It almost goes without saying that here at Wound For Life, we tend to focus on the celebration of the tool watch, and watches generally built with a utilitarian purpose in mind. Now, with that said, by no means do we turn a blind eye to the marvels of haute horology and joaillerie, as at the end of the day, some of these pieces are utterly mind blowing. One perfect example of such non-mechanical artistry and craftsmanship in watchmaking, is cloisonné. This delicate, age-old art has been used in producing some of the most alluring watch dials of the past century, and their recorded prices surely reflect this. Without delay, let’s take a closer look at the manufacturing process, and history of this remarkable feat of human creative brilliance.

Cloisonné gets its name from the French word “cloister”, meaning ‘to separate’, which is in reference to the gold wire “cloisons” that are used to separate the sections of enamel. Although these designs truly come to life when they emerge from the kiln after being inlaid, the initial process of setting the cloisons to the gold base dial is crucial, as it ultimately determines the desirability of a piece. Setting the cloisons is an extremely difficult process due to the soft nature of gold wire, and the laborious task of forming shapes, and creating textures.

After the setting of several cloisons is complete, next comes the seemingly simpler, yet far more complex, undertaking of filling the respective sections with enamel. Typically, the enamels used in watchmaking will begin as a powder, and will then come into form with the addition of small amounts of water. The artisan builds up layers of the enamel paste within the compartments, and to set them, fires the enamel repeatedly in the kiln. Different colors and textures will be applied at specific points, along with incredibly thin gold leaf “paillons”, to create a captivating aesthetic. These final steps “seal the deal”, so to speak, in the production of a piece of functional art that can be worn daily on the wrist.

Some of our favorite watches to make use of this spectacular art, both vintage and modern, and come from the usual suspects: Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Rolex. Firstly, you really can’t deny the perfect proportions and overall appearance of the Patek 5131G. Upon its initial release, this reference quickly became somewhat of an instant classic, and is now highly sought after by collectors. Vacheron’s superb use of cloisonné can be seen through their 2013 SIHH novelty, simply known as “The Fish”. This piece takes a completely different approach to the enamelling process, and challenges the art through an increased level of intricacy. Lastly, but certainly not leastly, is the 1949 Rolex 5029/5028 that we saw in last year’s Geneva auction. This incredible piece with a dial depicting a whale travelling alongside a ship in the sea sold for an astonishing $1.2 million, and surely left a mark on the market for cloisonné-dialed watches.

What we find so genuinely remarkable about watches with cloisonné dials is the fact that each one is effectively a unique piece. With each dial being worked on individually — one hundred percent by hand — ensures you’ll never find two alike. What’s more, their limited numbers across all the brands makes never seeing another out in the wild a safe bet. The work that goes into each and every dial is nothing short of arduous, and is most definitely deserving of respect and admiration from watch lovers of all sorts.

Featured photo courtesy of Horbiter.

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