Simo Ylitalo
Rajamäen Kellotehdas

Rajamäen Kellotehdas was founded in 2007 with the purpose of offering watchmaking skills acquired without compromise from both Finland and Switzerland.

Early beginnings focussed mainly on the restoration of complicated watches and the development of prototypes. Since the launch of our first watch in 2011, the focus has shifted onto primarily creating our own collection.

The goal is to apply our own vision into these pieces, particularly the three-dimensional dials which elevate your thoughts above and beyond a plain timepiece.

Founding watchmaker Simo Ylitalo (1967) graduated from The Finnish School of Watchmaking in 1991. After initially working for a retailer in Helsinki, his education continued with the WOSTEP Refresher Course in Neuchatel, Switzerland.

Simo's passion for watchmaking led him to work with ultra-thin mechanical movements in the PIAGET workshop from 1992-95, and also to furthering his education on the WOSTEP Restoration and Complicated Watches Course. This highly intensive course focussed on the restoration of chronographs, chronometers, tourbillons, repeaters, and perpetual calenders. Following this course his passion drove Simo to work with complicated watches at RENAUD ET PAPI from 1995-98.

Feeling a call to share his knowledge, the traveller returned to his homeland and began teaching at the same Watchmaking School he graduated from in Tapiola, Espoo. His teaching work has continued to date, with one exception: a leave of absence from 2006-7 to work in Kari Voutilainen's workshop in Switzerland. Back in Finland, and alongside his teaching, Simo became a watchmaker with his own workshop.