Manufacturer: Voutilainen Year: 2021 Case No: 1/1 Model Name: 28SC Great Shining Sun Material: Recycled stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 13"', 25 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Voutilainen buckle Dimensions: 38.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Accessories: Accompanied by Voutilainen Guarantee, polishing cloth, additional strap, product literature, presentation box, outer packaging and a copy of Kari Voutilainen by Theodore Diehl.
Catalogue Essay
"Handmade" is not a term that Kari Voutilainen takes lightly. Every component in his watches, from the bridges to the tiniest of screws, involves manual labor, may it be adjusted tolerances, polishing, angling and so on. Even each set of hands takes almost two full days to make and the sublime guilloché dials are also made in-house.
After spending a decade restoring the finest horological creations of the past three centuries Kari Voutilainen became a rising star in the watchmaking scene in the early 2000s with his unique piece decimal minute repeater that chimed every ten minutes and no longer the quarter hours contrary to all repeating wristwatches available at the time. These watches were soon followed by his Observatory models with a movement finish often compared to that of the great Philippe Dufour.
With the launch of the Vingt-8 line, which the present piece belongs to, Kari Voutilainen entered the exclusive club of artisans having fully developed an in-house movement. This apparently simple movement features a complex direct impulse escapement enabling a more constant distribution of energy. Furthermore, the extra-large balance allows fine regulation of the watch using a rare balance spring system with the exterior of the spring using a Breguet overcoil, while the internal curve uses the little known Grossmann curve.
The present watch is a unique version Voutilainen's latest creation - the 28SC featuring for the first time a central seconds function. The model is to be produced in a limited edition series of 12 pieces. Upon announcement of the 28SC, all models were immediately sold out, meaning the present watch is the only known example to be available for public purchase…. And it’s a unique piece!
The most notable innovation of this watch is the material used for the case: AISI 316L grade 4441 steel. It is a solar-forged steel that is 100% recycled and recyclable, which reduces its carbon footprint. In Kari Voutilainen's words, " this brand new alloy marks the start of a revolution in the raw materials market – as demonstrated by the fact that the very first bar was used to machine this case". It is furthermore unique as the dial is blue and gold, while the limited edition version has a green and blue dial. Finally, the case also displays straight lugs, while the limited edition version has faceted lugs - Voutilainen's watches always have formed lugs, making this example truly one of a kind and incredibly special.
It is a notable moment when any Kari Voutilainen timepiece appears on the market, and made even more special when it is a unique piece is available for the collecting community.
