheels works in conjunction with the impulse rollers. The construction allows the impulse to act in two directions each time, thus making the synchronization of the two escape wheels possible. This bi-directional direct impulse is also what makes the escapement very efficient. It requires much less energy than traditional Swiss lever escapements, which in turn translates to greater longevity and stability in daily use.
The sapphire glass back allows unobstructed view of the finely executed mechanism. The attentive eye is immediately drawn to the slim and elegant balance wheel bridge. Its minimalist construction offers a clear view of the escapement and large balance wheel. The main plate and bridges are made from German silver and, apart from the two escape wheels in steel, all wheels of the gear train are made from pink gold.
Voutilainen designed his movement with space and power efficiency in mind, resulting in a lower than normal total power consumption. The benefits of requiring less energy are numerous. Firstly, it means that the movement can serve as a base unit and can power added complications in the future. Secondly, the factors for wear and tear on teeth and pinions are reduced, partly also due to the fact that less lubrication is required. Additionally, the power reserve is increased. The power reserve for the watch is approximately 65 hours with the single winding barrel used.
The fine beveling, decoration and other meticulously produced finishes bear testimony to this exceptional watchmaker's vision, combining technical excellence, mechanical beauty and subtle class. The exquisite mechanism is housed in a robust case with stylish tear drop-shaped lugs and a polished bezel. The classical look of the watch is further underlined by the carefully engine-turned dial, centered by the distinctive hand-made gold moon-style hands with the blued steel circle top.
This is a rare opportunity for the watch connoisseur to own an exceptional piece, a limited edition from one of the world's most celebrated independent watchmakers.
Kari Voutilainen
Kari Voutilainen was born in Finland in 1962 and completed his initial watchmaker's training at the renowned watchmaking school of Tapiola in Finland. A stint at Switzerland's prestigious international watchmaking school WOSTEP in Neuchâtel in 1990 led to work at the Atelier of Parmigiani, where he worked for nine years, followed by a few years of work as a watchmaking teacher for WOSTEP. Over the years he had harboured a dream to set up by himself in Switzerland, which led to him in 2002 becoming an independent Artist Watchmaker with his own atelier in the village of Môtiers in the Val-de-Travers in Switzerland.
Kari Voutilainen's constant search for perfection, coupled with his broad experience and deep understanding of very high quality, antique, complicated watches, enabled him to come up with some innovative creations in the art of watchmaking. As with all entirely handmade watches, their number will remain limited as each one is crafted according to specific requirements and each watch has its own individual and personal DNA. For these reasons, the pieces signed by Kari Voutilainen make their mark in the history of watchmaking.
The present watch is in excellent overall condition and it is with pleasure that Christie's announces that Kari Voutilainen has graciously offered the purchaser of this timepiece, bearing the individual no. 19, the 19th copy of the brand new book Kari Voutilainen - Horlogerie d'Art by Theodore Diehl, just published this fall. The first 150 examples of the book are numbered and signed by Mr. Voutilainen. It will thus be a rare opportunity for the astute collector to obtain one of the numbered and signed books together with this lot.
The present watch was crafted in-house by independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen in 2011. All parts of the watch were made completely in his atelier, be it the guilloché dial, main plates, bridges, hands, pinions, etc. The only exception are the jewels, mainspring and hairspring, which require specialized industrial production.
The Vingt-8 model features a special new direct impulse escapement by Kari Voutilainen. In Voutilainen's own words, the movement was inspired by the so-called class of 'natural' escapments (échappement naturel) codified by Breguet in 1789. It uses two escape wheels (rather than a single one as is customary) with a large balance of 13.60 mm. The two steel escape wheels give direct impulse to the balance through impulse rollers which (as an ensemble) has impulse jewels mounted on it. A lever between the two escape wheels works in conjunction with the impulse rollers. The construction allows the impulse to act in two directions each time, thus making the synchronization of the two escape wheels possible. This bi-directional direct impulse is also what makes the escapement very efficient. It requires much less energy than traditional Swiss lever escapements, which in turn translates to greater longevity and stability in daily use.
The sapphire glass back allows unobstructed view of the finely executed mechanism. The attentive eye is immediately drawn to the slim and elegant balance wheel bridge. Its minimalist construction offers a clear view of the escapement and large balance wheel. The main plate and bridges are made from German silver and, apart from the two escape wheels in steel, all wheels of the gear train are made from pink gold.
Voutilainen designed his movement with space and power efficiency in mind, resulting in a lower than normal total power consumption. The benefits of requiring less energy are numerous. Firstly, it means that the movement can serve as a base unit and can power added complications in the future. Secondly, the factors for wear and tear on teeth and pinions are reduced, partly also due to the fact that less lubrication is required. Additionally, the power reserve is increased. The power reserve for the watch is approximately 65 hours with the single winding barrel used.
The fine beveling, decoration and other meticulously produced finishes bear testimony to this exceptional watchmaker's vision, combining technical excellence, mechanical beauty and subtle class. The exquisite mechanism is housed in a robust case with stylish tear drop-shaped lugs and a polished bezel. The classical look of the watch is further underlined by the carefully engine-turned dial, centered by the distinctive hand-made gold moon-style hands with the blued steel circle top.
This is a rare opportunity for the watch connoisseur to own an exceptional piece, a limited edition from one of the world's most celebrated independent watchmakers.
Kari Voutilainen
Kari Voutilainen was born in Finland in 1962 and completed his initial watchmaker's training at the renowned watchmaking school of Tapiola in Finland. A stint at Switzerland's prestigious international watchmaking school WOSTEP in Neuchâtel in 1990 led to work at the Atelier of Parmigiani, where he worked for nine years, followed by a few years of work as a watchmaking teacher for WOSTEP. Over the years he had harboured a dream to set up by himself in Switzerland, which led to him in 2002 becoming an independent Artist Watchmaker with his own atelier in the village of Môtiers in the Val-de-Travers in Switzerland.
Kari Voutilainen's constant search for perfection, coupled with his broad experience and deep understanding of very high quality, antique, complicated watches, enabled him to come up with some innovative creations in the art of watchmaking. As with all entirely handmade watches, their number will remain limited as each one is crafted according to specific requirements and each watch has its own individual and personal DNA. For these reasons, the pieces signed by Kari Voutilainen make their mark in the history of watchmaking.