“The key to success as an independent watchmaker in my view is closely associated with seeing the reality around you. You have to strike a happy balance between making enough timepieces in order to be an established and proven atelier as well as to be taken seriously, which also means economically viable.

However, if you go beyond the natural limitations of the situation there is an ever-lurking danger that you become a manager and are never behind the bench anymore. The product will suffer with that, and within the shortest time, you have sold your soul to the devil.

This is why, from the very beginning of starting for myself I defined exactly what my goals were, which timepieces I wanted to create in the future, how much time I was willing to spend on non-watchmaking activities like organization and the like.

The result is that I know exactly how many watches I can make a year and the exact limits I have on production. This also means it is not easy for me sometimes. Many people call me and I feel bad because I cannot help them with a watch right away, they will have to have the patience to wait.

Doing it any other way would disturb the balance here in the atelier that I have worked so hard to build up exactly as I want it.”

Kari Voutilainen