Observatoire

A chronometer-minded watch from 2007

The Observatoire is a deliberately traditional watch. The watch is described as reverting to the characteristics of chronometers from earlier times, and the watch's appeal lies in its precision and its finishing rather than in any new display. It was introduced in 2007, and the same year the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève gave it the men's watch prize.

The watch belongs to the workshop's early identity. Before the in-house 28 caliber of 2011, the workshop built the Observatoire on a base movement that it reworked. The Observatoire therefore shows how the workshop thinks about movements, from the base up.

Its appeal to owners is the sum of the parts: the balance, the finishing, the dial and the case all reflect a similar attention to detail. Buyers who look only at the dial miss much of what the watch offers.

The Peseux 260 blank and the movement

The Observatoire is built on a Peseux 260 ébauche, an unfinished blank that the workshop found in several examples that had never been assembled. Voutilainen reworked each one, technically adjusted and tested it, and then hand-finished it. The brand describes the result as an in-house movement based on the blank, which means the workshop's own work shaped nearly everything above the base plate.

The movement uses a Swiss lever escapement with a free-sprung balance. Its timing weights are platinum-gold, and its balance spring has a Phillips terminal curve. The movement is 30 mm across, has 21 jewels and runs at 18,000 vibrations per hour. Its main plate and bridges are German silver.

A service on this movement is a careful lever job with a finishing component. Ask the shop how it checks the free sweep, the timing and the adjustments of the balance before it closes the movement, and how it protects the hand finishing during reassembly.

Servicing the Observatoire

The workshop's after-sale policy names its Swiss workshop as the only authorized place for after-sale service, and it says it cannot accept responsibility for work carried out elsewhere. That policy is the starting point for any service decision. If the watch is under the brand's warranty or you want the warranty extended, send it to the workshop.

Finishing is part of the job. Bridge angles, screw heads and the German silver plate should be returned to the condition they were in before work. Ask the shop to show the bridges before and after, and to keep a photograph for your file.

Ask the workshop for an estimate before any work begins. A written estimate that covers the movement, the case and the dial lets you decide what to approve, and it gives you something to compare with the final invoice.

Buying a pre-owned Observatoire

Start with the reference, the serial number and the papers. Check that the caliber and the dial described by the seller match the caseback and the paperwork. Ask for the original invoice and any workshop service record, since a clear history makes the watch easier to value and insure.

Look at the movement, if the seller allows it. The bridges should show even angles and polish, the screws should be finished to match, and the balance should move freely. Tool marks on the bridge edges or the screws suggest the watch has been worked on by someone else, and those should be photographed and explained.

Agree the terms in writing before you pay. A written inspection by a watchmaker who knows the workshop's work should cover the movement, the finishing and any records. If the inspection finds an undisclosed repair, you should be able to return the watch under the terms you agreed.

Care and wear

Wear the Observatoire with the care you would give any hand-finished dress watch. Avoid knocks, keep the crown and the case in good condition, and have the seals checked on the schedule the workshop recommends. Don't assume a water rating holds after years of wear.

Keep the watch away from strong magnetic fields where you can, and have the movement cleaned and checked at service rather than by a general jeweler. Ask the workshop what it recommends between services.

Keep every record together. A dated list of the work performed, the parts replaced and the workshop or shop involved gives a future buyer something concrete to check, and it gives your next watchmaker a clear starting point.

What to check on a Observatoire

• Confirmation from the Voutilainen workshop before any movement work
• A clear plan for finishing the bridges and plate
• Written records of any third-party work the watch has had
• Photographs of the movement before and after service

Common questions