PARONI

The S.U.F Paroni celebrites a motorcycling great

Inspired by Finland’s motorcycling legend, Jarno “Paroni” Saarinen, S.U.F created its Paroni watch to honour the memory of the skilled daredevil – a childhood hero of the brand’s founding watchmaker, Stepan Sarpaneva.

Jarno had that same world-famous Sisu that is often brought up when talking about Finns. He was ready to go the extra mile, even if it meant rebuilding his engines before every race or polishing the spokes to gain a small amount of aerodynamic advantage that helps to win. Jarno and his wife Soili were always up for the challenge to reach the Grand Prix title and they had to sacrifice a lot while doing so. Paroni was racing in Europe with the mentality of an independent watchmaker – low budget, but lots of soul and focus on the doing itself.

This is why we feel a close connection to him, as Paroni reminds us all that good things can and will happen if one is ready to work for it. A qualified mechanical engineer, Saarinen was famous for tuning and maintaining his bikes himself – a great asset to Yamaha, whom he helped to develop one of the fastest motorcycles of the time. Just one of his daring modifications, to enhance his signature "hang-off" style, Saarinen lowered the handle bars and angled them downwards at an extreme angle.

But it was not all about daring style that got Jarno to the top. He was always very aware that racing fast meant everything had to be just right. There are no shortcuts in racing, as there sure aren’t such things in watchmaking. It was all down to making sure that everything possible had been done. He was having books of gear ratios around, checking the tyres, improving aerodynamics whenever possible and so on. Jarno was a humble guy who enjoyed keeping things fun, even when it came down to business and racing.

Saarinen, fondly known as “The Flying Finn”, won the Grand Prix title back in 1972 and remains the only Finn to have ever done so. The following year, at the fourth Grand Prix of the season at Monza, Italy, he was well on his way to securing a second title, but crashed into Renzo Pasolin,i who had lost control of his bike in front of Jarno. Unfortunately the crash proved to be fatal for both racers, and 13 other racers were seriously injured in the pile-up.

The legend of the “Paroni” still lives strong after all these years, in both memory and S.U.F.’s long-lasting horological tribute: a solidly built wristwatch, driven by a Swiss mechanical movement, designed and assembled at the SarpanevaUhrenFabrik workshop, crowned by a dial whose racy red and white design directly echoes The Flying Finn’s iconic helmet art.

Special edition Paroni for Imatranajo 60 years anniversary

Paroni (1st generation)
› Production started 2004
› Stainless Steel 316L Case 38,5mm
› ETA 2824 movement
› Production limited to 175 pcs
› Kick starter pinion bezel

Paroni (2nd generation)
› Production started 2014
› Outokumpu SUPRA 316L/4435 Case 42mm
› Soprod A10 movement
› Open series
› 50 pcs made with no-date dial (lefty)

Paroni Chronograph
› First ever chronograph made by S.U.F Helsinki.
› Production year 2019
› Outokumpu SUPRA 316L/4435 Case 42mm
› Modified Vintage Lemania 1872 Movement
› Production limited to 26 pcs
› Manually wound

THE FLYING FINN

S.U.F Paroni was the first Flying Finn watch, created in honor of Jarno “Paroni” Saarinen. “The Flying Finn” is a nickname given to several Finnish athletes, who are known for high speed, although not exclusively in motorsports, but also for sports heroes who embody the concept of “sisu”, which for the Finns means strength, perseverance, determination, tenacity and grit in the face of overwhelming opposition.

Flying Finn VB77

The Flying Finn’s design was heavily influenced by motorsports. The 44mm case size presents a bold statement and allows more freedom and room for the design, as the series has the thinnest S.U.F cases to date, specifically intended for slick and flat appearance that is comfortable to wear. The case’s elements are very similar to Sarpaneva K1, but it has more focus on the bezel instead. Perhaps the most intricate and difficult part of the model creation was the Finland-milled chain sprocket that was done with traditional tools, which alongside the new open dial design and large handset made this sporty watch a real statement.

The Flying Finn was released in various small batches, including a few entirely unique pieces.

› Production started 2009
› Stainless Steel 316L Case 44mm
› Soprod A10 movement
› Open work dial
› Multiple color variations

You can read more and see more pictures from our logbook about the Flying Finn