Laine Watches Celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a New 33mm Model and Evolutions of its P37

In the field of independent watch brands, Laine Watches holds a special place, with its focus on finishing, movement decoration (not manufacturing), and highly respectable guillochage skills. Founded ten years ago by Finnish watchmaker Torsti Laine and based in the Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, the small atelier creates classical time-only watches (even though a chronograph once existed), distinguished by hand-cut guilloché dials and overall elegance. Now celebrating one decade of activity, the brand is about to release several special-edition models, including new variants of its hand-wound P37 watch, as well as a whole new line: the (very) compact P33 and its double-guilloché dial. 

Background

As noted, Laine Watches is an independent watchmaking atelier founded in 2016 by Finnish watchmaker Torsti Laine, who remains directly involved in technical development, guilloché, and finishing while directing the atelier. Before entering watchmaking, Torsti studied computer science and began watchmaking education at Kelloseppäkoulu, the Finnish School of Watchmaking, in 2011. In 2014, he won the A. Lange & Söhne Watchmaking Excellence Award. He subsequently trained in Kari Voutilainen’s workshop and in the decoration department at A. Lange & Söhne.

One of the defining features of most Laine Watches timepieces is the use of guilloché on the dials. The atelier works with classical patterns including grain de riz, panier, flamme, clou de Paris, diamond and twill. As for movements, Laine works on existing bases such as the hand-wound Unitas or Peseux, as well as micro-rotor movements from Vaucher. But the atelier goes way beyond just casing outsourced movements. The calibres are heavily decorated with engravings, polished steel parts, colour plating, frosted surfaces, guilloché bridges and hand-polished internal angles.

The new, compact Laine P33 hand-wound

The star of the show in the brand’s 10th-anniversary collection is a deliberately compact watch housed in a 33mm case. The smallest watch in the collection – surprising since Laine’s first watches were quite large – the polished steel case refers to the compact proportions associated with dress watches of the 1930s and 1940s. At 33mm in diameter, 8mm in thickness and 41mm in length, it will certainly have a restrained presence on the wrist. But a watch isn’t all about its dimensions or case.

As always with Laine Watches, the new P33 collection features traditional decorative techniques, starting with the dial. Cut by hand with two guilloché patterns on a manually operated engine-turning machine, it is presented here in a classic silver tone with polished, domed, heat-blued, syringe-inspired hands (cut from a 0.2mm steel plate), with a minimalist hours-and-minutes display. The pattern is combined with distinctive hour markers featuring a concave, domed profile, polished by hand to a mirror finish. Small size, big in character…

Inside the case is a well-known base, the Peseux 7001 hand-wound movement. It has been modified with an in-house rose gold-coloured bridge featuring a hand-turned guilloché pattern (not shown in the prototype below), as well as two black-polished steel bridges and a black-polished crown cap and barrel screw, totalling 17 individually hand-polished steel parts. Other specifications are, however, classic for the Peseux base: 3Hz frequency, 42-hour power reserve.

The price of the Laine Watches P33 is still listed as “upon request” but should be in the same bracket as other creations from the brand, between CHF 10,000 and CHF 12,000 before taxes.

Quick facts: 33mm x 8mm – 41mm lug-to-lug – 16mm lug width – polished steel case, sapphire crystals, 50m water-resistant – hand-turned double guilloché dial with polished concave steel hour markers – calibre P33 (Peseux base), fully decorated in-house, hand-wound, 3Hz, 42h power reserve – price on request

New versions of the Laine P37

In addition to the compact P33, Laine also introduces a series of five new dials for the slightly larger hand-wound P37. As its name suggests, this watch measures 37mm in diameter and 8mm in thickness and is housed in a polished steel case. Inside the case is the same base Peseux movement, also decorated with Laine’s own bridges and screws and 17 individual steel components finished by hand. The movement includes hand-finished internal angles, a frosted mainplate, a guilloché bridge and black-polished steel components.

What sets these new models apart, this time with a small seconds counter, are the dials. Five colours with their own guilloché pattern and their own hour markers. First is “Taivas,” with its sky-blue dial, twill-weave pattern and white gold Breguet-style numerals. Then there is “Tulli”, a salmon-coloured dial with a Spider pattern, heat-blued steel hands and straight baton hour markers. The next one is a grey-blue dial called “Meri” featuring a diamond guilloché pattern and white gold numerals, as well as “Lumi” with an inverted triple grain de riz guilloché pattern and blued Breguet-style numerals. Finally, “Kaamos” features a modified flame guilloché pattern and white gold numerals, set against a violet-blue background.

The Laine P37 is a numbered edition limited to 99 watches in total across all five colourways, each priced at CHF 9,900 excl. taxes.

Quick facts: 33mm x 8mm – 41mm lug-to-lug – 16mm lug width – polished steel case, sapphire crystals, 50m water-resistant – hand-turned double guilloché dial available in 5 different configurations – calibre P37 (Peseux base), fully decorated in-house, hand-wound, 3Hz, 42h power reserve – CHF 9,900 excl. taxes

For more details, please visit lainewatches.com.