Day Four, Kari Voutilainen & Rexhep Rexhepi (Akrivia)

Sunday morning is a bit relaxed, breakfast with my hosts and then off to the fair. Kari was my first port of call this day and his offering this year was not to be trifled with. So often he has created a unique piece that is shown and pre-sold, but here was a new item with his guilloche dials looking classically "Voutilainen" but with a twist. inside the hours chapter is a date sector from 8 o'clock sweeping around to 4 o'clock leaving the sub seconds alone. A retro-grade or perhaps like Marco Lang's effort in the Konrad or Heinrich models, an anti-retrograde perhaps??? No, this is another variation on the theme of retro-grade dates. Upon arriving at midnight on the 31st, the date hand doesn't just flick back to the 1st, it slowly and visibly sweeps back, so that the owner can observe it's motion over the course of 2+seconds. I don't think this has been done prior. The 217QRS is a totally lovely watch and will only be made in tiny quantities, 10 RG, 10 WG & 10 Platinum.

The lovely Observatoire in WG

Superbly finished caliber of the Observatoire.

I enjoyed three executions of this model that Kari had with him, my favorite was the lovely blue dial within a RG case. The other two were a WG with grey dial, minimal guilloche and 12,3 & 9 romans, with a platinum watch with a black multi style guilloche & arabics at 12, 3 & 9 dial. All three would be right at home on my wrist mind you, but the I have a soft spot for blue dials, so that got my vote. Now if the blue was in a platinum case, then hands downs a winner we'd have. The other fun piece that was on show, was a WG Observatoire with a guilloche grey dial and full applied RG radial arabics. I was able to snap some comparison shots for you. There was one Vingt-8 on show, that I was surprised to see and it too had a stunning light blue guilloche dial cased in WG with a lovely frosted movement finish.

217QRS caliber

Vingt-8 with pale blue guilloche enamel dial with the QRS behind.

As I finalized the potential purchase of a 217QRS for a great client with Kari, I was still snapping pics of his watches and trying them on, he picked up my Speake-Marin Piccadilly and strapped it on. He commented on how heavy it was and how classic Speake-Marin was in the day. Wise words from such a sage of the Independent watch world...it's what I found so compelling back in 2003 when I started this journey.

Kari checking out my original Piccadilly from 2005.

I then headed out to meet Stephen McGonigle for a quick beer & to grab a sandwich before my next stop. Whilst outside I bumped into a dear friend and watchmaker, Briana Le, who was visiting Basel from the SF Bay Area. She happened to be with some good watchmaker friends & student watchmakers, one of whom I'd met briefly prior, Kaj Korpela. He had on his wrist his own stunning rectangular watch with a Tourbillon escapement. Beautiful and quite elegant.

Henrik’s elegant Tourbillon.

Beautifully hand finished!

Next stop was back inside, and to visit with completely new to me watchmaker, the brilliant Rexhep Rexhepi of Akrivia and his brother Xhevdet Rexhepi, also brilliant by the way. Their prior offerings were not really to my taste and stylistically didn't seem something my clients would be excited about. Obviously technically the tourbillons were impressive and appeared to have very fine hand finishing, but designwies they just didn't it enough for me to reach. Last year an open dialed watch the AK-06 was revealed that had their own caliber and dial side was quite busy. A good step in the right direction for me, however this year they revealed a watch that I was very excited to see in person, The Chronometre Contemporain Rexhep Rexhepi.

The rose gold execution with black enamel dial

Exciting caliber, beautifully hand finished!

An enameled dial time only beauty with elegant proportions in a 38mm case of either 18K RG or platinum. The RG case sported a black enamel dial whilst the platinum a white version. Simple, yet brilliant in it's design. The caliber is similar to last year's effort in the AK-06, with it's symmetrical design and beautifully hand-finshed with all the classic elements of fine hand finished movements. Another one to add to the list.

Platinum elegance with white enamel dial.

Day Three, Gronefeld & Vianney's Birthday

Tim & Bart Gronefeld are rock stars in more than one way, not just highly talented Independent Watchmakers,  but Bon Vivants who know how to live and have a good time doing it. I've had the enormous pleasure of working with Bart & Tim for several years now and have found homes for their watches. The first piece was a One Hertz Dune, their 18K RG independent jumping seconds watch that housed their first fully inhouse created caliber. The recent model that they have had much success with is the 1941 Remontoire, initially released with a couple of dial options. Since last year (2017) this watch has been available with a brilliant Guilloche & Enamel dial courtesy of Kari Voutilanen's Comblemine dial company in Switzerland. The outer chapter is grey guilloche with a blue or red enamel option and the other variations are blued fish scale guilloche all over the dial or light blue lacquered guilloche dial.

The final version of the One Hertz is cased in 18K RG with an off white & silver chapter dial. Blued steel hands set this off in a classic and quite elegant way for a technical watch. Matching this aesthetic is a RG version of the Parallax Tourbillon limited to 28pcs, elegant and classic too! As is always their way, Tim & Bart casually chatted with me and showed their watches whilst keeping an eye out for potential new clients and press that needed their attention. This is all part of the Baselworld experience, where exhibitors are focused on the annual exposure and sales opportunity that mustn't be missed, after all it is a tough world to exist in as a business. Tim & Bart not only create stunning watches under their own name, but run a thriving service business that employs several highly skilled watchmakers, so a balance must be made that allows for both avenues of their business to thrive.

