The art of horology is a storied craft. Among the intricate techniques practised within watchmaking, the use of enamel is one of the oldest and most precious, with several of the delicate techniques emerging in the 17th and 18th centuries to decorate clocks and pocket watches.
Many of the skills developed more than 400 years ago are still used by luxury watch brands today. Here, we look at the revered techniques used in the rarefied world of haute horology.
Grand feu firing
Often combined with guilloche (mechanical or hand engraving) patterns, grand feu is the most widely used enamelling process. Minerals that make the coloured enamel are mixed with water and applied in successive layers to silver dial plates, which are fired between each layer at 800°C to form a smooth semi-translucent surface. An example of this process is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Precious Colours with the geometric-patterned backs.
The most popular techniques used by watchmakers are Cloisonne, Champleve, Paillonne and miniature painting, transforming timepieces into miniature artworks.
Grand feu cloisonne enamelling, which dates back at least to the Byzantine Empire, creates the contours of a motif with fine gold wire and then fills the resulting “cloisons” or cells with translucent, opaque or opalescent enamels. Vacheron Constantin uses the technique for the pictorial dials in its Metiers d’Art Tribute collection that displays ancient Chinese symbols.
At Patek Philippe, a Minute Repeater World Time features a cloisonne steamboat on Lake Geneva. Several Hermes equine dials have been created with a similar technique, as have the whimsical creatures in the Lady Arpels timepieces by Van Cleef & Arpels.
Champleve etching and paillonne embellishment
Champleve is equally popular with watchmakers; a process in which troughs or cells are carved or etched into a metal surface (dial or watchcase) and these are filled with vitreous enamel and fired to adhere.
The technique is often used to colour the dainty flowers and figures decorating the dials of a Dior Grand Soir Automate, Jaquet Droz automatons, and Van Cleef & Arpels’s Lady Arpels wristwatches, with the diamonds sometimes dropped into the still-soft enamel before it’s fully fired.
Paillonne, meanwhile, consists of embedding small gold or silver-leaf paillons (sparkles) in translucent enamel to illuminate the decoration and is used, for example, to create a starry night dial.
All these techniques are sometimes used in combination and require great skill, time and patience, with the risk that a succession of firings at high temperatures could easily cause the process to falter. There are few artisans who can master all these skills and most specialise in one or two.
Watch and jewellery maisons are committed to preserving these traditions, with Van Cleef & Arpels, for instance, bringing together craftsmen from metiers d’art disciplines such as enamel, marquetry, engraving and miniature painting into one of its Geneva workshops.
Miniature painting by hand
A completely different enamelling technique is miniature painting, where the coloured enamel is mixed with oil rather than water, making it possible to draw with a fine paintbrush a picturesque scene on a dial, which is then covered with clear enamel.
Vacheron Constantin, Hermes, Jaquet Droz and Ulysse Nardin are among the watchmakers who employ artists specialising in this extraordinary, delicate hand work and the subjects vary widely from seascapes to horses and dragons. Each one is unique.
Jaeger-LeCoultre recently released the Reverso Tribute enamel series that paid homage to Venice with three case-backs featuring different miniature reproductions of Claude Monet’s Venice Series, showcasing the artistic skills of the watchmaker’s Metiers Rares atelier. Each masterwork took the enameller 70 hours to reproduce.
One of the less traditional examples is from Swiss watchmaker Jaquet Droz, known for its automatons, who has recreated the Rolling Stones Some Girls album cover, which displays miniature paintings along with engraved gold miniatures of the band’s instruments that rotate the dial.
Patek Philippe shows several examples of delicate hand painting and other enamel techniques in their Rare Handcrafts exhibition, which opened in Geneva in April and is on a world tour. The brand is renowned for the rarity and exquisite artisanship of its wristwatches, dome clocks and pocket watches, providing a perfect canvas for its craftsmen.
Enamelling is a decorative technique that holds a significant place in Patek Philippe’s history, with imagery ranging from the constellations of the zodiac in Cloisonne on Calatrava wristwatches, to miniature hand-engraved and enamel Canaletto and Monet paintings on pocket watches. Such is the artistry of haute horology.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
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What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
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All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
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