Watchmaking: A Primer on Frosting by a Watchmaker
Fine finishing in high-end watchmaking automatically brings to mind polished bevels, black-polished steel, Cotes de Geneve, blueing, and even perlage. But less thought is given to frosting, even though it is prominent in the grandest of timepieces made by leading independent watchmakers. Put simply, frosting is the treatment of a metal to create an uneven, pitted surface. A beautifully rough finish, frosting dulls the appearance of the component it is applied to. Many brands rely on the technique for decoration, but often in strikingly different forms. Akrivia, Greubel Forsey, Masahiro Kikuno, and Roger W. Smith are all known for their frosted finishes, but each differs from the other in technique and aesthetic effect. The frosted bridges on the front of the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 Heroes and sidekicks When it comes to finishing methods in horology, I like to separate them into two categories: heroes and sidekicks. The sidekicks – such as perlage, graining, and of course frosting – are the methods that help the heroes stand out. Do not think any less of the sidekicks because without them, the heroes would not get the attention they deserve. The heroes are the methods that make you wonder: “This is beautiful – how did they do that?” Black polishing, blueing and engraving are just a few of them. As in the comic books, heroes and sidekicks work together to make each other look good. But as is frequently the case in fiction, sidekicks are often forgotten. Take fo...
Quill & Pad
