The double-layered enamel dial and lifelike moving figures, both handcrafted using cloisonné enamel techniques, bring the concept of the passage of time to life. The intricate and delicate cloisonné enamel technique is vividly used, and it is absolutely the perfect crystallization of beauty and craftsmanship.

Painting enamel is very different between the two processes. The so-called painting enamel, that is, painting directly with enamel color, its process is that the embryo is first burned with a layer of opaque enamel glaze as the bottom layer, and then painted, fired in the kiln. At the end of the 17th century, painted enamel was brought to China by Western missionaries and merchants.

Miniature-painted enamel is one of the seven major techniques of Genevan watchmaking. At the end of the 18th century, the master enamellers of Geneva created "paintings under a colorless transparent glaze", distinguished by the precision of their artistic creations and the enduring captivating appearance.

The miniature painted enamel is first covered with a distortion-resistant enamel glaze on the metal dial, resulting in a disc without a single blemish. The painter applies several layers of white enamel glaze to the surface before he begins painting. The painter uses a special needle pen and high-powered microscope magnification as an aid, and paints carefully for weeks or even months.

It is then roasted at high temperatures to increase the color until it shines brightly. Because the color change of each glaze is different after heating, it often requires multiple coloring and multiple firing to complete.

Completing a miniature painted enamel disc is much more difficult than assembling a tourbillon movement, takes a long time, has a high obsolescence rate, and is much more difficult to train a painter than a watchmaker, all of which contribute to the high value of miniature painted enamel watches.

Jaeger LeCloutre is one of the few brands that has matured into this traditional technology. In 2009, Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the MasterMinuteRepeater, which once again showcased its astonishing technical prowes.

Jaeger-LeCoultre has chosen four classic paintings of Venus, the goddess of love, centered around the Italian Renaissance, the Spanish Academy, and French Classicism: Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus", Titian's "Venus of Urbino", Velázquez's "Venus in front of the Mirror" and Ingres's "Venus Rising from the Sea".

The delicate miniature paintings create an incomparably graceful gesture that is firing through the layers of enamel to express a magical depth and density. Simply turn the watch in the light and you can spot a wealth of color differences.

Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin, the famous Swiss watch brand, launched a series of watches in 2005 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of its founding, among which the Les Metiersd'Art collection is the most stunning.

Les Metiers d'Art, translated as Master of the Art of Watchmaking, combines art and craftsmanship with a greater focus on the artistic value of the craft, further emphasizing the timelessness and unique personality of Vacheron Constantin products.

The central enamel motif of Les Metiersd'Art is a set of four Les Metiersd'Art, featuring the sun god Apollo in a Roman chariot, with different metal casings (yellow, rose and white gold) and different backgrounds and colours, symbolizing the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Each 40 mm diameter Les Metiers d'Art enamel watch is equipped with a self-winding Caliber 2460 calibre manufactured by Stanton and has a power reserve of 43 hours. Limited edition of 12 sets worldwide.

The Tiger Stripes Bespoke Painted Watch is powered by Piaget's in-house Tourbillon 608P hand-wound calibre, which has established an extraordinary position in the tourbillon world. With the tourbillon cage placed at the end of the minute hand, the tourbillon cage rotates once per minute and follows the minute hand once per hour on the dial.

The tourbillon cage made of three titanium is housed in a movement decorated with Côtes de Genève and finished with blued screws and chamfered bridges. Crafted from 18-carat yellow gold and finished with a champlevé enamel technique, Piaget is a limited edition of the Tourbillon Tiger Print. Jaeger-LeCoultre ultra-thin enamel painted clear flower wrists.

Jaeger-LeCoultre's limited-edition MasterUltraThin Enamel Painted Flowers collection is a set of eight exquisite watches inspired by famous Chinese artworks from the Qing Dynasty, including paintings by Lingnan masters Ju Lian and Yun Shouping and Qianlong enamel porcelain from the Qing Dynasty.

Through the firing of the layers of enamel, the paintings on the surface express a magical depth and three-dimensionality, and the richness of color can be found by simply turning the watch in the light.

With the meticulous skills of the artists, the flowers, birds, butterflies and bees painted by Ju Lian and Yun Shouping are vividly displayed in front of their eyes, and the exquisite craftsmanship of the enamel artists fully reveals the artistic conception and feelings of the master's brush, allowing fans to appreciate the unique beauty of the master's works.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre MasterUltraThin Enamel Painted Flower collection is powered by the hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre 849 calibre. Since its creation in 1994, this movement has been renowned in the world of fine craftsmanship and is a legend among lovers of Haute Horlogerie.

