Voutilainen, Kari

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Kari Voutilainen is a Finnish watchmaker active since 1989.

History

Voutilainen was born in Finland in 1962, studying watchmaking there at the Tapiola school. He came to Switzerland in 1989 and attended the International Watchmaking School, completing the WOSTEP course in complicated watchmaking. He spent a decade at Parmigiani Mesure et Art du Temps focused on restoration work as well as creating original pieces, such as a hand-made 1994 pocket watch with tourbillon and power reserve indicator. He then returned to become an instructor at the WOSTEP School of Watchmaking, focused on complicated watchmaking.

Voutilainen created his eponymous brand, Kari Voutilainen Artisan d’Horlogerie d’Art, in 2002. The first product was the Voutilainen Masterpiece 6, a decimal minute repeater with power reserve indicator. He would continue the Masterpiece series in following years. In 2011, Voutilainen's Vingt-8 included the first entirely in-house movement from the watchmaker, unique even in the design of its escapement.

In 2012, Voutilainen co-created the Maître du Temps Chapter Three "Reveal" with Andreas Strehler.

The company has been located in Rue de Comblémine in Môtiers, near the home of Bovet, since 2009. The Voutilainen company acquired dial manufacturer Dialtech in 2014, renaming it Comblémine SA.

Awards

Voutilainen's work has won prizes at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 8 times as of 2020, just ahead of well-known watchmakers like Chopard, Zenith, F.P. Journe, and Greubel Forsey. In 2014, Voutilainen received the prestigious Prix Gaïa Artisanat-Creation award.

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