You might now Amazing Finnish Kari Voutilainen and his handmade watches. Now Finnish watch brand Leijona (Lion in English) has created new heritage collection with Kari Voutilainen.
Sorry: I couldn’t find a video with English subtitles, but from this video you can see the collection. What do you think: Is this a big thing outside Finland? There is one watch, LE Motiers, only 50 pieces available. Price range approx. 2500€ - 5000€. Watches are with Sellita movement, said to be 100% Swiss made (different companies—how valid is this?). I think that it is a pity that there is no proper English material easily available.
Link to the video:

Overall information:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leijona_watch

 

that font is awful on those applied indices.

boldr meets helson @ over 5x the price

that space between the the 12 also makes me want to go out and stomp some ants, if the $2.5-$5k price tag didn't already have me laughingly running out there to do it already

 

@FinWatch : Couldn't work out what Voutilainen's contribution to the collection is, would you please share with us? IMHO lending his name to a company with 350 different watches in its catalogue to create a collection using Sellita movements seems to be a brave and risky move away from his own artisan brand so I'm not sure why he'd do this unless he has an interest in Leijona.

 

I love KV watches. These not so much.

 

Leijona is probably one the best known watch brands in Finland in the "non watch geek" demographic. For example my mother recognizes three watch brands: Omega, Rolex and Leijona.

Apparently the Heritage watches are assembled by KV's factory and "all of the work is done in Môtiers Switzerland". Additionally: "KV has had a major role in the design of every watch". They also mention that "all of the components are provded by KV's subsidiary or his affiliate companies"

Source: 1 , 2. Translations my own, feel free to correct them.

As a personal opinion I like the Heritage Classic lines esthetic and look. The chrono and sport model isn't my cup of tea. Personally I would have loved additional information on what parts are from KVs own subsidiary factories and what are from his affiliates. For example if the dials were made by KV's dial factory that would be a definite game changer for these watches in my eyes.

Still, I cant help to wonder is this collaboration going to be enticing to the Finnish non watch geek with this price range. Likewise I find it difficult to believe that the Finnish watch enthusiasts/collector scene will be all over this with so much lack of exact information on how much KV and his own subsidiary companies have actually contributed to these.

 

Thanks very much for the translation. Agree the scope of KV's involvement in this collection is unclear. The statement about all the components being provided by KVs subsidiary or his affiliate companies is subject to different interpretations. For example, a KV subsidiary could have sourced 3rd party components for the watch and provided them to Leijona. We shouldn't assume from the statement that his subsidiary or his affiliate companies manufactured all the components.

 

Absolutely agree @queriver. The cynic in me can't help to wonder why are they not more specific about KV's or his subsidiary(e.g. dial factory) direct involment if it's as major as they say.

 

Personally being a Finn, i don’t understand this collaboration at all. These two brands have nothing to do with each other than they are both watch companies.

Leijona is one of the brands with a very “cheap” reputation and quality in Finland, and the other on the complete opposite side!

This collaboration would be in the automotive industry comparable to Daewoo / Hyundai by Bentley / Lamborghini...

 

This is very unclear. But when I asked, I got the answer:
Voutilainen’s name is not in the watches (not in case or dial, nowhere) only Leijona. Voutilainen’s name can be seen in the presentation box and in the name: Leijona x Voutilainen.
Sorry to say, but I get the feeling that Voutilainen has sold his name to be used on Leijona watches. As people said already: Leijona is a cheap brand in Finland. Actually Hyundai x Bentley comparison is good. Strictly business?: Trying to sell 50€-100€ Leijona-watches with a price of 2.500€-5.000€?
Voutilainen has been part of the design team as I understood. I find it very strange that they try ro explain that some companies that KV partially owns, are making the watches. Who cares what is the company behind? Is there any meaning nowadays if these suppliers are located in Switzerland or not? Rolex uses different companies for some elements (was it lume?) and so does Omega. If KV himself is not making these watches, the price for these Leijona watches are crazy. I don’t want to be mean but is it greed we are talking here?

 

UPDATE: Voutilainen has not even been designing the watches—the design is based on old Leijona-models. For the LE watch KV choose the colour: his favourite, blue.
But seriously: What is the point of all this?

 

I'm scratching my head trying to work out why a watchmaker of KV's repute would do a collaboration on those terms. Sure there must be money in it but, looking from the outside, I can't see any upside for his own name and brand but plenty of downside being linked to a low-end watch brand that produced these watches of mediocre design. On the other hand, if he had had design control and produced stylish watches that raised Leijona's international profile and grew their production, it would be a positive story.

 

Odd - KV is super talented and one of the nicest guys I think I've ever met. I honestly can't fathom why he would do this, at least from a reputational standpoint (I understand he likely makes some money from this)...

 

I think Kari answers your question with his final statement in the video....
"Aika on minun omaisuttani ja sijoitan sita juuri niin kuin itsestani parhaalta tunutuu."
... roughly translated: "My time is my own and I will invest it however it feels best to me."
So there...

 

Next year 2020 new release:
Swatch x Voutilainen

 

My Finnish is a bit rusty, but man... I found Kari pretty difficult to understand. I'm glad there were subtitles...
Perhaps it's just me.

 

WOW!
Just a let down!
I think KV is hurting his name with this.

 

Well, let’s look at it this way. If no-one outside of Finland knows the Leijona brand, then he can’t really be hurt by it that much.

 

It is probably good to be aware of the following facts

1. Leijona was in 60s-70s a valid watch. It was assembled in Switzerland in the same region as these new rebranded Leijona watches. Quartz crisis hit later and during the past decades Leijona brand has been far away from expensive watch brand. One could argue Leijona is approx 110 years old brand out of which it has been cheap the past 40 years. This is an effort to give a rebirth to more prestiguous line

2. Why Voutilainen is involved? Kari Voutilainen’s first real watch was automatic Leijona diver and he has a special relationship to it. He got it when he was 13 years old ie when Leijona watches were assembled and manufactured in Switzerland

https://www.ablogtowatch.com/first-grail-watch-kari-voutilainen/

3. Voutilainen says ”cases and dials are coming from us and we are controlling and monitoring quality”. Movement is coming outside. Unfortunately this piece of information is available in Finnish only (starts at 5:50). Voutilainen says he is glad to be involved in the effort to give a rebirth to Leijona

https://areena.yle.fi/1-50303499