Results for Champlevé Enamel

The Roundup: Enamel Dials, Invaluable Tools, and Timeless Classics

The Roundup is the Windup Watch Shop’s weekly rundown of the latest and greatest watches, accessories, EDC, and more. Top billing belongs to the Treat Yourself category, which spotlights special watches worth their price tag, while the Value-Packed Pick celebrates a timepiece that provides great bang for buck. Upgrade Your Kit highlights indispensable everyday carry gadgets. When You Have Too Many Watches is all about accessories and peripherals for your watch collection. Last but not least, the Deal of the Week is a limited time bargain that you will not want to miss. Don’t forget to join the Windup Watch Shop Rewards Program to save and earn points with every purchase. The Windup Team is also available to schedule a consultation or demo with you to answer any questions you may have. Now, all items from the Windup Watch Shop are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US! The Roundup is the Windup Watch Shop’s weekly rundown of the latest and greatest watches, accessories, EDC, and more. Top billing belongs to the Treat Yourself category, which spotlights special watches worth their price tag, while the Value-Packed Pick celebrates a timepiece that provides great bang for buck. Upgrade Your Kit highlights indispensable everyday carry gadgets. When You Have Too Many Watches is all about accessories and peripherals for your watch collection. Last but not least, the Deal of the Week is a limited time bargain that you will not want to miss. Don’t forget to join...

Introducing - The Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar, with Green Enamel Dial for 2024

In 2012, Blancpain introduced the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar, an extremely complex watch fusing the Chinese and Gregorian calendars, complete with a moon phase complication that coincided with the Year of the Dragon. Twelve years have passed, and the dragon is back in the limelight again. To mark this twelve-year cycle, Blancpain’s latest interpretation of […]

Introducing - The New Blue Enamel Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon

Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s Master Thin collection is home to sophisticated, understated, ultra-thin dress watches ranging from time-and-date to moon phase models and more complex proposals like tourbillons and perpetual calendars. Offered with understated beige or sunray decorated dials, JLC introduced métiers d’art dials to the collection at the end of 2018. First appearing on the Master Ultra […]

Introducing the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel

[Hands-On] H. Moser Refines Streamliner with New Small Seconds Blue Enamel

H. Moser made waves with their Streamliner watch when it was first released in 2020 thanks to the unconventional case and integrated bracelet design. In a market flooded with integrated bracelet sport watches, the Streamliner somehow manages to stand apart with its scale-like bracelet. It’s a watch we’ve taken a closer look at here, and here. This year, the Streamliner takes a new form in a move toward a more wearable experience in the form of the Small Seconds Blue Enamel. The result is a 39mm watch with a revised case and bracelet design that remains true to the original DNA while being far more wrist-friendly in the process.  The Streamliner has always been defined by its bracelet, with the cushion case transitioning to a dial with largely minimal takes on complications from perpetual calendars to chronographs. The newest addition adjusts the proportions of everything just enough to make a tangible difference on the wrist, without compromising the impact of the shapes and forms at work. In fact, the bracelet is in peak form with this release, combining the dramatic architecture with a silky taper that works incredibly well in practice. What’s more, the tweaks reduce some of the tension between the shoulder of the case and bracelet integration, making for an overall more graceful appearance. That said, if you were never a fan of the Streamliner, this new example isn’t likely to change that. This is still a Streamliner through and through, and fans of the watch l...

Jaeger-LeCoultre releases two new Reverso Tribute Enamel models in homage to Hokusai

anOrdain Unveils Model 3 Method with Wood-Grain Enamel Dial

Breguet Introduces the Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes with an Enamel Dial

H. Moser Debuts the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel, their First Watch in the Exotic Metal

Moser’s latest is the brand’s first ever release in tantalum, a rarely used metal with unique characteristics that make it one of the more rewarding metals in all of watchmaking. In other words, it has a beautiful aesthetic impact, but it takes a lot of work and knowledge to get it to that point. Using it at all is something of a flex for any brand, and Moser is throwing down the gauntlet to a certain extent with this release. Somewhat predictably, they’ve incorporated what has come to be the brand’s signature complication, a unique and easy to read perpetual calendar, into their first tantalum watch, all with an elaborate enamel dial with a distinct hammered texture.  The clear highlight of the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel is the use of tantalum, so we’ll start there. Tantalum is extremely dense and strong, qualities which make it an excellent candidate as a case metal for a luxury watch. It’s also very corrosion resistant, and develops a very thin layer of oxidation when exposed to air that naturally protects it. Tantalum also has a gray-blue tone to it that is quite unlike any other metal, giving it a unique quality that no other metal can match.  The reason tantalum is so uncommon in watchmaking is because it is very difficult to machine thanks to a melting point that comes in around 3000 °C. It takes advanced technology and equipment to properly fabricate tantalum for watchmaking purposes, which of course requires not only a substa...

