A starry sky above Berlin
Felipe Pikullik’s story doesn’t begin in a centuries‑old Swiss valley or a famous Le Brassus manufacture; it begins in Berlin in 1994, in a city better known for art, music and concrete than for watchmaking. As a child he was fascinated by mechanical objects and the idea of measuring time, watching documentaries and peering into shop windows to see the glowing dials he couldn’t yet afford to touch.
By the age of thirteen he was already opening up watches at home, taking apart movements and learning—through trial, error and stubborn curiosity—how and why they ticked. That curiosity soon focused on a single ambition: to become a watchmaker, not just a repairer, and to build watches where the mechanical language matched his inner obsession with physics and astronomy.
It’s that combination—Berlin, astronomy, and a stubborn insistence on doing things by hand—that now defines the brand collectors discover when they search for “Felipe Pikullik watches” or “independent watchmaker Berlin.”
Glashütte, Kudoke, Lang: learning the craft the hard way
To turn teenage curiosity into a profession, Felipe went to the place most serious German watchmakers eventually pass through: Glashütte, in Saxony, home to one of the famous watchmaking schools. He enrolled there around 18, learning traditional skills and spending extra hours at the bench refining his hand‑eye coordination on tiny screws, wheels and bridges.
During his training he secured a key apprenticeship with Stefan Kudoke, one of Germany’s leading independents known for artful skeletonisation and high‑level finishing. Under Kudoke’s guidance, Felipe learned to turn standard movements into something visually coherent: skeletonising plates and bridges, filing, grinding and polishing surfaces until the movement looked like a deliberate composition rather than a hacked‑up mechanism.
About a year later he moved to Dresden to work with Rolf Lang, a watchmaker deeply involved in prototyping and part‑making. In Lang’s workshop Felipe shifted from decoration to construction: learning how to build components, experiment with hammer automatic mechanisms, and approach movement design as an engineering problem rather than just a cosmetic one.
All the while he was collecting specialist books and quietly saving money, telling himself that one day he would go back to Berlin and open his own workshop—somewhere that felt culturally closer to him, where he could blend the city’s creative energy with a more personal vision of watchmaking.
A living‑room brand: the Prius Collection
That moment arrived in 2017. At just 23 years old, Felipe opened a small workshop in Berlin and launched his first series of watches: the Prius Collection, a set of five skeletonised models built on modified ébauche calibers like Unitas 6497/6498.
Phillips describes how these early watches were literally crafted in his living room, using modified standard movements as a base while he honed his talent and tools. He cut out bridges, skeletonised plates, refined the gear train layout, and regulated the movements to a high standard, all with an eye toward a long‑term goal: one day to create his own movements from scratch.
The Prius Collection was not yet “the fully hand‑made watch” Felipe dreams of, but it was a crucial milestone. It proved that:
- He could design and execute coherent skeleton layouts, not just decorative cut‑outs.\
- He could finish movement components to a level that impressed both collectors and seasoned observers.
For a 23‑year‑old working out of a living room, releasing a five‑piece skeleton collection was an audacious opening statement—and the beginning of what would become a very different kind of Berlin watchmaking story.
Sternenhimmel: a first taste of the cosmos
From there, Felipe’s work turned decisively toward astronomy. The collection that signaled this shift was Sternenhimmel—literally “starry sky” in German. Early Sternenhimmel models took robust, workhorse movements based on ETA/Unitas 6497 and 6498 and wrapped them in a design language built around the night sky: aventurine glass dials that shimmer like a field of stars and architecture that opens portions of the movement to view.
Quill & Pad describes how he founded his workshop in 2017 and began producing highly decorative watches based on these calibers, using them as a canvas for increasingly refined hand‑finishing. Aventurine—glass flecked with metallic particles—gave the dials their cosmic appearance, and inscriptions like “In Berlin gefertigt” (“Manufactured in Berlin”) tied the astronomical theme back to the city itself.
