TO THE MOON AND BEYOND

Independent Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva shot for the stars and accidentally landed on the moon.

Wearing a watch by Stepan Sarpaneva is akin to parading a Jean-Michel Basquiat on your wrist. Each of his painstakingly crafted timepieces, from the Art Deco-esque open-worked creations to their slithering bracelets, look like fever dreams from his inquisitive mind.

Unlike top-tier pieces from mainstream brands, Sarpaneva's eponymous watches don't cost an arm and a leg. Nevertheless, they aren't easy to get hold of. The Finn makes only 50 to 100 watches a year, each of which he brings to life by hand, etch by etch, brushstroke by brushstroke.

His vaunted calling card: the moon. The celestial satellite is not just a highly sought-after indication and icon in watch collecting, but his obsession. Beyond adopting the moon phase as a signature, Sarpaneva hand-chisels the motif with a bold, cheeky expression that brings to mind French film director Georges Melies' silver-screen depictions.

It isn't just his one-of-a-kind artistry and limited production that command the industry's esteem; he has the right pedigree. "When Kari Voutilainen was my boss, and I was his right hand at Parmigiani, I learnt the basics of making a stunning watch. When I went to work for Vianney Halter, our heads were always outside the box. There are rules, but Vianney emphasises that you don't need to respect them," he says.

After nearly 10 years of cutting his teeth at several maisons, which include Piaget and Christophe Claret, Sarpaneva founded his namesake brand in 2003. This was followed a year later with the launch of S.U.F (Sarpaneva Uhren Fabrik) Helsinki, initially targeted at his domestic market, which produces more affordable pieces and has since transcended global borders.