Up is Down, Back is Front: Meet the New Voutilainen KV20i Reversed GMT Milano Edition
Renowned for often turning classic horology on its side, the Finnish master watchmaker’s new collaboration with innovative Milanese retailer Great Masters of Time (GMT) flips the script even more, but this time from back to front.
By Mike Espindle
Executive Editor
Through his solo creations and exclusive collaborations, Kari Voutilainen’s time-keeping masterpieces always ooze a kind of artisan horological classicism that thrills collectors and enthusiasts alike but, more often than not, with a bit of a joyful twist. One recent example: Who did Zenith tap to revive and enliven its iconic 135-O Calibre in 2022? You guessed it.
With the new Voutilainen KV20i Reversed created for GMT Milano to celebrate a decade of collaboration, we certainly see expressions of the watchmaker’s respect and devotion to horological heritage.
That said, the movement is constructed back-to-front (not merely a “flipped” movement) to better show the calibre’s intricacies directly from the dial (and to, no doubt, inject a bit of playful boundary-breaking into the process).
A New Reverse Gear
Entirely designed, built, finished, and assembled in the Voutilainen workshop, one only needs a single glance at the dial to understand just how extraordinary this 10-piece limited edition KV20i Reversed GMT is.
Not only will your eyes luxuriate in the warm tones of the movement’s 4N gold finishing, which is the signature color that distinguishes GMT Milano-exclusive limited editions, but the synchronization of the two escapement wheels and the large balance wheel and balancing spring system are on full display.
Additionally, exquisite detailing generally reserved for the caseback – like the perfectly polished surfaces of the pinion and wheels, the hand-decorated German silver main plate and bridges, and the polished steel components – are now front and center.
Technical Expertise
Of course, there are technical innovations associated with the movement in addition to the reverse orientation: the intricate balance spring system features both a Phillips overcoil (a spring-end curve that helps maintain the correct oscillating frequency) and a Grossman internal curve to enhance precision. Not to mention that having two escapement wheels improves efficiency and consumes less energy than a traditional Swiss lever escapement.
Arrow-ended, circle-enhanced hour and minute hands run along a simple dotted chapter ring above the movement details for basic time-telling but introduce incredibly minimal distraction from the spectacular main view.
To conduct the fairly pedestrian chore of reading the seconds, you need merely to flip the watch to its caseback and inspect the numbered sub-dial at 1 o’clock over more movement details and plating.
The Completion Backward Principle?
A bit of deep-cut Gen X music minutiae: Back in 1981, the disruptive band The Tubes released a concert album and show entitled “The Completion Backward Principle.”
We wonder if Kari Voutilainen might have been a fan. After all, “Imagination creates reality.”
Final Details
No price was offered at press time, and like other very limited edition Voutilainen timepieces, all 10 of these might already be spoken for. However, we urge to check the GMT Milano or the Voutilainen website anyway to see if you still have a shot.
