Sarpaneva Watches - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: SIX Hong Kong Monday, May 28, 2018 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Sarpaneva Watches
    Year: Circa 2017
    Reference No: MY-KH
    Case No: No. 1 of 50
    Model Name: Mörkö-Myrsky
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, Soprod 10, 25 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel
    Dimensions: 42mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, and movement signed.
    Accessories: With S.U.F. Helskini tote bag, leather pouch, product literature and Moomin Museum postcard.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Embodying the spirit of sisu, a uniquely Finnish cultural conception and collective identity typified by a distinct “strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity,” S.U.F. Helsinki was founded by Stepan Sarpaneva as a more rugged complement to his namesake brand. The present watch, featuring a sunburst blue dial, date window between four and five o’clock, and signature elongated Arabic numerals, is a limited edition Mysrky model with an illustrated sapphire caseback depicting the Moomin character ‘The Groke’.

    The Mysrky series takes its inspiration from pilot’s watches, and indeed, it is named for the aircraft engineered for the Finnish Air Force in the aftermath of the Russo-Finnish Winter War and leading up to Finland’s participation in World War II. The Myrsky aircraft was highly aerodynamic and quite agile, though its slipshod construction due to the constraints of finding suitable materials during wartime made the aircraft structurally unstable. It was built of a metal frame, with wings bade of plywood and held together by glue, the latter which was unable to withstand the realities of brutal Finnish winters. Nonetheless, it has become a symbol of Finnish grit and perseverance.

    In 1945, as the countries of Europe emerged from the fog of war, an illustrated book was published that would become one of Finland’s most recognizable cultural exports – the Moomins. Conceived by famed Finnish illustrator Tove Jansson, they first appeared in anti-Nazi political cartoons before becoming a much-beloved comic strip and fairy tale book characters. Each Moomin has a unique characterization and the stories usually center on Moomintroll, a hippopotamus-like little boy who, along with his friends and family, goes on various adventures in Moominvalley, their home. This particular watch has a caseback illustration of ‘The Groke’, the main antagonist of the Moomin series. She is a mound-like creature who spreads cold and ice. Though she constantly searches for light and warmth, her nature is to extinguish it as soon as any is found.

    The current lot, number one out of a limited series of fifty, is being sold to profit the new Children’s Hospital in Helsinki, scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. This piece is the last available of the fifty watches created by S.U.F. in partnership with Watch Enthusiasts Finland, as the other watches sold out in one minute and thirty-six seconds.

962

Lot offered with No Reserve

Ref. MY-KH
A fine, limited edition stainless steel wristwatch with date and center seconds, number one of fifty

Circa 2017
42mm Diameter
Case, dial, and movement signed.

Estimate
HK$24,000 - 40,000 
€2,600-4,400
$3,100-5,100

Sold for HK$88,750

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2001
thomasperazzi@phillips.com

Ziyong Ho
Specialist
+852 9386 2032
ziyongho@phillips.com

Jill Chen
Specialist
+852 2318 2033
jillchen@phillips.com

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: SIX

Hong Kong Auction 29 May 2018