The Icons – Kari Voutilainen’s Vingt-8

Any discussion of great watchmakers in the 21st century will surely mention Kari Voutilainen. Originally from Finland, the master watchmaker launched his own independent workshop in 2002 in Môtiers, Switzerland. In the 21 years since its inception, Voutilainen has established a reputation for the highest quality creations in the industry. We associate Voutilainen’s work with elegance, ultra-high-end finishing, as well as spectacular dials and robust cases.

Today, we’re continuing our series on the icons of modern independent watchmaking. While Voutilainen’s Chronomètre 27, Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar, or Minute Repeater 10 may be bigger spectacles, there’s nothing more iconic than the master watchmaker’s flagship timepiece – the Vingt-8.

Kari Voutilainen Vingt-8 Chocolate

The Icon – Unpacking the Vingt-8

First introduced at Baselworld 2011, the Vingt-8 features Voutilainen’s first in-house movement – the critically acclaimed Caliber 28. The timepiece is named after the movement, “Vingt-8” is twenty-eight in French. 

It is thoroughly “Voutilainen” as it features an elegant and robust movement housed in a stylish case. A watchmaker’s watchmaker, everything is geared toward longevity and precision in line with the aims of the origins of the tradition. 

The movement has a very large balance wheel manufactured in-house, allowing perfect regulation of the watch to within strict tolerances. To equip such an exceptional timepiece, a very rare and unique balance-spring system has been used. The exterior of the spring uses a typical Breguet overcoil, while the internal curve uses the little known Grossmann curve.

Kari Voutilainen Vingt-8 Chocolate Caliber 28 movement

The escapement makes the movement very special – this is the first watch to have two escapement wheels in such a configuration. The escapement wheels give a direct impulse to the balance through the impulse roller/jewel. This escapement is extremely efficient and requires much less energy than traditional lever escapements, offering benefits in terms of longevity and stability in day-to-day use.

39mm in diameter, the case features beautifully crafted, short teardrop lugs. With an inwardly curving bezel, the case guides the eye to the dial, which appears exceptionally large for a timepiece of such dimensions. Exuding elegance from every angle, the case matches the quality of the movement and exceptional dials, crafted by Voutilainen’s dial-making manufacture, Comblémine. Providing dials to other brands as well, Comblémine’s guilloché work is renowned throughout the industry. One of the hallmarks in Vingt-8 timepieces, engine-turned dials contribute significantly to the classical elegance of Voutilainen’s corpus of work. 

From an aesthetic perspective, there is a tremendous range in Vingt-8 timepieces. One of the more exceptional examples is the 28TPI – recently delivered to one of our clients. The “Inverted” version of the Vingt-8, the 28TPI showcases an integrated tantalum-platinum case (TPI stands for “tantalum-platinum inverted”). The matte finish of tantalum combined with the ultra-bright shine of platinum creates a feast for the eyes. An extremely unusual combination of materials, this is Voutilainen experimenting with how things play together.

Kari Voutilainen 28TPI Unique Piece

What makes the Vingt-8 iconic

It feels too simple to pinpoint the iconic status of the Vingt-8 on its exceptional finishing or movement. Of course, both contribute to the timepiece’s position as one of the most exceptional watches in modern independent watchmaking. There are plenty of timepieces that possess both and are not iconic (at least, not yet). 

To us, one of the major factors that makes the Vingt-8 an icon is that nearly each one is different – no two seem to ever be the same. Often, watchmakers that work on commission, crafting unique pieces, never do so at the volumes of Voutilainen. With an annual production volume of ~50-60 timepieces and 20+ years in business, there are likely hundreds of Vingt-8 timepieces in circulation with nearly every imaginable configuration of materials, dials, finishing techniques. 

The Vingt-8 is an icon as the place for Voutilainen to explore and represent his watchmaking brilliance. It’s a canvas on which one of the greatest watchmakers in the modern era is at play.