Voutilainen Starry Night Vine

One of the greatest contemporary lacquer artists is Mr Tatsuo Kitamura living in Wajima town in Japan. Mr. T. Kitamura, creates lacquer art that stand at the pinnacle of Japanese tradition, bringing a craft that has existed for hundreds of years into the present, exemplifying the passion to preserve the soul, spirit and identity of traditional Japanese culture as expressed in the Edo period. This kind of work of art made hundreds of years ago is still here today, it can be restored and remains like new even we touch and manipulate lacquer with human hands.

This superlative work engages us immediately on a physical level and one can only stand in awe at the commitment, patience and dedication required to create these works of art. This masterpiece shown here; sky above of vineyard; use techniques of lacquering which takes far more than hundreds of hours of work to complete the dial and bridges. The raw materials for its creation are: Kinpun (gold dust), Jyunkin-itakane (gold leaf), Yakou-gai (shell of great green turban) and Awabi-gai (abalone shell from New Zealand).

Top of that, another half of the landscape is created by Anita Porchet, one of the greatest contemporary enamel makers. Beautiful vineyard with rich colors is made with email cloisonné techniques. It shows vineyard on his full beauty, grapes fulfilled in enjoyable colors.

This exceptional and unique collaboration illustrates perfectly how two completely different techniques can complete each other’s.

To make the scene perfect, even the case is engraved by master engraver Eddy Jaquet in theme of grapes and vine leaves.

This symbiosis of Japanese tradition with the Swiss haute horlogerie creations of Kari Voutilainen represents an all-embracing mechanical and visual work of art that unites the East and West in perfect harmony.