WatchPro Trendsetting Watch of the Year 2015
These watches lead where others follow and may be ahead of their time. The winning designs in this category stand out from the crowd having sought to do something different from the established norms.
WINNER: Sarpaneva Korona K0 Northern Lights
Nothing charmed us at Baselworld this year quite like Finnish independent watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva’s collaboration with Black Badger Studio’s James Thompson. The Korona K0 was born out of a brainstorming session at Sarpaneva’s Helsinki studio, when the watchmaker laid one of his signature lattice dials on top of a broken piece of Thompson’s proprietary solid luminous material.
The effect was immediately significant and a photograph sent to a customer on the other side of the world resulted in the first confirmed sale of a Korona K0, just minutes later. This watch represents the very best kind of collaboration, resulting in a finished piece that displays the signature approach of both parties without diluting either’s enthusiasm.
The Korona K0 features Sarpaneva’s instantly recognisable scalloped steel case, modified Soprod movement with in-house moonphase complication and that distinctive Sarpaneva moon face while Thompson’s work with luminous material completely lights up the dial in three different vivid shades with a long lasting glow. The Korona K0 perfectly illustrates the kind of wit and free-thinking still evident in independent watchmaking.
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