Since the seventeenth century, enamelers’ talents started to be much in demand to ornament watchcases and decorate dials. Unfortunately, nowadays it’s an endangered craft which can only be admired in special events which unite the finest luxury brands in the watchmaking field, as Baselworld 2019.
Enamel is a vitreous substance based on silica sand. It is transparent (known as fondant) and may be colored by adding metal oxides. Crushed to a fine powder and washed repeatedly, it is mixed with water to make a paste. After the surface of an object is meticulously prepared and a base coat added, the paste is applied to the areas to be enameled. Once dry, this paste is fired in a kiln at temperatures exceeding 800°C, fusing to the metal base and becoming extremely hard and stable. Depending on the intricacy of the design, a model can return to the kiln up to 12 times.
Baselworld 2019: In the cloisonné technique, a fine wire, usually gold, measuring less than 0.5 mm in diameter, is bent to form a design and fixed to a base plate coated with a ground layer of enamel. After the first firing, the cells formed by the wire partitions are filled with selected enamels. According to the type of enamel, the colours and the desired effect, several successive firings may be needed. With each firing, details are fine-tuned, colors evolve, and the final effect is enhanced, the play of transparency and depth intensified. Photo: ©Patek Philippe
Baselworld 2019: In champlevé enameling, the process is the same as regards filling the cells with enamel, but the base is engraved beforehand. This may be done mechanically for pieces produced in series, and for simple decorations on a flat surface or a basic shape. When something more intricate is required, this operation must be performed by hand. The enameler fills in the cells and colors them in all the desired shades. Photo: ©Patek Philippe
Enameling was stylish in the Byzantine era and blossomed at the end of the Middle Ages, particularly in regions where porcelain was made. But the technique remained in use until the present day, especially in watchmaking.
Baselworld 2019: Japanese Kimono Calatrava. The cloisonné enamel dial required eight enamel colours and 12 firings. Photo: ©Patek Philippe
Baselworld 2019: Paillonné enameling features a host of tiny pieces of gold leaf cut out in various forms. These little spangles, called paillons, are then embedded in layers of transparent enamel. Photo: ©Patek Philippe
The enameler uses one of four traditional techniques and sometimes a combination of them, but rare is the one able to master them all.
Baselworld 2019: Miniature painting on enamel is the rarest technique and it is distinct from the rest. In fact, it could be seen as another craft entirely. From the outset, the enamel is worked differently, being mixed with oil rather than water. It is then applied with a very fine brush on a ground layer of enamel. In this way, great works of art can be reproduced in miniature form, as can expressive portraits, landscapes, and crowd scenes. Photo: ©Patek Philippe
Baselworld 2019: Miniature Azulejo Paintings on Enamel Dial. Photo: ©Patek Philippe
Baselworld 2019: World Time in white gold, with a finely executed cloisonée enamel centre dial featuring a miniature map of Europe and Asia. Photo: ©Patek Philippe
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