Why I Bought Them: Custom Aventurine-Dial And Blue Enamel-Dial Watches From Lundis Bleus

The Lundis Bleus arts and crafts are a very special aspect of watchmaking. It is not so much about the mechanical side – escapements, micro rotors, gearwheels, and gold chatons – but more the artistic and aesthetic (dial) side of independent watchmaking. Is this why Thomas Brechtel chose to buy two custom-made watches from the boutique brand?

Japanese Deities in Miniature Enamel on Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers Repeater

Taking place every two years in Venice, Homo Faber is an exhibition dedicated to craftsmanship of all forms, ranging from glass to porcelain to fabric. Because its organiser is the Michelangelo Foundation established by Johann Rupert, the plain-speaking chairman of Richemont, several of the Swiss group’s watchmakers are taking part. One of them is Vacheron Constantin, which is presenting a pair of one-off striking watches at Homo Faber – the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeaters Ultra-Thin “Thunder God” and “Wind God”. The watches each recreate one half of Wind God and Thunder God, a pair of folding screens made by 16th century Japanese painter Tawaraya Sōtatsu that depicts the titular gods of Japanese mythology. Initial thoughts Owned by a temple in Kyoto, the folding screen is a National Treasure of Japan, a cultural object deemed so important by the Japanese government that it cannot be exported. The screen is certainly a worthy subject for a high-quality miniature, and Vacheron Constantin appears to have done justice to it. The dial decoration is perfect for a repeater, since the brand’s cal. 1731 minute repeater movement is relatively large, resulting in an expansive dial that is usually blank. It’s an ideal canvas for artisanal decoration. Vacheron Constantin’s enamel work, whether in house or done by independent artisans like Anita Porchet, is usually impeccable. The repeater dials definitely look the part. In fact, the miniatures of the gods are im...

The 3,900 Swiss Franc Watch With Grand Feu Enamel Dial

Moritz Grossmann Benu 37 Steel with Grand Feu Enamel Dial for Revolution & The Rake

We collaborate with Moritz Grossmann on the special-edition Benu 37 Steel that both inherits and reinvents the traditions of Saxon watchmaking.

Patek Philippe 5370 In Platinum With Blue Grande Feu Enamel Dial

Introducing: The Breguet Reine De Naples 8918 In Grand Feu Enamel

An elegant watch, for a more civilized age.

Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Enamel Dial

Just last year Montblanc unveiled the 1858 Split Second Chronograph, a Minerva-powered watch that was warmly received for being well-finished and complex, yet reasonably-priced. A retro-inspired, rattrapante mono-pusher chronograph, the watch cost US$30,000 – a solid deal as such things go. A few months after, Montblanc debuted the one-off Only Watch edition with titanium case and blue-agate dial that sold for a whopping 100,000 Swiss francs, with proceeds going to charity. The brand has now stepped things up a notch with the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100 that channels the spirit of the Only Watch edition, featuring the same titanium case and paired with a fired enamel dial in graduated blue. Despite the similar styling, the new watch costs a lot less than the record-setting Only Watch Edition – but isn’t quite as good value as last year’s model. Smoky blue And that’s because while the bronze model had an ordinary dial of brass, this has been upgraded with a grand feu enamel dial, leading to a jump in the retail price of about US$7,000, which is about the typical premium for such a dial. The enamel dial starts off as a solid-gold disc, which is painted with a mixture of enamel powder, water and oil. It is then fired in an oven at over 800℃, melting the enamel powder and fusing it to the gold base. The process of adding enamel powder and firing is repeated multiple times so as to achieve the desired depth of colour. But unusually, the di...

Highlights: Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction - Complications and Enamel

Happening in just over a week, the Phillips Hong Kong watch auction is a 321-lot event spread over two days. Notably, the first session is an evening sale titled First, made up of 52 watches consigned by their original owners. The offerings in First, as well as the main sale the next day, are diverse array ranging from a possibly unique Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon with a black dial, and a wonderfully elegant Vacheron Constantin minute repeater (pictured above) – both consigned by the first owners no less – to vintage sports Rolex watches and Omega Speedmasters. The Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002G Another original owner Patek Philippe grand complication, the ref. 5033P Here we cover some of the complicated watch highlights, while other vintage and sports watches will be featured in a subsequent article. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. First, lot 833 – Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph One of the best values in the segment of perpetual calendar chronographs is a pre-owned Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. This example is in platinum, with a largish 43mm case that is suited to today’s taste for larger watches. The layout is traditional for a perpetual calendar chronograph, though the calendar windows are slightly small relative to the size of the dial. But this has a decorative flourish few of its peers have: the moon phase is a hand-engraved disc of white gold that features a tiny...

