Kari Voutilainen - Simply perfect
Kari Voutilanen
When we are little, few of us really know what we want to be when we “grow up”. Some of us never truly achieve maturity. While speaking with watchmakers, one common thread is interwoven. Often an event or an individual inspired them in their early years, leading them much later on to delve into the world of micro-mechanics. And, such is the case with one of our most acclaimed modern day watchmaking Maestros, Kari Voutilanen.
While they are extraordinarily talented individuals, watchmakers do not always make good business decisions. Blurring the lines between artisanship and finance can be a stumbling point. Sometimes, those who are driven to create beautiful things at the bench flounder when they have to meet a man in a suit in order to justify their existence. Simply put, a spreadsheet rarely represents something into which a man or a woman has invested their heart and their soul.
Kari Voutilanen is not one of these people. Not only is he a quite exceptional watchmaker, but a canny businessman too who possesses a sharp acumen for the deep waters of financial logistics. And, in both these sectors he hasn’t put a foot wrong yet. He wasn’t immediately driven to be a watchmaker when he reached adulthood, but then like many before him we can flashback to his childhood, to the moment when he pondered over an old alarm clock which just couldn’t be fixed.
A native of Finland, Kari became addicted to mechanical things from an early age. The hours which he spent in the workshop of his father’s friend, watching him repair timepieces was time well spent for the young Kari, who found that the ambience of the place was something special. Perhaps it was this unique atmosphere which compelled him to disassemble an alarm clock which belonged to his parents. Even though he persisted, he couldn’t quite put the thing back together to make it work. He was just ten years old at the time.
I have read that by age 16, Kari could confidently disassemble the engine of a motorcycle, and I have no reason to doubt that this is true, certainly by that time he was pretty sure that he should be in a job in which he could work with his hands. After spending time in the Finnish army, and still remembering his attempts to fix his parent’s clock, he enrolled with the School of Watchmaking at Tapiola, aged 21. Kari’s name was one of 300 who registered to attend that year, but when the entrance exam results were tallied up, he took his place among just 24 pupils who were accepted to study.
While studying the practicalities of Horology at the bench, Kari also spent time studying marketing and bookkeeping, a fallback perhaps, but certainly a prudent investment of his time which would be useful later on when he began to plan and develop his business.
Any watchmaker worth their salt will tell you that their learning continues right up until the day they take their last breath. After Tapiola, and a short time in the workshop of a retailer in Finland, Kari continued his education at WOSTEP, after which he worked at Parmigiani (before they were a watch brand). Here he gained valuable experience while restoring and repairing timepieces, many of which had historical importance. He never forgot these vital years of practical schooling under the direction of Mr. Charles Meylan, and typical of his philanthropic nature, Kari would return to WOSTEP, this time as a teacher in order to educate and instruct a new batch of promising young watchmakers.
A desire for the freedom to create is the ethos of all Independent Watchmakers. And, even though Kari made his first own timepiece, a pocket watch tourbillon with power reserve, in 1994, the founding of his eponymous Atelier did not happen until he had set into place the correct structure in order to make it viable. He had observed others, including friends, sign their names onto the dials of their own timepieces only to have their businesses slip through their hands due to corporate interference and ill-conceived plans.
Already proficient in business affairs, Kari Voutilanen put his watchmaking skills to good use, working on various projects for others, and in doing so, set money aside with which to invest in himself. In 2002, finally, came the realisation of his dream for the future and he set up his own workshop in the picturesque village of Môtiers.
From the outset, the Atelier Voutilanen would be self-financed. It would have no financial backers or partners. This would be a truly Independent, Independent Watchmaking Atelier.
Less than two decades later the name Voutilanen is recognised by aficionados of fine watchmaking everywhere. The company has grown organically, and beautifully. Kari is, himself a patient individual, and if you want to purchase one of his watches then you too are going to have to be patient. He limits his Atelier’s production so that neither he nor the people in his workshop will be compromised and also so that his “products” are always up to his own exacting standards. He states wisely, that the balance in his Atelier should not be disturbed.
If you are familiar with the name of Kari Voutilanen, then you already know about his watches. The supreme quality, the breathtakingly beautiful dials, the exquisite attention to detail given to each and every nuance, both inside and out. Every single one a masterful creation. But this article is not about the watches, but more about the man behind their creation.
Few individuals realise success for their companies without sacrificing a little of themselves in the process. And, even fewer still retain a culture of sharing, of giving back, once they have achieved it. Even if you set out with the best of intentions, if you own and run a business, there is rarely enough time to do so. But Kari Voutilanen still shares and still has time for those who appreciate the fine art of watchmaking.
Back in 2014, Johnny attended one of the watch industry’s showcase exhibition events on behalf of this online journal. We too are independent. We also run this thing on our own, with no big brand backing. Even though we put heart and soul into our articles, not all brands take the time to welcome writers like us into their booths. At that particular exhibition, Johnny was not only welcomed by Kari, but was able to chat at length about his watches and other common interests too. Many images were taken, stories were told, knowledge was shared.
Just one week later, a beautifully packaged gift arrived by post. Inside was a copy of the book, Kari Voutilanen “Horlogerie d’Art” by Theodore Diehl. On the inside cover of the book, Kari had handwritten a personal message to Johnny. We both refer to that treasured book often.
Some of us never grow up. But, some of us grow up to be knowledgeable yet eager to share. Successful yet patient, kind and humble. Kari Voutilanen is that kind of person.
Thanks to our friends at Monochrome for their kind permission to use their images.