The Sternenhimmel watches were not just visually striking; they framed an emerging philosophical stance. Felipe was consciously moving away from generic “luxury” aesthetics and toward a personal combination of astronomical complication, Berlin identity and hand‑crafted movement architecture—a mix that would intensify in the next chapter of his work.
Mondphase I: a handmade moon over Berlin
The watch that crystallised this philosophy was Mondphase I (Moonphase 1). Introduced around 2023, it is built on a Unitas base, but the similarities to a stock movement end there.
According to Hodinkee, Mondphase 1 is where “all the elements that make Pikullik an exceptional watchmaker come together in a refined and unique whole.” The gear train is not simply re‑finished; Felipe actually built the entire gear train from scratch—wheels, pinions and their interactions—through a development process that took roughly two years of repeated re‑making and experimentation.
Visually, Mondphase 1 opts to show only part of the gear train on the dial side while keeping the balance hidden, a choice that differentiates it from many semi‑openworked watches that prioritize spectacle over coherence. The chapter ring is black‑polished steel, the exposed sections of the dial frosted and beveled, and the three‑dimensional moonphase display shaped by hand and given a frosted treatment to match.
Collectors noticed. Mondphase 1 quickly earned Felipe a reputation as someone pushing beyond decorative finishing into genuine movement‑making, and the quality and ambition were high enough to earn nomination at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), the watch industry’s most prestigious prize.
Mondphase 1 Meteorite: the last chapter of a first saga
By 2024, Felipe closed the Mondphase 1 chapter with a dramatic final edition: the Mondphase 1 Meteorite, limited to 20 pieces. Quill & Pad details how this watch combines mechanical refinement with a dial from outer space—literally a slice of meteorite displaying Widmanstätten patterns, the crystalline structures that appear when nickel‑iron meteorites are cut and etched.
Key features include:
- A 41 mm brushed stainless steel case, 10.5 mm thick, with 50 m water resistance.
- A Laramidia meteorite dial, each with a unique pattern, combined with an open view of the reworked movement.
- Heat‑treated hands and chapter ring, in‑house manufactured and treated in his workshop to achieve blue‑purple hues on their steel surfaces.
- In‑house gold‑plated gears, a gold‑plated balance cock, black‑polished screw heads, a frosted mainplate, bevelled bridges, and snailed ratchet wheel teeth.
- A three‑dimensional moonphase made on a vintage Schaublin lathe, oriented to the southern hemisphere—a subtle nod to his Brazilian heritage through his father.
This final Mondphase 1 series is priced at €32,000 before tax and limited to 20 pieces, marking the end of Mondphase 1 and closing the first major hand‑crafted movement saga of his career. Earlier non‑meteorite Mondphase 1 examples were produced in a run of around 20 pieces at roughly €24,000, with case metal customizable to client preference.
By the time the last Mondphase 1 Meteorite left the workshop, it was clear that Felipe had moved beyond “promising young watchmaker” territory into something closer to “serious independent with long‑term potential.”
Mondphase II and FPMP2: a mechanical universe called Serie Universum
If Mondphase 1 was a heavily reworked Unitas with a handmade moonphase, Mondphase II is something else entirely: the first watch powered by Felipe’s in‑house‑conceived caliber FPMP2. With Mondphase II, his Berlin atelier enters what he calls the Serie Universum—a chapter framed explicitly around cosmic themes and technical independence.
Monochrome describes Mondphase II as a timepiece built around a 41 mm case offered in three metals—steel, bronze and platinum—each 10.5 mm thick and water‑resistant to 50 m. The lugs are faceted, mixing brushed planes and polished bevels, giving the watch a slightly architectural exterior that echoes the movement’s three‑dimensional interior.
The dial is not a dial in the traditional sense; instead, Felipe applies blue aventurine glass directly onto the movement’s base plate, turning the entire front side of FPMP2 into a starry landscape. On this backdrop he layers:
- An open‑worked hours and minutes chapter ring on the right side, raised above the aventurine and partly suspended over the movement.