I then, ambled over to where Vianney was seated and asked him about the 20th Anniversary Classic and if there was an option to get a second piece for stock. As we sat and chatted, suddenly a cake appeared clad in lit candles, placed on my table in front of Vianney and "Happy Birthday" or "Bon Anniversaire" was summarily sung by all present to Vianney. What a treat to be there for such a moving and precious moment. Another reason why I always make the enormous effort, timewise and financially to attend Baselworld. These vignettes into life as an Independent Watchmaker are why I do what I do. The simple moment of reality, where a man has his birthday celebrated publicly at a trade show, is important and being there at his table was quite an honor. "Salut mon ami, Vianney!"

I write this with his RG Classic strapped to my arm as it has been for the past week. Falling in love with it all over again! Shortly after the candles were blown out, the beers appeared and I enjoyed many a fun conversation with my friends and colleagues for an hour prior to my Irish friends arriving. Meanwhile as is the custom, many a watchmaker or friend of the tribe shows up towards the end of the day for the requisite beer prior to heading out to dinner. Peter Speake-Marin popped by and I had a chance to catch up.

For dinner on Saturday, I made my way home to my English family-in-law's apartment in Basel and enjoyed a stunning dinner with John McGonigle and his friend Graeme, a potential future business partner. They regaled my hosts with many a watchmaking story and gave them a taste of Irish Independent watchmaking, McGonigle style! It isn't every day one gets to dine with a world class watchmaker when you are not in the business and my family were fascinated. John & Graeme were delighted to have a home cooked meal and lovely non-watch business folk for company. I finished the evening with a wee dram as Tom likes to offer it, John seemed quite at home with the fiery brown water of the highlands to round out the evening. Huge thanks to my hosts, Katie & Tom!

Day Two, Sarpaneva & Laine (Finnish Watchmakers)

Finland for some reason produces some brilliant watchmaking talent, maybe it's the water or perhaps the vodka, Whatever the reason, Kippis! We are better off for it. Stepan has forged his path for years now in Helsinki, where he returned to after a stint in Switzerland honing his skills. His design and watchmaking skills are are bit off the beaten path and, as his hashtag proudly states #notforeveryone, the watches he creates in small quantities, are polarizing. He wouldn't have it any other way. One typically loves his work or doesn't. The evolution of the Korona case and his use of interesting dial materials and colors make for strong design direction. This year he showed his own design inhouse caliber, named the Moonment. Utilizing the brilliant Andreas Strehler's constructor and movement production facilities, he created a fully integrated Fiber Optic Moonphase within the caliber. The coolest execution of a moonphase complication I've ever seen. It needs some fine tuning in my opinion, and as the piece shown was very much a prototype, I'm sure the final product will be stunning. The balance wheel is also placed on the dial side, as the back of the caliber is reserved solely for the dual moons that make the rotation around the diameter once every 57 days. As they arrive behind the fiber optic disc, they cast a shadow giving a very realistic look to the moon. Of course Stepan's stylised "Man in the Moon" face is featured on the moon, for his little twist. Held up to a light source from behind, gives one a very bright moon! My understanding is that some form of Luminous material will be implemented in the moon. The other stunning piece shown was a magenta colored guilloche dial for a K1 Moonpase piece.

SUF Helsinki, is Stepan's second brand if you will and the enormous success of the brilliant Vetehinen model, a 300m dive watch from 2 years ago, has spawned several variations over the past 2 years. The dials are again from Comblemine in Switzerland, Kari Voutilainen's dial company. Galvanic green is the latest offer and it's a close second to my personal favourite, the original blue dial Vetehinen. Earlier this year during SIHH, Stepan released a collaboration purple dialed Vetehinen, with a neat machine engraved bezel designed by the master tatoo artist and watch collector from London, Mo Coppoletta. These he sold out during SIHH and although I didn't attend, I was able to secure the last three unspoken for pieces, in the series of 26 owing to some frantic emails and WhatsApp messages from me during SIHH.

After lunch of the usual kalbsbratwurst & rosti with Fiona & Michael Kruger, John McGonigle & Graeme Haughton I met up with Torsti Laine. Having missed him last year due to a scheduling issue, I was keen to meet the maker of my watch received late last year. The 1817 is a simple watch executed in a lovely style with hand engraved bridge and finely finished balance & escape wheel cocks. The base caliber is the venerable Unitas 6498, which like many an Independent Watchmaker, is used to create something quite special. 10 pieces each in RG, WG & YG movement colors will be made. This year he showed his next model, the Gellidus. Hand frosted dial and mainplate, again in the three colors of gold. I was intrigued to see in person his original wristwatch made under the Laine name, the Classic Chronograph. Two models were made, one with a blue dial and dark rhodiumed movement, the other with a dark grey dial and rose gold movement. The stunning manual wind caliber is based on the brilliant Valjoux column wheel chrono and is extensively modified and hand finished to a high degree with 38 new inhouse parts to improve the movement. In person these watches are even more stunning than the early pics I saw in 2017 prior to Basel 2017. 

I then headed to what has become a bit of a Basel tradition in the past three years, Baselworld Thai dinner with the Independent watchmakers, friends & collectors. Several continents are represented and it is a very fun, relaxing dinner with much laughter to go around. The obligatory table shot reveals quite a collection of brilliant watches.