Experimentalism in dial materials is arguably the most exciting creative avenue in watchmaking. Each new element introduced by watch brands materializes the intersection between innovation and expressiveness.
From TAG Heuer Monaco’s iconic square silhouette and TISSOT Sideral S’s eternal summer vibrancy to the idiosyncratic genius of Girard-Perregaux’s Casquette, experimentalism surely peaked during the ‘60s and ‘70s in genres of shapes and hues. However, I reckon watchmaking is currently amidst quite a creative renaissance – this time with innovative materials. While case materials polarly strive for resilience or delicate opulence, straps seek sustainability or playfulness. But when it comes to dials? It’s free rein.
The dial of a timepiece serves as the perfect creative canvas. While some brands choose conservative paths, carrying their heritage of clutter-free dress watches, others take the path of creative audaciousness – embracing a helix arc of artistry and industrial innovation. Here’s a look at some of the most fascinating materials seen on watch dials.
Wood – Breitling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition
Despite polar legacies prior, Bentley and Breitling have shared a synergy since 2002, which started by the British luxe carmaker approaching the Swiss maison to design a clock for their now-iconic Continental GT. As Bentley celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2019, Breitling commemorated this feat with a slew of Premiers – one with a dial cast out of ‘Brown Elm Burl’ wood. This woodland material is a type of woodgrain that has grown deformed, making each slice of elm burl unique and giving it a distinct character. Regular Premier programming remains otherwise – chronograph minute counter at three o’clock and small seconds at nine o’clock, powered by Breitling’s Manufacture Calibre 01, which is self-wound and offers a 70-hour power reserve. The Rose Gold edition is limited to 200 pieces.
Marble – Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Only Watch 2023
We’re all too familiar with the glorious fable of the Octo Finissimo. For Only Watch 2024, Bvlgari embraced their spirit of Roman haute joaillerie and reimagined the Octo in green marble. Even though it isn’t entirely cast in marble, it features a thin layer of it – This green marble featured in the case, dial, and bracelet is called Verde Alpi – originating from Aosta Valley, the natural passage in the Alps between Switzerland and Italy. Bvlgari claims green represents abundance, growth, and energy, offset with white veins reminiscing snowy peaks and alpine forests. The BVL268 inside offers a 52-hour power reserve and employs a delicate flying tourbillon.
Meteorite – OMEGA Constellation in 18-carat Moonshine Gold
Historically documented, OMEGA has a reputation for extra-terrestrial travel, but it looks like they’ve brought back some goodies. The Constellation is one of OMEGA’s oldest collections, dating back to 1952, consistently reinventing itself to suit each generation that passed by.
Earlier this year, 5 new references with ‘meteorite’ dials surfaced – quite appropriate considering the maison’s connection to the cosmos. The dial of this model is cast in Mounionalusta meteorite – an iron-based meteorite with a criss-cross ‘Widmanstätten pattern’, upon which a thin coat of 18-carat Moonshine PVD gold is applied and galvanized. This proprietary yellow gold alloy may seem paler than contemporary gold, but it offers a higher resistance to colour fading and lustre loss. Additionally, the timepiece is equipped with one of OMEGA’s finest co- axial escapement movements, the Calibre 8901, which is Master Chronometer certified, self-wound, and delivers a 60-hour power reserve.
Moon Fragments – Louis Moinet Super Moon
Earth witnesses over 15,000 meteor crashes yearly, so meteor fragments aren’t in short supply – but moon fragments? That’s stuff you find locked in a billionaire’s vault. These otherworldly goodies employed by Louis Moine for their Super Moon are lunar fragments – only 371 units are known to exist worldwide. LM claims this lunar meteorite has travelled over 400,000 kilometres before crashing into Oman’s Dhofar Desert. In other news, it houses a self-winding calibre LM45 boasting Côtes de Genève embellishment, diamond-polished chamfers, circular satin-finished wheels, and circular graining, offering a 48-hour power reserve. Limited to 100 pieces.
Onyx – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin
The AP Royal Oak is a true octagonal icon in watchmaking, eternally reinventing itself and serving as a canvas for creative collaboration. The one under the spotlight today is a Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin, cast in rose gold with an elegant, abysmal black onyx dial and shimmery diamond indexes. Onyx appears as a perfectly still black liquid surface, which is truly eye-catching. In ancient times, black onyx was used in carvings and as amulets to protect against negative energy and evil spirits. The Romans and Greeks often used it in seals and signet rings.
Oil – Ressence Type 3
Filled to the brim with oil and no hands in sight – that’s the Type 3 for you. Ressence’s objective in turning oil into a horological lubricant was to tackle a critical diver’s issue – optical distortion when observing the watch underwater. The air between the dial and the crystal causes the dial to become a mirror, affecting legibility. The solution? Oil.
Filling the watch with oil came with complications of its own, such as preventing the balance wheel and escapement parts from oscillating properly, slowing the movement or affecting precision. Ressence overcame these hurdles by building a dual construction – one compartment for the movement, the other for the oil-filled dial.
Vantablack – H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon
H. Moser & Cie have earned themselves a reputation for creating the blackest dials in the business. Their weapon of choice? Vantablack – a material composed of carbon nanostructures that absorb 99.965% of light and is said to be the darkest substance on Earth. H. Moser & Cie maximise the illusion of nothingness caused by Vantablack, stripping the dial of all indexes and markers, leaving only a window to the flying tourbillon. The timepiece is cast in 40-millimetre 5N Red Gold, housing the HMC 200 self-winding movement, which delivers a 72-hour power reserve.
Straw – Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Hour
Marquetry is a rampantly employed technique in watchmaking – but with straw? That raises my curiosity. For Cartier’s Ratonde de Cartier in 2016, the maison chose straw for its high quality, sturdiness and natural sheen. Blade-by-blade, each straw was split and flattened using a burnishing bone. After which, they were chopped up with a fret saw and assembled on an 18-carat gold dial. Picking blades with accurate sizes and depth is crucial here. This process takes up to 45 hours. Inside, Cartier has employed a manual-wound calibre 9601 MC. Limited to just 70 pieces.
Sapphire – Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time Air
The special ingredient here is a staple in every luxury watch – just used unexpectedly: Sapphire.
This exceptional LV timepiece features a case, movement and dial crafted from sapphire crystal, renowned for its scratch resistance, transparency, and hardness. With the Tambour Spin Time Air, this material provides a crystal-clear, see-through view. The complication relies on 12 ‘floating’ cubes to indicate time. With no hour hand, it is indicated by the designated hour’s index cube rotating to its highlighted side. This is powered by the LV 88, which winds automatically with a 35-hour power reserve.
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