Kari Voutilainen - the end of the first journey

[HL65]

Congrats and turned out quite nice!

[incontrol]

Very beautiful watch Karl. You picked out the details perfectly. It really is a gorgeous piece of art. Congrats!


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[edo]

Just gorgeous... One of the best Kari's I saw... Congrats...

[lapince]

Originally Posted by de66

Nice one man!

But blue is so last season, this watch has now probably lost half of its value already!

Ok ok ok twist my arm and I will buy it from you

Oh crap, mine has also blue, I got screwed

Originally Posted by KarlS

It is but you should read the thread header carefully. First stage....the watch isn't finished yet! Lol

I guess he didn't get all the pics I got, I feel there will be a new stage every year, won't be a journey but a saga

Originally Posted by de66

I did!!
It said the first journey had ended!!

Yes, like you think after the first Alien movie she got out alive, many came after

Originally Posted by edo

Just gorgeous... One of the best Kari's I saw... Congrats...

I agree totally, one of the best, if not the best, have a little preference for mine but that's normal, but with mine I think it's the 2 best KV's he made, of course that's because Karl and me just looooove blue dial watches, got pics of mine 30 minutes after Karl posted, but Kari's photo skills are not fine tuned, will post when I have it, plus it's Karl's party today. Enjoy your fantastically stunning and epic watch my friend

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by KarlS

It is but you should read the thread header carefully. First stage....the watch isn't finished yet! Lol

You now need to tell us about the second dial option - a great idea I think (your wife's?).

[KarlS]

Arnaud, don't worry parties can be shared. I just reread my first ghreadcsnd my journey started with your watch and took a different turn. Both beautiful watches and quite dissimilar in a way. Get to Geneva!!

[KarlS]

Originally Posted by Russell996

You now need to tell us about the second dial option - a great idea I think (your wife's?).

Ha ha...yes...you remembered!!! Now you know why this journey isn't quite finished!!!

[teqp]

That is a very beautiful watch, congrats and enjoy it in good health.

[nyc2la]

Incredible, Karl! Congratulations. It's a piece of art. Wear in the best of health.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by KarlS

Arnaud, don't worry parties can be shared. I just reread my first ghreadcsnd my journey started with your watch and took a different turn. Both beautiful watches and quite dissimilar in a way. Get to Geneva!!

I think I am a little more patient than you, crazy travel to go get it, all in good time for me

Originally Posted by KarlS

Ha ha...yes...you remembered!!! Now you know why this journey isn't quite finished!!!

Well I know about that, even had a preview, amazing, but I love blue too much

Originally Posted by Russell996

You now need to tell us about the second dial option - a great idea I think (your wife's?).

Oh so you know about the second dial, round 2, but this is not a boxing match, it's a saga...

[axjimenez]

Incredible. Just stunning. congrats

[Maxtor]

Beautiful watch. Thanks for sharing.

[conkers]

Many congrats indeed! A wonderful journey to undergo.

[improviz]

Gorgeous piece, congrats!

[watchucallit]

OMG.. You got it.. congratulations!.. It is stunning. I love having a PR indicator so this would be perfect for me... :) Worth the weight

[toolr]

Congratulations on an absolutely stunning watch! I like everything about...thanks for the pictures too.

[subtona]

Congrats Karl,

Brilliant photos and amazing unique timepiece.

that is darn cool

[swatty]

That is stunning, Congrats and thanks for sharing the journey with us

[Pangit]

Congratulations Karl, that is truly a beautiful watch.

[unknown]

That is spectacular
Congratulations

[KarlS]

Purely of interest to those with an eagle eye for detail you will notice that the PR is not enamelled. This created huge panic in my life as I felt the watch would lose balance and I felt it was a potential disaster. The reality was that it just couldn't be done!!

KV has done about 180 of the Vingt 8 since its launch in 2011 so it's pretty much cut and paste. Of the 4 with the PR mine is the only enamel so it was a bit of an experiment.

As mentioned the silver dial is cut out where the enamel is to be placed. Enamel is done in gold to give it the necessary depth of colour and thus think if the tolerances. Whatever new piece you cut has to accommodate the extra material caused by enamel as well as the silver border used to attach the inserts to the dial.

The PR actually has part of the movement attached to it which requires that part of the dial to be a bit thinner than elsewhere. The combination of a thinner foundation (in gold) meant that every time they fired that piece it warped. They then tried to strengthen the gold foundation by adding harder alloys (think one was iridium) but some of them then made the blue become black. In the end the idea was to leave it as part of the German silver / lacquer and make a feature with the silver border.

I think I said to some members I almost "vomited in my mouth" when I saw the first pictures and Kari had to go a long way to placate me as he admitted he takes terrible pictures. I trusted his artistic abilities and I have to say I think it's magnificent!!




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[KarlS]

So to wrap up the thread.....would i do it again? Well if you asked me before the collection my answer would have been absolutely...NO WAY!!!

a) I have to admit that I being a banker by profession and an accountant by training...the idea of any originality coming out of my mind is zero. I am much more a visual person...look in a catalogue and tick the ones I like and be done....trying to think what it would look like and the verious permutations can be overwhelming;

b) I need instant gratification. Waiting a year is like 4 watches later for me...