Raul Pages Introduces the Arabic Calligraphy Cloisonné Enamel

Independent watchmaker Raul Pages debuted his first wristwatch in 2016, after several years spent restoring watches and clocks at Parmigiani and then the Patek Philippe Museum. Limited to just 10 watches, the Soberly Onyx wristwatch contained a reworked and highly decorated Cyma movement from the 1950s. The very last of the series, however, is strikingly different from the rest. The Arabic Calligraphy pièce unique is a custom commission from a European client, an important collector of both vintage and modern watches who already has two other Soberly Onyx watches. The client wanted a cloisonné enamel dial bearing the phrase ٱلْـحَـمْـدُ للهِ‎, or alhamdulillah. Most commonly used by Muslims but also by Arabic speakers of other denominations, it translates as “thank God” or “praise be to God”. Raul recruited Jean-Luc Peter, an enamel artisan who has also done work for Hermes, to create this dial. Elegant and striking in form, the phrase is executed in a mustard enamel and outlined in fine gold wire, as is traditional for cloisonné enamel. It sits agains a vivid green background that complements the rose gold hands and case beautifully. The rest of the watch is identical to the standard Soberly Onyx, which has a polished onyx stone dial. That means the case is 40mm in diameter and a slim 9.3mm high. Inside is a movement that started out as a Cyma 586K from the 1950s, but one that has been heavily modified by Raul. The bridges were reshaped and ...

Introducing the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon with Enamel Dial

Piaget 1200E: A Trapeze Act In Enamel

It is indeed breathtaking when trapeze artists perform their daring acts high above the crowds in the circus tent. No safety lines, just a full confidence in their own ability to perform on the edge of what is humanly possible. These skills are often the result of being born into them, practicing relentlessly from a […]

SIHH 2014: Jaeger LeCoultre Grand Feu - the return of the enamel dials

The house of Jaeger LeCoultre is one of those who we keep in close watch here at Deployant. They are one of the most innovative in movement development, and design, but also in creating beautiful timepieces which will stand the test of time. This year’s SIHH crop is no different. Elsewhere we touched briefly onRead More

O&HoraPictor; Unveils the Duet Collection

While there’s often a large net cast over the art of enamel, the craft is actually quite nuanced. Enamel can take many forms outside classic grand feu, from cloisonne to champleve, plique-a-jour, flinque, paillonnee, grisaille, and contre-jour. However, even within traditional grand feu enamel work, there can be variations depending on the surface the enamel is applied to and the type of enamel (or enamels) used – both opaque and transparent. O&HoraPictor; is one of a small handful of brands dedicated to the artistic craft of enameling. Within its catalog, the brand is no stranger to spanning beyond grand feu and into other enamel applications. We see this in O&HoraPictor;’s latest limited edition release, the Duet.Aptly named “Duet,” the model showcases two enamel hues independently on a single dial with the primary color at the center, anchoring the handset, and the other more subtly framing it around the periphery. The metaphor continues further in two of the five editions – Submarine Canyon and Rhapsody – with the interplay between the two key components of the dial: the metal base where the enamel is applied and the enamel itself. Here, the foundation is laid with an engraved silver plate, creating a canvas with texture and depth to bring out the brilliance of the enamel shades. Tedious handwork begins here, requiring thousands of engravings to achieve the desired effect. Then comes the meticulous application of the enamel pigments.The enameling process st...

Louis Vuitton Returns Home with the Escale Worldtime

Louis Vuitton revives its emblematic Escale Worldtime complication with significant technical upgrades and metiers d’art craftsmanship. Powered by a new family of mid-sized movement from La Fabrique du Temps, the collection comprises two models distinguished by their decorative treatments: the standard Worldtime features a hand-painted flag disc reproducing the brand’s iconic trunk motifs, while the Worldtime Flying Tourbillon elevates the execution with an arduously made champlevé grand feu enamel city ring requiring 40 firings to achieve its kaleidoscopic palette. This reimagining of the worldtime complication draws directly from Louis Vuitton’s heritage of hand-painted personalised monograms on historical trunks - a visual language no other watchmaker can authentically claim - translating the brand’s trunk-making legacy into haute horlogerie. Initial thoughts Last year, Louis Vuitton launched a new line of high-end movements built and decorated to the standards of industrial-haute horlogerie automatics from the likes of Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe. These movements debuted in the Tambour Taiko Spin Time, a complication requiring a small-diameter movement - 23 mm in that case. Though finely made, these movements were arguably too small for a ~40 mm watch, as seen with the otherwise excellent Monterey re-issue. Demonstrating the impressive capacity of La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), Louis Vuitton has filled that void in its movement portfolio with a li...