- A deep recess framing the regulating organ (balance wheel and escapement) at the lower left, finished with mirror‑polished surfaces and a transversal bercé bridge, so the balance appears like a beating heart hovering above a reflective “lake.”
- Felipe’s signature three‑dimensional moonphase display driven by conical gears, above an aventurine section that resembles a luminous celestial body.
- A 24‑hour indicator engraved on the driving gear for the moonphase, adding another layer of astronomical information.
Technically, FPMP2 is a hand‑wound movement beating at 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) with a power reserve of about 40 hours. Monochrome notes that around 90% of the movement is produced in‑house, including wheels, bridges and many key components, marking a significant jump in Felipe’s ability to control both design and production.
The Mondphase II is released in three limited series of 20 pieces each: steel, bronze and platinum. The Limited Edition, one of his official retailers, lists indicative pricing at approximately €45,000 for steel, €58,000 for bronze and €65,000 for platinum, and notes that the steel version is already sold out.
For collectors, Mondphase II feels like standing on a balcony in Berlin at night, looking up at a mechanical universe compressed into 41 mm of metal, glass and motion.
FPA1 and Sternenhimmel FPA1: the Berlin workhorse
If FPMP2 is the star of Serie Universum, Felipe’s second in‑house caliber, FPA1 (Felipe Pikullik Architektur Eins), is designed as a versatile workhorse movement for more “classical” everyday pieces. The first watch to house it is the Sternenhimmel FPA1, introduced in 2026.
SJX and Hodinkee both describe the Sternenhimmel FPA1 as a 39 mm stainless steel watch, 10.5 mm thick, with 50 m water resistance and a case design that balances utilitarian robustness with refined finishing. The dial is a floating disc of aventurine—offered in blue or green—slightly undersized and offset so that parts of the movement edge are visible around it, with two diamonds at 3 and 9 o’clock serving as shimmering markers.
On the front side, the watch features:
- A large balance wheel visible at six o’clock, connected via a long balance staff to the escapement on the back, creating a split‑escapement visual effect.
- A retrograde date display sweeping from roughly 10 to 2 o’clock, with the date scale mounted on the movement itself rather than a separate dial plate.
- A visible snail cam and rack mechanism driving the retrograde hand, showcased as part of the design rather than hidden under a dial.
- An engraved nameplate and an open view of the movement’s architecture, reinforcing the idea that this is more “movement‑as‑dial” than dial‑as‑cover.
On the back and inside, FPA1 incorporates several thoughtful technical solutions:
- A winding system using wolf’s tooth gears, chosen for their smoother meshing and aesthetic appeal.
- A novel enclosed click module designed to capture small metal filings from wear so they don’t circulate through the movement—a serviceable unit that can be removed, cleaned and replaced without scattering debris.
- Bridges in German silver (maillechort) with hand‑applied frosting, carefully rounded bevels, polished countersinks, and an engraved balance bridge that echoes classical German three‑quarter bridge aesthetics.
SJX reports a beat rate of 3 Hz and a power reserve north of 40 hours, while Hodinkee notes an 18,000 A/h frequency and approximately 46 hours of autonomy; both agree that FPA1 is hand‑wound, fully focused on timekeeping plus date, and conceived as a modular platform for future complications.
The Sternenhimmel FPA1 is priced at around €17,500 before taxes, putting it at a relatively accessible level within artisanal independent watchmaking—especially considering the in‑house caliber and extensive hand‑finishing.
