Felipe Pikullik, one of the rising stars of independent watchmaking, began his career in Glashütte, where he worked with renowned watchmakers such as Kudoke and Rolf Lang. In 2017, at the age of 23, he founded his own brand in Berlin. Since then, Felipe Pikullik has been widely regarded as a master of decoration, elevating venerable Unitas movements to stunning levels. With the Moon Phase II, Felipe Pikullik is now introducing not only a new watch, but one that opens a new chapter for the young atelier, as it features his first self-designed and (largely) self-made caliber FPMP2.
To date, for all his praise, Felipe Pikullik has been best known for his three-dimensional, skeletal approach to watchmaking, taking outsourced, venerable movements (mostly Unitas ebauches) to a spectacular level of finishing, with an emphasis on hand-crafted angles with countless internal angles. Decoration has always been a big deal for Pikullik, but what you'll discover today is a new level, signifying both creative independence and mechanical strength for the independent Berlin studio. The completely new movement of the Moon Phase II, the brand's latest creation, underlines the identity desired by Felipe Pikullik.
Skeletonizing and decorating an outsourced movement is one thing. Another option is to create a movement from scratch to the desired specifications. Certainly the earlier watches made by Pikullik were more than just applying decorative techniques to a Unitas, as they involved the addition of in-house components, including modified bridges, baseplates and balance cocks, as well as additional complications such as a 3D moon phase in the case of the Moon Phase 1. But as he explains: “You can only do so much when you're working with something prefabricated. You can change the position of the gear train, the overall arrangement of the movement, or the number of Don’t change teeth.” the gears.” By creating his own movement, Pikullik was able to express his creativity and transfer his work primarily to the dial side.
For the Moon Phase 1, most of Pikullik's work was visible on the back and the dial side was less expressive. Not a bad thing if you want to stay discreet. But in a way, if you know the attention to detail that goes into the movement, you might want to see it up close. And that was the main reason for the conception of the FPMP2 caliber: a movement in the development of which every part combines technical functionality and aesthetics, a strong three-dimensional feeling and a canvas for excellent decoration. The movement, which is around 90% produced in-house, is a stage for expression.
Above: the platinum edition – below: the steel and bronze versions
The Felipe Pikullik Moon Phase II opens the Universe series, dedicated to the most complex creations. The case, available in steel, bronze or platinum, is slightly larger at 41 mm and has a relatively thin profile of 10.5 mm. The lugs are complex, with facets, alternating brushed surfaces and polished bevels. Sapphire crystals on the front and back provide transparency and the watch is water resistant to 50 m, making it suitable for everyday use.
But the case is not the most important thing in this Moon Phase II. When talking about the dial here, you also have to talk about the movement, as both were designed as a whole. The clock's background made of dark blue aventurine glass underlines its cosmic inspiration. This thin layer is applied directly to the base plate and its contours follow the contours of the technical elements. The rest is a 3D canvas of technical and decorative elements. Every wheel and every bridge rises above this starry sky. The time is displayed on the right side with an openwork chapter ring for hours and minutes, available in gold (steel and bronze) or dark blue (platinum) and revealing premium finishes with multiple hand-applied angles and bevels. The gears and bridges on the left side were also made with just as much attention to detail. These polished surfaces contrast with the matte flat surfaces.
The lower part of the dial is dedicated to the regulating organ, which is positioned over a highly polished background. The balance wheel is held by a Bercé cross bridge, demonstrating another impressive decorative technique. Next to it is Felipe Pikullik's signature three-dimensional moon phase display, driven by conical gears. At 12 o'clock there is a subtle 24-hour display, which is engraved directly on the drive wheel. Interestingly, the setting and winding mechanism is a module, a self-contained unit that can be assembled independently of the movement, which not only simplifies service work, but also allows younger watchmakers in the workshop to directly participate in the assembly of the watch.
The back of the Felipe Pikullik Mondphase II and its FPMP2 caliber is, as expected, simpler and features a large main plate that covers all the technical elements. Nevertheless, it is completely hand-engraved and contains the individual number of the watch. The movement runs at a frequency of 3 Hz and has a power reserve of approximately 40 hours when fully wound.
The Felipe Pikullik Moon Phase II is released in a limited edition of 20 pieces per material and at a price of 45,000 euros made of steel, 58,000 euros in bronze and 65,000 euros in platinum. Further details and orders can be found at www.felipe-pikullik.de.
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