Composed of 123 parts and 21,600 vibrations per hour, the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 849 is one of the thinnest movements in the world of watchmaking at just 1.85 mm thick.

In order to control the thickness of the movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre equipped it with a barrel without a bridge, as well as a sized-down escapement. The limited edition Jaeger-LeCoultre MasterUltraThin is presented in an elegant 18-carat rose gold case set with sparkling diamonds and a noble alligator leather strap. This precious and exquisite collection is complemented by a unique box that gives the collection a special value.

Combining exceptional craftsmanship with unrivalled precision, the Athens Classico "Santa Maria" Gilded Limited Edition is based on this noble ship and its adventures. Using traditional and precious cloisonné enamel techniques, combined with the meticulous art of enamel, this watch celebrates the bravery of Santa Maria.

Athenian craftsmen use bright colors, the mast and sails of the Santa Maria are erected against the backdrop of a deep blue sky, the flag fluttering in the wind at the top of the mast, and the turquoise sea splashing against the wooden hull of the ship.

In addition to its striking appearance, the watch is also equipped with a precise movement. Powered by the UN-815 automatic calibre, chronometer-certified COSC, it has a power reserve of 42 hours. Available in 18-carat white gold or rose gold, each limited edition of 30 pieces.

In my opinion, the application of enamel to the dial is one of the most professional craftsman's skills. There are also various specific techniques for enamel, but most of them are inseparable from the "high temperature" setting. The wonderful part lies in the whole process of burning paper.

In some cases, several layers are to be made, and each layer is heated. It's a laborious process, and anything unusual means having to start all over again. Due to the technical requirements and the time it takes and wastes, these types of watches are expensive.

Why? An all-white enamel dial has a very elegant and delicate decorative surface, unlike any other type of white decoration. Colored enamel dials have similarly distinctive features. To name a few of the exceptional dials that have been crafted using different enamel techniques and decorative techniques, it would be a good example.

Graff is a regular visitor to Basel, a luxury brand that has released several Métiers d'Art watches with different hand-painted techniques. As the name suggests, this dial is a tribute to street art with this vibrant modern design.

The dial is made using a rarely used cold enamel technique, which is heated to a relatively low temperature of 180 degrees Celsius, creating a very smooth and lustrous surface.

This watch is produced in a limited edition, and there are at least 10 colors on each product, and all of them are different. Before the enamel is made, the base plate of the dial is carved by hand. The relief is then further made by miniature painting on the enamel surface. It took up to 40 hours to complete one of these dials.

The blue enamel dial on this watch was supplied by the processing unit Donzé Cadrans, a unit specializing in the production of hand-enameled dials for all Athens. dFeu (translated as "big fire") requires a high-temperature kiln to melt the enamel powder.

The dial is heated layer by layer, and each layer is heated to a very high temperature. This repeated roasting eventually allows the enamel to settle and therefore does not crack over a long period of time. The flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock is homemade.

The elegance of the sheer white enamel dial is the main feature of this ultra-thin tourbillon watch. This ingenious design is a hand-cut tourbillon rod topped by a spinel placed at 5 o'clock. The dial ring, which displays Arabic numerals in the Breguet style, faces the tourbillon at 11 o'clock, off-centre.

The thickness of this watch is 7.45 mm, and the thickness of the 581 calibre is 3 mm. The 217th anniversary of the patent for the tourbillon, a revolutionary invention by Abraham Louis Breguet, is fascinating to commemorate the "Tourbillon Day" and to add a watch with both mechanical and artistic beauty.

Like all Greubel Forsey timepieces, this watch is a highly inspired product with features that combine mechanical innovation with a modern aesthetic. On this case, enamel plays a very subtle but important role in this three-dimensional appearance.

The dial that covers the half of the surface is made of black gold. In contrast to this section are the white minute track, numerals, indexes and power reserve, all made using the Grand Feu technique, carved into a hollow effect and filled with enamel. The lower part of the watch reveals the movement.

Dials made of enamel rarely appear in the low price range, limited by cost. The price difference between the enamel dial and the ordinary dial is too large, and the price of the watch is naturally rising, which is one of the reasons why many enthusiasts are discouraged. Even among the people, there are many enthusiasts who are excellent in enamel skills, but they cannot solve the problem of "movement" well, especially when it comes to polishing and complications. It will take a long time for enamel to be smelted.

Enamel, also known as "enamel" in English, was originally a craft introduced to China by ancient Persia. It is transliterated as "franc" or "franc". Because the enamel looks like porcelain and has the moistness of jewelry and jade, people added the word "king" next to it, and it became the word "enamel" today.

