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About: About
Watchmaker Reima Koivukoski

Miten se alkoi

Aloitin ensimmäisen Koivukoski kellon valmistamisen jo Kelloseppäkoulun aikana.

 

Ja sittemmin se on tullut kokopäiväiseksi työkseni.

Reima Koivukoski is a watchmaker based in Southern Finland in his hometown of Espoo.  After attending the Finnish school watchmaking, he spent time in Austria working for Habring2 in micro machining. He then moved to Germany a few years to work in after sales repair and restoration - and leading teams. Lastly, he returned back to Espoo to start Koivukoski Watches and KronowerK where his focus is on watch design, manufacturing and prototyping. 

Latest Portrait article of Reima Koivukoski, Please see;

 

 www.monochrome-watches.com

Blog

Below You can find my blog where I am updating some interesting new projects and progress of them.

Tällä kielellä tehtyjä julkaisuja ei vielä ole
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
Escapement Model made by watchmaker Reima Koivukoski

Jo patinaa saanut käyntimalli

This escapement model will be shown in Finnish Watch museum (Suomen kello- ja korumuseo KRUUNU) in Espoo Finland  in an exhibition starting 16th October 2024.

See: https://www.kellojakorumuseo.fi/nayttelyt/ajan-ammattilaiset-80-vuotta-perinteista-kadentaidon-opetusta-ja-tulevaisuuden-teknologiaa 

Tekijän viesti

It all starts from design idea - idea of the design that fulfills and exceeds demanding needs in our environment today. A unique combination of the latest technology available, easy to wear, easy to service and last but not least a piece of beauty that serves your eyes for decades.

Key core services and techniques developed over the years with a passion and love to mechanical wristwatches have been the drivers to create and release an elegant wristwatch dna baseline to follow.

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As an example - inspiration in Wanderer family comes from a combination of technology and new way of life and at a same time design idea has a strong link back to decades. A real classic that combines old days glory in globetrotting & travelling and today's demands on internet era - meeting the past and future.

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Details matters: A good example is blued hands - a watchmakers tradition found in the Swiss mountains.  To find a way to prevent watch hands (which at that time were not water resistant) from corroding under the tough climate conditions, where the watchmakers invented the process of bluing. This expertise is utilized in our atelier in a unique way. Several detailed phases and techniques are required to achieve a final product.

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Sustainability: Our products - mechanical wristwatches - are sustainable. This is easy to understand to anyone who imagines the mountains of batteries included in quartz watches that have to be disposed of every year. Mechanical wristwatches, on the other hand, are products for generations, if regularly serviced.

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Our watches are reliable, durable and easy to wear - targeted for everyday life and making owners happy - a small luxury to wear day after day.

We provide two(2) years international warranty for all our manufactured products.

Materiaalit

Stainless steel

We are using very high grade SAE 904L acid and corrosion resistance stainless steel in our watch cases. 904L gives better sheen in polishing and corrosion resistance compared 316L. In our hands we are able to give a superior finished surface and beautiful glare for the cases to wear in your wrist. The entire process is mastered in-house to fabricate high quality stainless steel watch components. 

In my experience 904L grade steel stands out as superior material when it comes to achieving a flawless polish. Its consistent, resulting in a smooth, bright and reflective surface. 

 

Stainless steel discs to be fabricated to cases and bezels.

Stainless steel discs from where case is fabricated.

Tantalum metal sheets from where bezels and case is hand fabricated.

Tantalum

Why Tantalum? Because, in the end, the effort is more than worth it. Tantalum possesses a unique blue hue beneath its lustrous gray/silver overtones. Think “Winter is coming”, as The Ice King himself would wear a watch made of tantalum. This deep, icy-gray hue is entirely unique among metals in watchmaking; nothing comes close, not even titanium. What’s more, tantalum has incredible corrosion resistance and hypoallergenic properties, making it suitable for those with skin sensitivities.

See: https://www.fratellowatches.com/how-watches-work-what-is-tantalum/#gref

 

45 mm x 45 mm x 4 mm solid tantalum metal sheets to be turned to back bezel, central case and front bezel. Each sheet weights 138g approx. before hand fabrication process.
 

Ruostumatonta terästä? Käytämme kellojemme kuorissa erittäin korkealaatuista Outokumpu 316L hapon- ja korroosionkestävää ruostumatonta terästä. Lopputuloksena pystymme antamaan ylivertaisen viimeistellyn pinnan ja kauniin kiillon kuorille, jota on ilo kantaa. 
 
Miksi Tantalum? Ainutlaatuinen lopputulos. Tantalumilla on ainutlaatuinen sininen sävy sen kiiltävien harmaiden/hopeisten sävyjen seassa. Ajattele ”Talvi on tulossa”, ikään kuin Jääkuningas itse käyttäisi Tantalumista valmistettua kelloa. Tämä syvä, jääharmaa sävy on täysin ainutlaatuinen metalli kellovalmistuksessa; mikään ei tule lähellekään, ei edes titaani. Lisäksi Tantalumilla on uskomaton korroosionkestävyys ja hypoallergeeniset ominaisuudet, mikä tekee siitä sopivan niille, joilla on ihoherkkyyksiä.


