The Nordic Watch Awards presents the 2025 Jury Special Prize to Kari Voutilainen
Stockholm, May 27, 2025
The Nordic Watch Awards is honoured to present the 2025 Jury Special Prize to the internationally renowned watchmaker, Kari Voutilainen. This award recognises his exceptional craftsmanship, innovative approach, and significant influence on the independent watchmaking scene.
On October 10, 2025, Finnish watchmaker Kari Voutilainen will receive the first ever Jury Special Prize at the Nordic Watch Awards, which will be presented during a gala dinner at Brygghuset in Stockholm. That same evening, the best watches in the Nordic region will also be selected by a global jury.
Born in Rovaniemi, Finland in 1962, Kari Voutilainen is one of the most prominent independent watchmakers of our time. After training at the Finnish Watchmaking School and the prestigious WOSTEP in Switzerland, he spent nearly a decade restoring rare and complex watches at Parmigiani.
In 2004, he founded his own brand in Switzerland, and his handmade masterpieces have since become synonymous with outstanding aesthetics, technical innovation, and traditional craftsmanship. Among his many innovations is the world's first decimal repeater, launched in 2005. The brand is also renowned for its guilloché dials, which are crafted using hand-operated century-old machines.
Voutilainen has also made a name for himself by incorporating Japanese craftsmanship into his designs through his collaborations with the lacquer artist Tatsuo Kitamura. In 2025, he unveiled a collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
He also has a presence in corporate management, manufacturing cases, dials and components for his own brand and others. In 2021, he acquired the historic brand Urban Jürgensen together with a group of investors, and he is now its CEO.
Kari Voutilainen has won multiple awards, including ten prizes at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), which further confirms his importance in the international watchmaking world.
Kari Voutilainen will be present at the award ceremony at Brygghuset in Stockholm on 10 October, as well as at the Stockholm Time Fair on 11 October.