Samwan's exploration of Jaquet Droz's Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée and the broader world of enamel dials offers a deep dive into a revered, labor-intensive art form. This article highlights the intricate craftsmanship involved in creating these exquisite dials, making a compelling case for their enduring appeal and significance in haute horology. Samwan meticulously details various enameling techniques, providing a valuable reference for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Without a flicker of doubt, the most attractive feature of the watch is the enamel dial, which requires an extremely labor-intensive process - an almost dying art, so to speak...
Enameling refers to the use of colored glass to form a decorative surface over a base material, such as gold. Colored glass fragments are hand-ground into powder, which is then mixed with oil or water and applied to the surface. The next step is called vitrification when the dial is fired in a kiln with a very high temperature (up to 1200 degrees Celsius) to melt the powder. Usually a dozen or so firings are required. The result is a very fine piece of craftsmanship.
Movement is the caliber 2653.4, derived from F. Piguet 1185
There are several types of enameling techniques:
1. Champleve - enamel is placed into shallow cells made in a metal surface. An example is the Lang & Heyne Johan model. Picture credit to Lang & Heyne's official web site.
2. Cloisonne - fine gold wires are bent into shapes that form individual cells. One well known example is the Patek Phillipe Worldtime 5131J. Photo credit to Patek Phillipe's official website
3. Paillonee - covering a surface with several base coats of enamel, and then placing tiny gold spangles (paillons) with a top coating of transparent enamel called fondant. The paillons are produced one by one by punching from thin sheets of gold foil. They are then placed in exactly right positions on the enamel. One handy example is this Jaquet Droz model.
Here are some watches from my collection that have enamel dials.
Vacheron Constantin Chronometre Royale 1907
Lang & Heyne Georg
Lang & Heyne Friedrich August I
Lang & Heyne King Albert of Saxony Monopusher Chronograph
Lange & Sohne 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar handwerskunst
Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Bleu
Moritz Grossmann Benu in platinum
Laurent Ferrier Galet Tourbillon
Patek Philippe Split Seconds Chronograph 5370P
I am such a sucker for enamel dials that I am sending one of my watches back to swap for an enamel dial. It is from an independent watchmaker. Guess which one?
The Jaquet Droz is a very photogenic watch. I promise to take some nicer pictures in due course.
Hope you have enjoyed the post.
Sam