Lisää: https://www.fratellowatches.com/how-watches-work-what-is-tantalum/#gref


Titaani? Titaani löydettiin ensimmäisen kerran vuonna 1791 papin ja harrastelijakemistin nimeltä William Gregor toimesta Cornwallissa, Englannissa. Hän nimesi sen Manaccaniteksi. Neljä vuotta myöhemmin sen löysi itsenäisesti tunnettu saksalainen kemisti nimeltä Martin Heinrich Klaproth – joka nimesi metallin asianmukaisemmin titaaniksi, joka tunnetaan myös 'jumalten metallina'. Sen nimi juontuu kreikkalaisen mytologian titaaneista. Titaanilla on joitakin ainutlaatuisia ominaisuuksia, jotka tekevät siitä täydellisen materiaalin kellonkuoriin. Titaani on yllättävän kevyt, hypoallergeeninen, eikä se ruostu. Titaani on noin kolme, neljä kertaa vahvempi kuin ruostumaton teräs. Vaikka se on vahvempi kuin ruostumaton teräs, se on 45% kevyempi kuin teräs. Titaani ei ruostu. Sen luonnollinen titaanidioksidipinnoite estää hapettumisen ilmakehässä. Korroosiota ei myöskään tapahdu, kun titaani altistuu happamille tai emäksisille olosuhteille. Ominaisuuksiensa ansiosta titaanikellot pysyvät kauniina missä tahansa ilmastossa eivätkä ne vahingoitu hiestä. Jalostamattomat metallit, kuten titaani, ovat vähiten todennäköisiä aiheuttamaan allergisia reaktioita ja niitä käytetään siksi usein lääketieteellisissä implanteissa.

Kultakello? Mielestäni ei ole oikotietä korkealuokkaisen kultakellon valmistamiseen. Ateljeessamme käytämme Daniel´s menetelmää luodaksemme elegantteja kultaisia rannekelloja.

Titanium sheet to start fabricate titanium case for Koivukoski wrist watch.

Titanium sheet from where case, bezel or back bezel is fabricated.

Platinum

A Platinum watch? Rare and expensive, the most noble of the noble metals, platinum is reserved for the pinnacle of watchmaking. To be called platinum, the entire piece must be at least 95 percent platinum. The metal is widely celebrated for its luxurious luster, incredible corrosion resistance, and distinct heft on the wrist. At the same time, it takes a master metalsmith to finesse platinum into the perfectly polished and refined masterpieceI. Platinum is 11 per cent denser than gold. This density makes machining and polishing platinum more difficult, often requiring specially made tools.

Platinum granules from where the process starts to hand fabricate elegant Koivukoski wrist watch.

Platinum granules from where process starts to fabricate precious wrist watch.

Gold

A Golden watch? In my opinion, there is no shortcut to make a high-class gold watch. In our atelier we use Daniels method to create elegant golden wrist watches.

24K pure gold is slightly reddish yellow and very soft. It is usually alloyed with other base metals for a diverse variety of uses. Considered to be the premium standard in watch and jewellery making, 18K gold (with at least 75% pure gold) provides the ultimate balance between purity and usefulness. Traditional 18K white gold is alloyed with palladium-copper and offers an excellent resistance to corrosion, while being highly bio-chemically inert. It provides a beautiful hue that suits wearers even with sensitive skin.

Gold granules from where process is started to fabricate a golden Koivukoski wrist watch.

Gold granules from where golden Koivukoski wrist watch is started to create.

Montana sapphire
 

Sapphire is a hard and durable gemstone, and there are multiple colors available. The hardness of a sapphire is 9 on the Mohs scale and therefore sapphires are well suited to be used in jewelry.
 

Rock Creek sapphires are found in Montana, USA. Sapphires are separated by modern equipment in accordance with high nature conservation standards. The mine uses state-of-the-art equipment and, for example, its own water treatment plant, which recycles the same water several times. The stones are available without treatment, as well as with heat treatment. The heat treatment is also done in Montana, and no additional substances are used in the treatment, just heat. The heat treatment strengthens the colors, as well as melts any rutile inclusions, making the stones cleaner.

Montana sapphire - bright blue hue. Used in Koivukoski watches dials hour markers.

Beautiful blue hue. What makes Montana sapphires even more valuable to many people is the way they are ethically sourced and mined, with consideration for the environment and an easy to trace “mine to market”. Just as with other sapphires, a Montana sapphire’s value (and price) will depend on its color, clarity, cut, and carat weight.

Koivukoski Watches logo with a slogan: Praecisio in Creativitate.
KronowerK & Koivukoski certificate of authencity. Classic timepieces and wristwatches. Reima Koivukoski is a watchmaker based in Southern Finland in his hometown of Espoo.  After attending the Finnish school watchmaking, he spent time in Austria working for Habring2 in micro machining. He then moved to Germany a few years to work in after sales repair and restoration. Lastly, he returned back to Espoo to start KronowerK where his focus is on watch manufacturing, restoration, servicing, prototyping, and small batch precision manufacturing.
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