Sarpaneva explodes onto the scene with a new Supernova, featuring stone dials and an out-of-this-world moonphase
Tom Austin- The eclectic Finland-based watchmaker has unveiled his latest take on one of his most important watches, the out-of-this-world Supernova.
- Available with a range of stone dials or with an open moonphase complication, each watch is meticulously crafted by hand in Stepan Sarpaneva’s workshops on the shores of Helsinki.
- Manufactured from high-grade Outokumpu stainless steel, the Supernova’s unique case design is inspired by an exploding star, capturing a daring and quirky look that defies conventions.
Tucked away on the shoreline of Helsinki, Finland, there resides a small workshop dedicated to blurring the lines between industrial art and watchmaking. It’s fair to say that artisanal watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva is not your usual watchmaker – he initially started his watchmaking journey from his home, but has since been crafting one-of-a-kind watches from his workshop since 2003, and since then has gone on to develop a unique taste for exploratory and challenging designs with his brand, Sarpaneva.
The brand only manufactures a handful of watches a year, and the Supernova has been around for a while now, but for 2025, Sarpaneva has refreshed the watch for a bigger release, something to be seen as pivotal for the brand. Utilising the symbolism of the universe and, as the Supernova name suggests, exploding stars, the new watch offers a collection of new dials and a gorgeous moonphase complication to drool over.
As with most Sarpaneva watches, the case is far from conventional. In fact, the only traditional thing about it is that it’s essentially circular, but its gear-like silhouette is something that’s appeared throughout the brand’s history and has played a part throughout Stepan’s career, such as making pocket watches from the gears of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the late 90s. There are two variations of the Supernova for this release, which both share the same 40mm diameter case with angular and convex facets, creating the almost UFO-like shape. At 11.2mm thick and with a lug-to-lug of 42mm, it’s a relatively wearable size, which is great to see, because a watch with this much visual impact would have looked almost comical had it been much larger.
Materials are important to Stepan, and for the Supernova, a particular steel was chosen for the job, specifically high-grade Outokumpu stainless steel, which is produced at home in Helsinki. It can be a challenging steel to work with, but the resulting finish and feel of the material is what drew Stepan to choose it for the watch. Thanks to a screw down crown, sapphire crystal up front and an exhibition case back, the case is water resistant up to 50 meters.
Each Supernova will have a different character and style, with a collection of stone dials to choose from, such as malachite, lapis lazuli or meteorite, but the real star of the show is the relief moonphase dial, with Sarpaneva’s signature oversized, grumpy moon either in red, white or yellow gold. The relief motif starts life as an oversized copper model, which is then painstakingly copy-milled into the tiny precious metal face of each moonphase dial. All too often, smaller brands will insist on shipping work like this out to providers in Switzerland. Still, Stepan, forever hunting perfection, ensures the skilled handiwork is carried out at the workshop in Finland, even crafting the polished, unique hands in-house.
The broad range of dial materials and finishes depicts the custom nature of Sarpaneva watches well. Each watch they create is almost unique in its own way, and it’s a display of Stepan’s artistry and efforts towards exploring new and bold ideas. Further customisation comes in the form of the straps, available in an endless variety of colours and finishes. The leather straps are finished with a Sarpaneva-customised steel pin buckle.
A regular feature of Sarpaneva watches is the movement: a Swiss Soprod A10 calibre, a Seiko A10-based movement that is a solid alternative to the Sellita SW-200 and ETA 2824. It’s a time-only, automatic movement which beats at 28,800 vph and has a power reserve of 42 hours, and has been subtly modified by Stepan to add a new custom “turbine” winding rotor, which is visible through the sapphire exhibition caseback. The movement has also received further finishing, in the form of rhodium plating and perlage, adding a more refined touch to what is essentially a workhorse movement. The good thing is that reliability should not be questioned for the Supernova, with the Soprod calibre appearing in several respected microbrand watches.
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Sarpaneva Supernova price & availability
The Sarpaneva Supernova is available now. Stepan shared on social media that his orderbook is now open for 2025, and that they’ll only make approximately 12-15 watches this year and 20-25 next year. Price: starting at €16,000 (time only), starting at €24,000 (moonphase)
| Brand | Sarpaneva |
| Model | Supernova |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (T) x 11.2mm (T) |
| Case Material | Outokumpu stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 50 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Selection of stone dials or open moonphase |
| Strap | Selection of leather straps with steel pin buckle |
| Movement | Modified Soprod A10, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | Time-only: from €16,000 Moonphase: from €24,000 |