THE BELOVED SUMMER HOUSE OF THE AALTOS – VILLA FLORA
When they were not working, Aino and Alvar Aalto valued spending time with their family. In 1926, Aino designed the Aalto family a lakeside summer house in the shade of birch trees.
The whole family spent their summers together there in the nature, relaxing, swimming and rowing. The beloved summer house was named Villa Flora.
On the side, you can scroll through pictures of their life at Villa Flora from the Aalto family’s photo album.
FROM A BIRCH INTO A WATCH
Now, almost a century later, the birch trees around Villa Flora have grown high, and over the years a couple of them have grown too close to the villa. These trees had to be cut down, but their cherished story will not end there.
Together with an iconic design, the birch from the summer landscape of the Aaltos adorn the unique batch of 1000 numbered Villa Flora Limited Edition Watches.
Case size | 40mm |
Band width | 20mm |
Interchangeable band | Yes |
Movement | Miyota 9015 Automatic movement with 24 jewels, 42 hour power reserve |
Wood material | Birch from the yard of Villa Flora |
Metal parts and case | Gold 316L Stainless steel |
Dial | Birch dial with gold frame |
Glass | Sapphire glass |
Water resistance | 5 ATM |
ICONIC CIRCULAR HOLES ON THE FRAME
STEPS ON THE WATCH CASE
BAND INSPIRED BY THE WOODEN GRATING OF THE AALTOS
Nothing that is old can be reborn. But nor will it disappear entirely. And that which once was, always returns in some new form.
-Alvar Aalto 1921
Alvar AND Aino Aalto - THE MASTERS OF FORM
Functionality, an everyday aesthetic and timelessness form the base for the design philosophy of Alvar and Aino Aalto. They are a strong and steady part of the Scandinavian design heritage. For decades, the Aaltos have been leaving their mark on Finnish homes and hearts with their beautiful design classics.
Together with the award-winning designer Harri Koskinen, we had the opportunity to study rarely-seen sketchbooks of Alvar and Aino Aalto.
Close collaboration with the Aalto heirs resulted in an elegant and modern Aarni X Alvar & Aino Aalto watch collection that radiates the philosophy and design language of the Aaltos, taking its place in the grand Scandinavian design tradition.
Award-winning designer Harri Koskinen
The watch collection is designed by the award-winning contemporary Finnish designer Harri Koskinen. Koskinen’s watch design was created with Finnish birch and a combination of details that revive the design heritage of the Aaltos.
It was important to create an independent design for the watches. Small details support the unique overall experience.
With the favourite wood of the Aaltos: Birch
Alvar and Aino were pioneers of working with, bending and utilising birch. And later icons.
The color of birch wood is light and even, and its grain patterns are often rather subtle. The pattern of the wood can vary depending on the habitat of the tree and the woodgrains can vary in direction, creating wavy patterns.
The ground-breaking L-leg created by the Aaltos laid the foundation for a new way of using wood in design and objects.
Birch bends again. This time into a watch.
"I knew it was a crazy idea. But also one of the most fascinating ones."
We summarised the story of Aarni X Alvar & Aino Aalto watch collection into a short documentary. Watch the video below.