Voutilainen Minute Repeater 10 Wristwatch
Images of a new timepiece from one of Independent Watchmaking's most prestigious Atelier's arrived at the WatchPress this week, the Voutilainen Minute Repeater 10.
The classically styled round case of the Voutilainen Minute Repeater 10 features an intricate open dial which offers a mesmerising view of what must surely be the most challenging of complications, the minute repeater. A minute repeater wristwatch is one which sounds the hours, quarter hours and minutes on demand, an astonishing achievement within the confines of a pocketwatch case, horological genius when the mechanics involved are integrated within a wristwatch case.
This is a bespoke piece, the Voutilainen workshop based in Môtiers creates small numbers of pieces to customers requirements. Most of the parts are handmade, all are hand finished to perfection. The Voutilainen Minute Repeater 10 features a number of traditional finishing techniques - anglage (or beveling) on the bridges, springs and hammers, Geneva Stripes on the surface of the bridges and circular snail graining on the mainplate.
Kari Voutilainen hails from Finland where he attended the much respected watchmaking school in Tapiola, having gained experience in the restoration and repair of antique timepieces and at Parmigiani Mesure et Temps SA, he also spent part of his career sharing his knowledge through teaching. An independent watchmaker since 2002, he is perhaps best known for his development of Decimal Repeater watches.
The Voutilainen Minute Repeater 10 measures 38mm x 11mm and has a case constructed from Stavax, a hardened stainless steel which together with the design of the case produces the perfect acoustics required for a piece of this supreme quality.