Berlin-based watchmaker Felipe Pikullik proudly unveils his latest creation, the FPSK25. This is the fifth collection of skeletonized watches this talented young artisan and his team has produced since he set up his solo workshop in the German capital eight years ago at the tender age of just 23.

While exceptionally young to have branched out on his own, Pikullik benefited from exceptional tutelage, learning at the knee of GPHG-winner Stephan Kudoke and Dresden legend Rolf Lang, as well as incredible natural talent and a seemingly insatiable desire to learn.

Felipe Pikullik

On top of that blessed triumvirate of happenstances, Pikullik is reputedly in possession of an almost preternatural humility for one so gifted. Year after year, his watches have improved, with every annual release impressing with evermore refined finishes and more and more work performed in-house.

Perhaps indicative of the level of work that goes into a hand-skeletonized movement such as this, is the strict limitation of just ten pieces. This is an even smaller run than one of the brand’s most talked about pieces, the 2023 Mondphase 1.

Felipe Pikullik Moonphase One, 2023

That Moonphase model, with its frosted gray dial and black-polished chapter ring with beautifully integrated Eastern Arabic numerals set within it, may well have impressed the layman with its exquisitely restrained visuals, but it was the aficionados who realized exactly what they were witnessing — a leap forward in technique, production, and aesthetics that instantly earmarked the then-28-year-old as one to watch for the future.

On that model, Pikullik had not just finished components by hand but also made his own gear train from scratch. While fabricating the wheels that transfer the mainspring’s power to the escapement may not seem the sexiest element of a watch to focus on, it is one of the last things an independent watchmaker will normally deem worthwhile to tackle. Huge numbers of world-famous calibers utilize off-the-shelf gear trains simply because getting the engagement of such fine teeth exactly right is almost as specialized as other “holy grail” crafts such as jewel or hairspring manufacture.

Felipe Pikullik FPSK25

While fabricating the wheels that transfer the mainspring’s power to the escapement may not seem the sexiest element of a watch to focus on, it is one of the last things an independent watchmaker will normally deem worthwhile to tackle.

Attention here has been paid to the dial layout, with a seldom-seen three-part regulator display complicating the movement’s architecture. At twelve o’clock in a generously sized sub-dial, we find the hour hand. The minute hand is mounted on the central axis as one would expect and, below that, in its own dedicated sub-register, is the going seconds at 6 o’clock.

The arresting central bridge that spans the horizontal axis of the dial is not only an excellent place for the maker to mark the reference number, serial number, and his own name, but also part of a single upper component that visually connects the sub-dials of the hours and the seconds hands with the minute. The rose gold tone used for the chapter ring/sub-dials and the hands, bind them together as one elegantly without making the dial feel cluttered or overthought.

The open caseback displaying masterful finishes

Beneath this skeletonized component that enables us to tell the time easily, we get the chance to appreciate the excellent handwork of Pikullik and his team. The ample beveled edges of the plates stand in high contrast to the frosted surfaces thanks to their high gloss finish. While the black ruthenium plates are all a single color, the effect the underlying finishing style has on that color’s appearance is vast. The interplay of light across these surfaces and how they engage with the brushed rose gold tones of the indication is truly something to behold.

One of the most striking elements of the FPSK25 is the hand-engraved balance cock. It is rose gold-plated to match the gear train wheels, and features a traditional floral scrollwork design, as well as an engraving indicating this watch is one of ten pieces.

As one might expect from a student of the Glashütte school, the large ratchet wheel is snailed in the traditional Sachsen style, with each tooth beveled and polished manually.

Pleasingly for a movement with such a moody colorway, the screw heads are black polished, which elevates the whole piece and gives it a feeling of cohesion. With every component receiving the same level of attention, it is fair to say that Pikullik is making good on his endeavor to do as much by hand as possible. And all this from a man who turned 30 last year.

A watch that’s a reflection of Pikullik’s milestone

The FPSK25 continues the legacy Felipe Pikullik has built for himself already. He shows artistry and personality in all his work. My favorite easter egg he’s included in his pieces thus far is found on 2023’s Mondphase. As his father hails from Brazil, Pikullik took pains to ensure the moon appeared as it does above his home nation. It is this kind of heartfelt whimsy and consideration for every aspect of the human story he is attempting to communicate through his craft that impresses me most about this intriguing watchmaker and has me convinced we’ll be hearing his name for many years to come.

Felipe Pikullik FPSK25

In addition to the watch being beautiful, it is also very wearable. The stainless steel case (with its gorgeous notched lugs) is topped with an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and comes in at 41 mm wide and 10.5 mm thick. With a 50m water resistance, the watch is suitable for most daily activities, although should probably be kept dry where possible. The movement offers a 46-hour power reserve thanks to the balance wheel, which vibrates a languid 18,000 times per hour. Impressively, this movement keeps time between 0 and +5 seconds per day, thanks to the rigorous testing procedure Pikullik puts all watches through before they leave the workshop.

The watch is delivered on a calfskin strap with a stainless steel pin buckle, is limited to ten pieces worldwide, and has a recommended retail price of EUR 19,500 (excluding taxes), which equates to roughly USD 21,225 at the time of writing.

Tech Specs: Felipe Pikullik FPSK25

Movement: Manual-winding skeletonized regulator-style movement; 46-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; small seconds
Case: 41mm × 10.5mm; stainless steel; water-resistant to 50m
Dial: skeletonized dial
Strap: Calfskin strap with stainless steel pin buckle
Price: EUR 19,500 (excl. tax)