Rolex Enamels the Daytona

This year’s Watches & Wonders got off with a strong start. Rolex unveiled a number of new models, with a strong accent on novel materials and precious metals. A first for the sporty landmark chronograph, the new Cosmograph Daytona comes with an enamelled dial. Initial thoughts Rolex is known in modern times for their mastery of both industrialised mechanical watchmaking and sound material science. The new Daytona is a product of the latter - it benefits from a new sort of ceramic bezel and notably a white enamel dial done a bit differently. At first sight, the new model reminds of the “Porcelain” Zenith-powered Daytonas. A sought-after configuration of pre-2000 Daytonas, the “Porcelain” was nicknamed as such due to the glossy finished white dial, which carried some resemblance to classic porcelain. Among Rolex’s most beloved models, the Daytona has seen a fair share of makeovers over the years. Most special editions took advantage of the motorsport heritage of the chronograph and others added gems and precious alloys to the mix.  The main selling point of this latest Daytona configuration is the enamel dial - a classic element which doesn’t normally connect to Rolex or to sports watches in general. What Rolex successfully did was raise the appeal of the Daytona beyond just a sports chronograph, without resorting to any loud gem setting or full precious metal construction. Instead, the brand opted for a quiet (but modern) enamel and a new bezel configurat...

Picking A Saxonian Watch Bouquet: Introducing The Glashütte Original × Meissen Senator Cherry Blossom

Somewhere in a remote corner of the internet, there must be a place where people debate whether enamel or porcelain watch dials are nicer. I didn’t go down the rabbit hole into a heated online argument about these two delicate dial-making techniques, but from time to time, I do have an internal discussion on the […] Visit Picking A Saxonian Watch Bouquet: Introducing The Glashütte Original × Meissen Senator Cherry Blossom to read the full article.

The Art of Cloisonné at Patek Philippe

For some eight decades, Patek Philippe has been an important patron of cloisonné enamel, commissioning work that helped sustain the craft when demand for it had all but disappeared. From the enamel maps of Louis Cottier’s world time watches to the signed dials of Anita Porchet, its commissions trace a history of both the technique and the changing recognition of the artists behind it. Today, demand for artisanal dials, particularly those in cloisonné enamel, is at an all-time high. In May 2026, a Patek Philippe wristwatch sold for about US$10.2 million at an auction in Geneva, as collectors competed for a dial featuring a map of South America made with gold wire and enamel. The outcome ended up making headlines. The watch was a ref. 2523 from 1953, and the artist responsible for the dial — supplied by Stern Frères — remains anonymous. The Patek Philippe ref. 2523, with South America map. The story of cloisonné enamel at Patek Philippe is also one of artistic patronage. By choosing subjects, commissioning enamellers and eventually allowing them to sign their dials, the Genevan watchmaker has acted as a curator, shaping a body of work that reflects both its own tastes and the talents of individual artists. Drawing in fire Cloisonné is only one of several enamel techniques. Cloisonné begins with gold wire. The enameller bends it by hand, sometimes working with wire just 0.05 mm thick, to draw the design on the dial. The resulting compartments, or cloisons — Fren...

Ulysse Nardin gives the Freak [ONE] its first taste of decorative arts - in two very different flavours

Ulysse Nardin gives the Freak [ONE] its first taste of decorative arts in two very different flavours: Guilloché and Blue Enamel.

F.P. Journe Supports Paris Brain Institute with Unique Chronomètre Furtif

Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...

F.P. Journe Supports Brain Research with Unique Chronomètre Furtif

Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...

Hot Take: Rolex’s Perpetual Padellone Annual Calendar Takes A Nod From The Past

Rolex has added a rather unexpected complication to its Perpetual collection with the new Perpetual Padellone. Taking its name from the vintage reference 8171, the watch combines a 39mm case with an annual calendar and a moonphase display. At first glance, it is perhaps the dial that grabs your attention, particularly the blue enamel moonphase […] Visit Hot Take: Rolex’s Perpetual Padellone Annual Calendar Takes A Nod From The Past to read the full article.