One of the aspects that make watchmaking a real art is represented by the finishes that can be found on the components of the calibers and on the dials of the timepieces.
The finishes in watchmaking, in fact, are the maximum expression of the work of watchmakers, aimed at decorating and embellishing the watches they build.
Although nowadays, most of them have a purely decorative meaning, some were originally aimed at ensuring a better functioning of the calibers, by capturing the grains of dust inside the case between the components of the movement.
Today we at IWS will tell you what are the main types of finishes that can be found on the movements and dials of watches!
1. Perlage
To begin with, we start with one of the most easily recognizable types of finish: perlage.
The perlage decoration is made up of many very fine concentric circles that together form “rosettes”. These rosettes are placed side by side, often partially overlapping, and can follow a concentric trend towards the outside or follow the shapes of the component they decorate.
The beauty of the perlage lies in the way in which the succession of thin concentric lines create a contrast of light and shadow, helping to give a sense of greater depth to the movement of the timepiece; it is for this reason, in fact, that the perlage finish is often used on the bridges of the.
Nowadays this finish is achieved through special tools, which makes perlage a very common decoration in contemporary watchmaking; in fact, it can also be found on simple calibers, not widely decorated. Nonetheless, the value of perlage is widely recognized even by the most prestigious watchmakers, who use it to decorate their in-house calibers.
2. Côtes de Genève
After introducing you to the perlage decoration, I could only follow up with another great type of finish: the côtes de Genève.
The côtes de Genève finish is recognized by its traditional parallel engravings. This decoration, in fact, is made up of numerous thin vertical streaks, placed side by side. As in the case of the perlage finish, this decoration is also generally applied to the fixed components of the calibers, to which the côtes de Genève give greater dynamism.
Furthermore, although nowadays the côtes de Genève finish has a purely decorative function, initially this finish was created by the Geneva artisans to capture the grains of dust inside the caliber of the timepiece and avoid that these could compromise its correctness. operation.
The côtes de Genève decoration can be achieved through an abrasive stone with which part of the material is removed from the surface of the decorated component. Also for this reason, côtes de Genève are applied to the thickest components of a caliber, including for example bridges.
An interesting variation of the côtes de Genève finish is represented by the côtes circulaires decoration. Like the côtes de Genève, the côtes circulaires are thin lines incised parallel, however unlike the first they are not vertical but, as the name suggests, circular.
3. Guilloché
Guilloché is certainly one of the most fascinating types of finishes.
This finish is also generally used to decorate some components of the movements, but it can also be recognized on the dials of more elaborate timepieces.
The guilloché finish consists of an incision of straight or curved lines which, when intertwined, form almost hypnotic textures. The guilloché decorations are made using special machinery which, however, must be guided by the expert hand of a craftsman.
For this reason, guilloché remains one of the most refined types of finishes. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the workmanship often decorates the oscillating masses of the most precious automatic calibers.
Moving from the movement to the dial, a particular type of guilloché decoration much appreciated by enthusiasts is the tapisserie. And when it comes to tapisserie dials, there are those who think of Audemars Piguet and those who lie.
This type of finish, in fact, has become the trademark of the watchmaker of Le Brassus, which uses it to decorate most of the timepieces in the Royal Oak collection.
The tapisserie dials are characterized by the presence of many, small pieces that characterize the surface. In addition to embellishing the dial of the timepiece, the finish of the tapisserie dials gives a sense of greater depth to the dial itself, also creating wonderful contrasts between light and shadow.
Among the most typical Guillochè finishes we must certainly mention the Clou De Paris style. A finish characterized by a pattern composed of very small “pyramids” with a square base. This finish was recently used for the new Calatrava 6119G and 6119R
4. Satin
The Satin finish is perhaps one of the simplest processes that can be found in watchmaking, so much so that it is often not even defined as a real decoration.
In fact, it consists of nothing more than a light satin finish. However, its complexity should not be underestimated; in fact, this type of satin finish, since it is used to refine the components of the movements, is much finer than that generally used to make the case of a watch.
Furthermore, given the fineness of the satin finish, the components worked with this technique tend to reflect the light as if they were shiny and not satin.
5. Soleil
Like the guilloché finish, the soleil decoration is also a type of finish that lends itself to being created both inside the movements and on the dials of timepieces.
As the name suggests, the finish resembles the sun’s rays. It consists of a very light satin finish that originates in one point and spreads in a radial pattern on the rest of the surface on which this finish is made.
The beauty of the soleil finish lies in the way in which it manages to change the color of the component on which it is applied, obviously thanks to the way in which the light is reflected. As a result, a blue dial can get beautiful black or blue shades depending on how the light hits it.
6. Anglage
Although it is not a real decoration, the anglage deserves to be mentioned when it comes to finishing in watchmaking.
The term anglage refers to the processes aimed at smoothing the edges of the movement components of a timepiece. In addition to creating refined contrasts between surfaces, this finish reduces the potential friction between elements of a watch’s caliber.
There are different types of anglage finishes and their complexity varies according to the type of bevel to be obtained and the required processing. One of the main types of anglage is chanfrein (i.e. caulking) which requires the edge to be worked in order to obtain an angle of 45 degrees.
7. Engraving
The last finishing technique we mention is probably the finest and most refined. Through the incision a, which consists in removing material from specific points of the components, decorations are obtained that leave you speechless.
An example is the decoration obtained on this pocket Breguet … real Art. There are different types of techniques for making an engraving, among the three most important are:
Soft cut or carving : consists of fine lines made with a burin.
Relief or embossed : the material is removed through a chisel to create a bas-relief effect and expose the design on the surface.
Champlevè: made with a flat chisel that digs more important grooves.
Through engraving, any component of the watch can be decorated: the movement, the oscillating weight, the dial or the case. In addition to creating designs and images, engraving is also widely used to sign or engrave dedications on special timepieces.
Final take
Although they may seem an element of secondary importance, the decoration and finishing techniques of the watches represent an inestimable functional and aesthetic value.
Some of these techniques keep the world tied to the tradition of the past and enhance the timepieces that present them by imbuing them with a timeless charm, others keep the world tied to the tradition of the past and enhance the timepieces that present them by imbuing them with a timeless charm…
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