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anOrdain makes its vitreous enamel dials by fusing powdered glass to a metal base in repeated kiln firings, then inspecting, repairing, sanding and refiring the surface until it is ready for printing and assembly. Its opaque dials use solid-colour enamel; its fumé dials use transparent enamel over a textured, domed silver base to create a gradient. The account below describes anOrdain’s own methods, not an independent workshop inspection or a universal recipe for enamel watch dials.
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What is a vitreous enamel watch dial?
Vitreous enamel, also called grand feu enamel, is glass fused to metal. It is not paint applied to a completed dial: powdered glass is fired until it melts and bonds to the metal beneath it. The term describes a material and process; makers may differ in their substrates, enamel composition and firing sequence.
For its opaque dials, anOrdain says it grinds lump enamel into powder, applies it to a metal base in successive layers and fires the dial at more than 830°C. The firing time depends on the enamel’s chemical composition. After each firing and cooling, the dial is inspected for bubbles and inclusions. Faults can be removed and refilled before another firing, with the sequence repeated until the colour depth and height are right. The final firing produces the sheen, according to the company’s enamelling process description.
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In a 2019 article, anOrdain said its process could involve up to eight layers and averaged 8–10 hours of enamellist work per dial. Those are the brand’s historical figures, not independently measured averages or a current production guarantee. Its 2019 account of enamel dials also describes hand work including preparing a copper blank, attaching dial feet, applying powder and sanding layers.
How is a grand feu enamel dial made?
Build and fire the enamel surface
The repeated cycle is central to the process: apply enamel, fire it, let it cool, inspect it, and correct defects or sand the surface before continuing. Heating and cooling can reveal flaws, and a dial may need to be restarted rather than finished. The temperature and timing cited above describe anOrdain’s own production, not a specification for every enamel dial.
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Print the dial markings
Once the enamel surface is ready, anOrdain pad-prints the markings. The company says it engraves a ceramic cliché plate to 24 microns (0.024 mm); ink transfers from the plate to a silicone pad and then onto the dial. Each printed dial is inspected before curing. To prevent smudging, anOrdain says it cures the ink in a kiln at up to 140°C for 40 minutes. Because handmade dials vary in shape and size, staff position them individually for printing. These are company-described steps on its dial-printing page.
Fit the dial into the watch
The dial then goes to watchmakers for assembly. anOrdain says its handmade enamel dials can have enough depth that movement wheels sometimes need changing so the hands pass freely above the dial. Its watchmaking page describes assembly in-house.
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What is different about anOrdain’s opaque and fumé dials?
| Approach | Base and enamel | Visible effect | Process detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opaque | Powdered enamel built in layers over a metal base | A solid-colour surface that covers the base | Repeated firing, inspection and correction build the finished surface, as described by anOrdain. |
| Fumé | Transparent enamel over a textured, domed silver base | A gradient through which the underlying silver contributes to the effect | anOrdain says the silver blank is stamped with a grained texture and polished before enamelling. |
The company says its fumé method developed after a silver blank warped and domed in the kiln. Once it was sanded flat, enamellers noticed a gradient effect and worked out how to reproduce it. In this process, silver and enamel expand and contract at different rates as they heat and cool, which can lead to cracks. anOrdain says the enamel can be as thin as one tenth of a millimetre in places, making crack control particularly difficult. These details describe the maker’s technique, not a general guarantee about every fumé dial. See the company’s fumé process description.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWhat is the difference between enamel and porcelain watch dials?
The words can be used loosely in watch conversation, but the materials are distinct. In anOrdain’s description, vitreous enamel is glass-based powder fused to a metal disc. Its porcelain dial is a clay body with a vitreous glaze fused to it. The company says its enamel process reaches about 840°C and its porcelain clay can be fired up to 1300°C; those are maker-stated temperatures for its processes, not universal figures for all enamel or porcelain dials.
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| Comparison | Vitreous enamel | Porcelain |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying body | Metal | Clay |
| Surface material | Glass-based enamel fused to the metal | Vitreous glaze fused to the clay body |
| anOrdain-stated process temperature | About 840°C, according to its process page | Clay can be fired up to 1300°C, according to its porcelain page |
When comparing two watches, look at the stated dial construction and visible finish, alongside the case size, movement and specifications, current availability and price. anOrdain’s pages do not establish a neutral, apples-to-apples durability ranking between its enamel and porcelain dials. Its material descriptions are on the enamel page and porcelain page.
Why are enamel dials difficult to make?
- Firing can expose defects. Bubbles, inclusions, cracks or unwanted warping can appear during the process. Correcting a flaw can mean removing and refilling material, sanding and firing again; some dials may have to be abandoned.
- Each layer affects the final surface. The maker must build the intended colour, height and finish through repeated applications and firings rather than simply coating a finished dial.
- Fumé adds a material-movement challenge. In anOrdain’s account, silver and enamel expand and contract differently, and the transparent layer can be exceptionally thin in places.
- Handmade variation continues downstream. The dial must be positioned individually for printing, and its depth can affect how the hands clear the surface after assembly.
In its 2019 account, anOrdain links the possibility of rejection and the amount of hand work to the difficulty and cost of dial production. That explains a constraint in this maker’s process; the available company accounts do not establish an industry-wide defect rate.
What does this mean for buying an anOrdain enamel watch?
Availability can change. When anOrdain’s FAQ was reviewed, it said enamel production was ongoing but enamel watches were subject to a waiting list because dial production was limited. The FAQ distinguished this from some Fabrik and Model 2 Porcelain watches, which it said could be in stock with lead times shown on product pages. Check the current FAQ and the individual product page for live status rather than treating that description as a current stock promise.
For historical context, anOrdain’s 2019 article places enamel dials near the end of the 17th century and says painted metal dials largely displaced them at the beginning of the 20th century. This is the brand’s published account, not an independently sourced history.
Where can you learn more about enamelling?
Sheila McDonald’s Creative Enamelling: Materials, Method and Magic is described by publisher The Crowood Press as a practical guide to enamelling materials and methods. It is general enamelling background, not a dedicated watch-dial production manual. See the publisher’s book page for its description and current availability.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