I think bespoke watches work brilliantly where you have a very clear idea in your mind what you want and it cant be fulfilled by existing manufactures. Then you truly make a watch that ticks all the boxes. I tend to be ok at 95%...

d) You need to take a bit of a risk. It is easy to look at the existing models and say I want one exactly like that!! You can see it, touch it and feel it and know he can make it...but then whats the point of going bespoke....the PR was a big issue..many felt it would affect the balance and in my heart I just felt I neede to do it...yes I discussed putting it at 2 but at the end I think that it works...

So despite all that...I have the watch and from the moment I saw it we clicked... the collaberation has started for possibly a 2019 delivery which will have a complication that I love as well as meet the current deficiencies of many existing models. Those details I will leave to 2019 to worry you all about. In the interim I have heard about his 2 new models for next year and think they will be a nice addition to his range. So that answers the question...I am doing it again!!

a) I like knowing that I have a piece of everyone in his atelier in my watch...not just an assembler who gets a pile of parts and assembles a watch and then calls himself a watch maker;

b) I dont know whether his enamelling and guilloche is better than Patek or Breguet....I am not that much of a WIS...but they dont give me the opportunity to choose my patterns, the colours and the finishes;

c) He is actually remarkably good value for money. That's truly odd considering that this is a huge outlay for a person like me as I dont have unlimited means. However my children are doing quite nicely now that I have sold a kidney each and I am just eyeing my wifes out for 2019!!

So let me give you rough idea. On the base WG case, platinum is an extra 12.5%. The addition of a PR was an extra 10% and the enamelling is generally more expensive as there is significantly more work involved in manufacture and assembly.

d) there is something quirky when getting your papers for the watch and its not professionally printed with case numbers, model numbers, movement numbers and model numbers!! Just some scrawly handwriting in blue ink explaining what the watch is and how its made....

Thanks to all of you for the kind words...I am glad you enjoy the watch as much as I do and I hope this galvanises a few more to try out some independants...there are lots out there and suit many pockets...dont get too hang up on who is going to service then when they die...enjoy them whilst you are alive....

So basically thats a wrap that started in June 2016 and concluded on 20/7/2017...

[swatty]

So cool that you have the only one in existence

[Jetkopite]

I've said my congrats in private and I'll say them again here..

Looks great Karl and I am sure sure you will enjoy this beauty for many years. The initial pics you showed me I wasn't sure but luckily your shot taking of your watches has improved significantly over time to capture the real beauty of this gorgeous piece of art.. Congrats once again and looking forward to seeing it in person when we meet up in Dubai soon...

[lapince]

You didn't tell me you almost vomited in your mouth when you saw and sent me Kari's pic, but told me "I think I messed up with the different blue tones, Kari tells me not to stress, I am stressing!!!!!!!"
And I must say when I saw it I thought "oh crap he did mess up" but not the slightest, your watch is stunning and for me the pinnacle of your collection, and getting pics of mine, just after you posted here, which aren't great as you saw them, but still better than the one he sent you, and knowing the huge difference between his pics and reality, I am very happy and pretty sure mine is also amazing, and you are right, having both as a pair would be amazing, why don't we each make our will stating that the first who dies leaves his Vouti to the other that is THE watch I want my son to have to remember me by, or maybe get buried with it

Anyways like you said amazing experience, I most probably won't have the opportunity for another, counting 15-25 years for my investments to really be where I want them to, but if I could I would also clearly do it again, the experience has nothing to do with being a WIS, going to a shop and getting a watch, even if you dreamed and waited years for it. Probably the ultimate experience for a watch lover, they are doing the watch on special order for you and the way you like it, well apart a few minor details Kari doesn't change like lugs and hands, but you choose basically all the rest, and for a banker with ni creative imagination my firend you did a great job, saw the second dial, really cool, but I am a blue guy. So prefer the blue, but waiting impatiently for the 2019 incoming from Kari, I already know what you are getting, no he didn't tell me but I gave him 2 guesses, and he said "well one is right" so I know what it will be knowing his tastes, can't wait to see it. And come to Odessa to show me your beauty, my guest room is waiting for you, you are welcome any time

[Minimalist]

Wow! That is one special watch and that dial is mesmerising. Congrats!

[Hollister]

Amazing, and it's nice to use the word "unique" literally for once on a watch forum!

[goog53]

Originally Posted by lapince

You didn't tell me you almost vomited in your mouth when you saw and sent me Kari's pic, but told me "I think I messed up with the different blue tones, Kari tells me not to stress, I am stressing!!!!!!!"

He told me that and I have to say the watch looked very suspect and I was internally concerned for our friend. LOL! The pics sent by Kari were not the greatest but the final pics are an absolute knockout!

[HobokenRolex]

Wow! Congrats and thanks for taking us along on your journey.

[Hamish]

Congratulations Karl
An epic piece and a just reward for such patience
Well done!