WATCHMAKER
ANTTI RÖNKKÖ
DRIVEN BY PASSION
“What is Sampo, Mum?” the boy asked curiously.
“Why are you asking this now?” his mother replied.
“I heard it’s something special. That it’s magic and anyone who has it possesses great power.
I want to know what it is so I can make one for myself!”
said the boy with a spark in his eye.
“Oh, I understand. Well, you see, every Finn knows Sampo.
Every Finn respects Sampo. Every Finn has heard of the legendary,
magical power of Sampo, but no one really knows what Sampo is,”
she explained and tucked him into bed. Unsatisfied but intrigued by her answer,
the young boy decided to discover the truth of the mythical artifact.
He studied Finnish mythology – Manala, ancient runes, and finally “Kalevala”,
the 19th-century Finnish national epic written by the famous poet, Elias Lönnrot.
This is where he first read the tale of Sampo. The stories of the legend that is Sampo left him with a
lasting and profound impression. That’s when he decided he had to recreate the
beauty and aura of this lost artifact in the exceptional design of his handmade watches.
That boy’s name was Antti Rönkkö.
CONCEPT FOR HANDMADE WATCHES
Antti wanted total freedom in designing his timepiece mechanisms based on the old traditions for creating handmade watches. When Rönkkö creates his handmade watches, the ultimate goal is to measure time without loss. From the watchmaker’s own unique perspective, in order to make the most of time, one’s focus on the moment has to be absolute. Utilising the art of silence magnifies each and every movement.
Perfection is then woven into the details of each handmade watch.
FINNISH DESIGN
Each Rönkkö timepiece is a culmination of long, horological traditions combined with passion, endurance, and inspired Finnish design. The never-tiring timekeeping of Rönkkö is based on solid technical foundations which incorporate centuries of invaluable knowledge and the highly-prized tradition of creating handmade watches.