For me, the appeal of a watch’s dial is perhaps its biggest selling point. Too bland and I’m not interested, too busy and it’s not for me. There’s a fine line between pleasure and pain. Luckily for me, though, it’s always a pleasure when I get a chance to spend some time with the Seiko Presage collection, which combines the Japanese brand’s love of traditional craftsmanship and their mechanical know-how with an affordable price tag. Once available only in Japan, the collection was finally made available to the rest of the world in 2016. And let me tell you, this year’s addition had me at its dial. Crafted using Shippo enamel – a method developed in 17th century Japan – each engraved dial measures no more than 1mm thick and is made by craftsmen at the Japanese specialist manufacturer Ando Cloisonné, which was founded in the 19th century. First hand-painted with a lead-free glaze, and then fired at 800 degrees Celsius. The entire process must be repeated several times to ensure an evenness of the enamel, before finally being polished to reveal the delicate radiating pattern below. The finished product is a sight to behold, and one that, frankly, shows…
The post HANDS-ON: Three hands and a whole lot of dial – the Seiko Presage Shippo Enamel Limited Edition SPB075 appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.