Felipe Pikullik watches at a glance
By this point in the story, the names and calibers can blur for readers. To keep his trajectory clear, it helps to look at a single snapshot of the key watches and movements that define Felipe Pikullik’s evolution from living‑room skeletoniser to in‑house Berlin independent:
| Model / Collection | Year (launch or key update) | Movement base / caliber | Case size & material | Price / edition (approx., ex‑tax) | Why it matters |
| Prius Collection | 2017 | Modified ébauche (e.g. Unitas 6497/6498), hand‑skeletonised | Various; small run of five skeleton models | Five limited‑edition pieces, price not widely public | First statement from his living‑room workshop; proof of coherent skeleton design and finishing. |
| Sternenhimmel (early ETA era) | c. 2017–2021 | ETA/Unitas 6497/6498 workhorse, heavily decorated | Steel, classical proportions, aventurine dial | Small‑batch production, around €20,000 region | Introduces starry‑sky identity and “In Berlin gefertigt” inscription; connects astronomy to Berlin. |
| Mondphase I | c. 2023 | Unitas‑based movement with fully reworked gear train & handmade moonphase | Steel and other metals; ≈41 mm, 10.5 mm, 50 m WR | ~€24,000, about 20 examples, customizable case metal | First major movement‑making project, handmade gear train, three‑dimensional moonphase; GPHG nomination. |
| Mondphase 1 Meteorite | 2024 | As above, plus meteorite dial and expanded in‑house finishing | 41 mm brushed steel, 10.5 mm, 50 m WR | €32,000, limited to 20 pieces | Closes Mondphase I saga; meteorite dial from outer space, southern‑hemisphere moon, extensive heat‑treated components. |
| ZBM1 (closed‑dial concept) | 2020 | Modified movement; closed dial architecture | Details vary; closed dial design | Not widely public | Broadens design language beyond skeletonisation and openwork. |
| Mondphase II (Serie Universum) | 2025 | FPMP2, hand‑wound, ~90% in‑house, 3 Hz, ≈40 h PR | 41 mm steel, bronze or platinum, 10.5 mm, 50 m WR | €45,000 (steel), €58,000 (bronze), €65,000 (platinum); 20 pieces per material | First in‑house‑conceived movement; three‑dimensional dial‑side universe over aventurine sky. |
| Sternenhimmel FPA1 | 2026 | FPA1 in‑house hand‑wound caliber | 39 mm steel, 10.5 mm, 50 m WR, blue/green aventurine | €17,500; non‑limited, direct from brand | “Berlin workhorse” platform; large dial‑side balance, retrograde date, lug‑integrated corrector and modular architecture. |
Seen together, these watches chart a clear trajectory: from decorative skeletonising and starry dials to full‑blown movement design, all anchored in a consistent astronomical and Berlin‑centric identity.
Inside the workshop: eleven people, nanometers and old machines
Felipe’s watches exist because of choices made in a specific workshop, with a specific team. In a 2026 interview on Relógios Sem Fronteiras, he is introduced as “one of the most fascinating independent watchmakers on the scene today,” an alumnus of Glashütte with a Brazilian father who now runs a Berlin atelier with 11 people and a waiting list of two to three years.
The interview describes how he deliberately combines historical machinery—vintage lathes, classic hand tools—with modern measuring equipment capable of working at the nanometer scale. The goal is not nostalgia; it is to reclaim lost manual techniques (like certain forms of hand‑turning and deep frosted finishing) and apply them to movements that meet today’s expectations for precision.
Another crucial element is his philosophy on “in‑house.” Felipe is explicit that he refuses to call a movement truly in‑house until he feels he has earned that title, preferring to quietly expand his production capabilities and share the process openly. A recent reel from his official Instagram account shows the team beginning to manufacture their own balance wheels, starting from raw blanks machined in the Berlin workshop for both FPA1 and Mondphase II.
On Instagram, his official brand account (@felipepikullik_official) carries a bio that reads along the lines of “Innovating astronomical watchmaking with passion to craftsmanship. Crafted in Berlin,” and has around 63,000 followers, reflecting a digital audience far larger than his physical output. Posts highlight the art of handmade watchmaking, emphasize that each watch is unique, and show details from the choice of materials to assembly, often tagged with #independentwatchmaking and #hautehorlogerie.