Specifically, the enamel process is made by mixing metal oxides such as quartz, putting them into a container and then adding water to grind them into powder, mixing them with oil and turning them into vitreous paints, and then applying them to the outside of the metal or porcelain carcass like oil paintings, and then firing them in a furnace kiln.

Enamel has the warmth of jade, the brilliance of jewelry, the delicacy of bone china, and most importantly, the material is timeless and does not oxidize and fade. Even after hundreds of years, the bright colors of enamel do not fade. The enamel watch, which is fully hand-painted, cannot be replaced by any machine today, and how to appreciate and collect it has become an important science. It has also become a unique landscape in luxury watches.

As early as the 13th century, the art of enamelling appeared and flourished in ancient Persia. At that time, the enamel process was mainly used for vessels and furniture, and was not yet used to paint dials. Modern enamelling began at the end of the 15th century, and at the beginning of the most turbulent period in the history of European civilization, the delicate art of enamel reached its most glorious moment.

It was during that period that Spanish and Portuguese navigators embarked on long journeys and adventures to explore continents that were still unknown at the time. In order to meet the needs of the Age of Discovery, enamel was widely used to decorate the dials of pocket watches.

It is no accident that the technique of miniature enamel was used in horology, a worldwide breakthrough that was inextricably linked to Geneva in the 15th century. At the time, enamel technology was mainly used for fine ornaments and jewelry, but with the rise of the watchmaking industry in the 17th century, it underwent a major revolution. This gave rise to a technique of clockly decoration that used a paintbrush to draw miniature paintings on enamel.

Founded in Geneva in 1755 by Vacheron Constantin, the world's most famous watch brand, around the same time, Genevan miniature painters were perfecting a melting technique called "Geneva enamel" in order to create a decorative effect similar to a transparent glaze, thus protecting and enhancing the miniature painted motifs underneath.

Regardless of the technology, it requires a long period of preparation. This work requires patience and precision, and Vacheron Constantin provides a platform for the development of miniature painters. Today, Vacheron Constantin remains one of the few watch manufacturers in the world to offer fine enamel dials.

This technique is the result of centuries of experience of Geneva's top artisans. The details of the miniature enamel technique can still be found in Vacheron Constantin's timepieces, from simple flowers or wreaths to richly coloured openwork and carved spiral motifs, stunning miniature portraits and landscapes.

At the end of the 17th century, the art of painting enamel was introduced to China by Western missionaries and merchants, and was later introduced to the imperial palace due to the favor of the Qing imperial family. Created in 1848 by Vacheron Constantin for the Chinese market, this pocket watch is made of yellow gold with an enamel motif (flowers and two white doves), a bow, bezel and pendant on the periphery of the case set with semi-pearls, and a white enamel dial with 12 Roman numerals. Even after the catastrophe of 1848, thousands of fine enamels were preserved in the Forbidden City.

Nowadays, high-tech watchmaking is rampant, and the role of human beings has been reduced to almost the lowest level in history, which can only be compared with the quartz era. Most of the watches are cold, and there is no artistic atmosphere brought out by popularity. The all-hand-painted enamel table gives a warm feeling and is worth admiring and playing.

If you are interested, you can take a walk around the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, where there are twenty or thirty enamel pocket watches created from the 60s to the 80s of the last century. After I read it, I suddenly had a feeling of "enlightenment", is it difficult to make a perpetual calendar chronograph? Difficult. But compared to a miniature enamel watch of this level, it is too easy. Because it is not difficult to find machines and people who make high-complexity watches, there are only a handful of people who can draw this kind of enamel painting.

In addition to the control of the color, the most important thing during the production of the enamel watch is to have a high degree of polishing skills in the oil stone, eliminating bubbles or sand holes, and making the whole plane smooth and bright. Legendary enameller Suzanne Rohr once said that when her polisher left, she couldn't even paint anymore.

We are now unable to see enamel paintings on a par with pocket watches. The enameller is a monk halfway through, and he doesn't have the heart to paint a good picture, let alone imitate a master's work. It's not easy to draw, and polishing is definitely not done.

Therefore, in addition to bubbles, the surface of the moon is also uneven when viewed from the side. Therefore, some people threaten that the smooth one is not real enamel - save some money to buy a high-quality Patek Philippe and look at it.

The situation that high-quality miniature watches are hard to find will definitely continue. I think the conditions for change are almost completely non-existent.

A certain brand makes a lot of this kind of watch, but the work is a little better, but it is not satisfactory. I happily chose a famous painting and ordered one, but I didn't wear it for a second after I got it. Take a look at the latest chapters of "Dream Claw Book House in the Great Era" and read it for free for the first time.