What is an enamel dial?
A dial made by fusing powdered glass onto a metal plate in a kiln. Done properly, as grand feu enamel, it has a deep gloss and never fades.
Grand feu enamel
To make a grand feu dial, an enameller coats a metal base, usually copper or gold, with finely ground glass and fires it at around 800 °C, then repeats the process several times to build up a flawless layer. Bubbles, cracks or specks mean starting again, and reject rates are high, which is why real enamel dials are expensive. The result is a dial with a depth no paint can match, and colours that don't change for centuries.
Decorative techniques build on it: cloisonné uses fine wire to separate colours, champlevé fills hollows carved into the base, and flinqué puts translucent enamel over guilloché.
Enamel vs lacquer
Many 'enamel-look' dials are lacquer: paint built up in layers and polished. Lacquer is cheaper and still glossy, but softer and less deep. A few affordable watches use real enamel, Seiko's Presage enamel models among them, and that's where to start if you want the real thing without a luxury price.
Enamel dials in our catalog
3 current watches in our catalog have a dial described this way, least expensive first:
- Serica Ref. 7505-1 Chronometre Etanche, Noir Email 7505-1$1,290
- Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Series Enamel Dial SPB495$1,400
- Farer Resolute III W-RES-OPG—
Current watches in our catalog, which is weighted to popular enthusiast models.
Questions
- Can an enamel dial crack?
- Yes. Enamel is glass, so a hard knock can craze or chip it, and a cracked enamel dial can't be repaired invisibly. Treat the watch gently.