It’s a workshop that sees itself not as a scaled‑up mini‑manufacture, but as a small, evolving laboratory where teaching, sharing and long‑term collector relationships matter as much as the watches themselves.
Why collectors are paying attention
For serious enthusiasts looking beyond mainstream luxury groups, several things about Felipe Pikullik stand out.
He draws an honest line between finishing and making.
From the very beginning, Felipe has been clear that his dream is to produce a fully hand‑crafted watch from his Berlin workshop, and that he is not there yet. The Prius Collection and early Sternenhimmel watches are about decorative finishing on robust bases; Mondphase I and Meteorite are about re‑making gear trains and complications; Mondphase II and FPA1 are about in‑house architecture that he still refuses to call “finished” in the marketing sense.
In an era where “in‑house” and “hand‑made” are sometimes stretched by marketing departments, that kind of humility and clarity builds trust among collectors.
He turns astronomy into a personal design language, not just a theme.
Sternenhimmel, Mondphase I, Meteorite, Mondphase II, FPA1—almost every major project is tied to the sky: stars, moons, retrograde time scales, cosmic dial materials. But these are not generic “moonphase” complications; they include southern‑hemisphere orientation, meteorite dials, aventurine applied directly to the movement, and mechanical solutions like conical gears and split‑escapement effects that make the watches feel like miniature universes.
For collectors, that gives his watches a narrative beyond specs. You’re not just buying a moonphase; you’re buying a specific vision of what the sky over Berlin, influenced by Glashütte discipline and Brazilian roots, looks like in mechanical form.
He offers serious movement ideas at prices that, while high, are still competitive in the independent space.
With Mondphase II priced around €45,000–€65,000 depending on case material, and Sternenhimmel FPA1 at about €17,500, Felipe sits below many ultra‑high‑end independents but far above microbrands, occupying a niche where collectors expect original calibers, hand‑finishing and long‑term support. Combined with limited runs (20 pieces per material for Mondphase II; 20 pieces for the Meteorite), his watches position themselves as serious but not yet unattainable.
He builds a team instead of a cult of personality.
Hodinkee and other profiles stress that Felipe sees crafting a watch by hand as “more than a personal goal”—it’s an opportunity to teach others how to make modern watches, sharing knowledge rather than hoarding it. The growth from solo operation to eight and then eleven people in his workshop, paired with constant teaching and the manufacturing of more components like balance wheels, signals that he is building a small ecosystem, not just a one‑man show.
For collectors concerned about long‑term servicing and continuity, a growing, well‑trained team is a strong sign that the brand can support its watches over decades, not just a few hype cycles.
The Berlin night, condensed into a watch
It’s tempting to end Felipe Pikullik’s story with a conclusion about “the future of independent watchmaking,” but his watches argue for something more specific. They suggest that the future might be a constellation of small, geographically rooted workshops—Berlin, Tokyo, rural England, São Paulo—each with its own mechanical dialect, rather than a single monolithic narrative.
In his case, the dialect is clear: a starry Berlin sky rendered in aventurine and meteorite; moons that acknowledge the southern hemisphere; gear trains designed and built by hand; in‑house calibers that mix gold‑plated bridges and frosted German silver with wolf’s tooth gears and hidden click modules.
When you look at Mondphase II and Sternenhimmel FPA1 side by side, you see two halves of that language. One is a mechanical universe, all depth and layers and cosmic play. The other is a grounded architecture, a “Berlin workhorse” that anchors future ideas in a practical platform. Together, they suggest that the story of Felipe Pikullik is still in its early chapters—that the watches we’ve seen so far are prologue to a longer narrative about what it means to make highly crafted, astronomically minded, technically serious watches in a city more associated with nightlife than with balance wheels.
For collectors who care about independent watchmaking not as a trend but as a long‑term journey, that might be the most compelling complication of all.
