Some of the best contemporary watches are products of partnerships.
Whether between a watchmaker and a retailer, or two companies, or a boutique brand and a celebrity, these partnerships form the basis of some of the hottest timepieces on the market. One of the more notable partnerships of the last few years is that of movement maker Schwarz Etienne and star Finnish watchmaker Kari Voutilainen.
The Roma Synergy marries an incredible micro-rotor movement to a beautifully hand-finished dial in a dress watch that pairs the vintage-inspired and the contemporary. Handsome and sophisticated, it’s available in several finishes, but perhaps none captures the imagination quite like an extremely limited edition of just 10 pieces for Goldsmith & Complications in Delray Beach, Fl.
Housed in a 39mm stainless steel case with a signed crown, a sapphire crystal, and a polished bezel, it features a stunning, textured pink/purple guilloché dial with applied, quadrant ‘Arabic’ indices, a subsidiary seconds register at 6 o’clock, and a matching blued-steel ‘lance’ handset.
Paired to a signed, white padded leather strap with contrast blue stitching and a signed, stainless steel deployant clasp, this piece is powered by the beautifully decorated Schwarz Etienne Calibre ASE200.00 automatic movement with micro-rotor — thankfully visible via a sapphire exhibition caseback, engraved “LIMITED EDITION 1 OF 10."
Very few watchmakers are operating today with the touch and vision of Kari Voutilainen. And while this supremely talented technician and designer has made myriad special timepieces, this is one watch that stands out from the crowd. Try it on for size and see what we mean!