Finnish charisma, British charm and Swiss quality.
The Voutilainen 28SC which won the 2020 Men's Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) had a blue dial decorated with two types of guilloché: a wavy center paired with square basketweave pattern around the edge. The Finnish watchmaker based in Switzerland who created it was Kari Voutilainen, who needs no further introduction.
Voutilainen was approached by Convopiece's Founder and Creative Director Adrian Aldred, who invited the skilled creator of engine-tuned dials to show off his talent on the dials of Armin Strom's watches. Aldred's first encounter with the world of watchmaking was when he was just 19 years of age.
That was when the Londoner bought a second-hand Rolex Air King and developed a passion for complicated accessories. But then his focus shifted. Aldred realized it's far more interesting to work with independent watchmakers, rare models, and better yet — to create bespoke watches catering to a particular client's individual requests.
He founded the Convopiece personal appointment service and began working with MCT, Akrivia and Andreas Strehler. Now he's put all the pieces of the puzzle together by merging Armin Strom's Gravity Equal Force model with Voutilainen's skill and one collector’s request for a masterpiece of watch mechanics that still resembled a classic costume watch.
That's how the Gravity Equal Force Сonvopiece Edition was born, limited to only 5 pieces. Its rose-gold case frames the deep blue dial, with waves by Kari Voutilainen splitting its surface into 12 sectors. Hidden beneath the dial is the automatic Caliber ASB19 movement with a 72-hour power reserve. It's comprized of 202 parts and runs at a frequency of 25,200 vph.
The main feature it boasts is Armin Strom's Geneva-drive equal force barrel. The Geneva stop-work limits the rotation of the mainspring barrel to the the spring’s optimum range, when a consistent power delivery to the balance can be ensured. Once that moment is reached, the mainspring arrives at a locked position preventing further turning.
The watch may have received a guilloché dial by the winner of the prestigious GPHG Men's Watch Prize, but the watch in Armin Strom's System 78 has still held onto the collection's signature design. The familiar wheel can still be seen from the side of the dial while the time display has been offset from the center.
The case of the Gravity Equal Force Сonvopiece Edition is 41 mm in diameter, 12.65 mm in height, and water-resistant to a depth of 30 meters. These are all pretty standard specifications until you remember what an innovative movement is enclosed inside the case, and whose hands crafted the dial.