Finishing Point: Everything You Need to Know About Watch Crafting
For ardent connoisseurs, the beauty of a watch lies in the intricate details hidden from plain sight.
The post Finishing Point: Everything You Need to Know About Watch Crafting appeared first on LUXUO.
For ardent connoisseurs, the beauty of a watch lies not just in its dial or in its technical functions. Indeed, it is often in the details that remain hidden in plain sight: an engraved balance cock, a chamfered main plate, a guilloched rotor. Reserved solely for the pleasure of the wearer, these exquisite crafts have existed since the dawn of horology. We unpack their origins, and explore why they remain enduring emblems of haute horlogerie
Guilloche
In my years of writing about watches, I?ve been privileged enough to try my hand at many of these crafts listed on these pages, including tremblage engraving (it was so tough that my hand hurt for a good six hours after); perlage (my botched dial was more Pollock than Monet); and of course, guilloche. Apart from realising that I severely lack artistic skills and patience, each session imbibed in me mad respect for the artisans that spend months and years perfecting each craft, and diligently ply their trade day in, day out.
My attempt at guilloche was disastrous as well: For one, the artisan needs to apply consistent pressure to the dial, so the pattern is uniform throughout ? a deeper or lighter incision can be seen by the naked eye, making for a visual mess. Of course, an artistic temperament is a given. None o...
The post Finishing Point: Everything You Need to Know About Watch Crafting appeared first on LUXUO.
For ardent connoisseurs, the beauty of a watch lies not just in its dial or in its technical functions. Indeed, it is often in the details that remain hidden in plain sight: an engraved balance cock, a chamfered main plate, a guilloched rotor. Reserved solely for the pleasure of the wearer, these exquisite crafts have existed since the dawn of horology. We unpack their origins, and explore why they remain enduring emblems of haute horlogerie
Guilloche
In my years of writing about watches, I?ve been privileged enough to try my hand at many of these crafts listed on these pages, including tremblage engraving (it was so tough that my hand hurt for a good six hours after); perlage (my botched dial was more Pollock than Monet); and of course, guilloche. Apart from realising that I severely lack artistic skills and patience, each session imbibed in me mad respect for the artisans that spend months and years perfecting each craft, and diligently ply their trade day in, day out.
My attempt at guilloche was disastrous as well: For one, the artisan needs to apply consistent pressure to the dial, so the pattern is uniform throughout ? a deeper or lighter incision can be seen by the naked eye, making for a visual mess. Of course, an artistic temperament is a given. None o...
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