This unique 28 Inverse is crafted out of steel, a metal that has not been featured before in the series, with salmon-coloured touches that sets the watch apart from the rest of this limited collection. A testament to Kari Voutilainen’s thoughtful watchmaking, the “inverted” Vingt-8 series brings to the fore the rarely seen side of watchmaking.

Building on his time-only Vingt-8, this “inverse” series flips the movement, inverting the calibre to show the escapement and large balance wheel on front. In total, 28 watches were produced in series, with 10 in platinum, 10 in tantalum and 8 in titanium. This unique piece is the only example known to have been created out of steel. While other unique examples have appeared, they have been cased in platinum, making this steel piece even more exceptional as the metal cannot be found anywhere in the series and is most likely the only one of its kind.

The dial features a salmon-coloured chapter ring, with a cartouche bearing the Voutilainen signature rendered in a similar colour. The reverse of the watch also features openworked bridges for the seconds and power reserve indications, with their indicator rings bearing the same rich salmon shade. The hands on the piece have also been flipped in terms of colour configuration–usually the polished rings on the Breguet-style hands are blued, but with this example, the rings are rendered in a white metal, with the main part in blued steel. Further to this, the crown found on the watch is unusually large, making the winding experience quite satisfying, and bears an engraved ‘K’ for ‘Kari’ which is almost never seen across Voutilainen’s pieces.

Additional gearing allows for the hands of the 28 Inverse to travel clockwise around the dial, and for hand-setting to occur through the winding crown. The open dial displays design cues and finishing which are typical of Kari’s watches, but with an unconventional arrangement of the indications. The subtly complicated movement on the reverse side creates an overall sense of balance with the dial side, combining a unique balance-spring system, with a typical Phillips overcoil and a Grossmann interior curve, and the signature direct impulse escapement with two large escapement wheels.

Closer look

This Voutilainen 28 Inverse Unique Piece is in very good condition throughout. The case and lugs show virtually no signs of wear remaining immaculately preserved. Likely unworn by the original owner, who commissioned this unique piece.

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.