It’s often the fine details that give a luxury watch that special something. When the dial of a watch plays perfectly with the light falling on it, it’s often thanks to a sunburst finish, probably the best-known finish in the industry. Somewhat more hidden, but no less sought-after, are Geneva stripes, a decorative finish that is mainly used on watch movements. Whether visible to the naked eye or hidden from sight, decorative finishings are a wonderful feature, and give watches a special radiance and value. We’re taking a closer look at finishes today and sharing our favorites.
Sunburst Finish
The sunburst finish is the most popular finish on round surfaces. It’s often used on gear wheels and dials because it creates a beautiful effect: move a dial with a sunburst finish, and the reflected light turns in a circle. This brings the dial to life, lending elegance to every timepiece that has it. This finish can be machined, which is why it can be found on entry-level watches such as many of Seiko’s quartz watches.
In the case of high-end luxury watches, this finish is often applied by hand. Here, the sunburst effect is created with a metal brush and abrasive paste, requiring a very steady hand. The result is incredibly fine and allows for even more delicate plays of light than with machine-finished dials. You can see this with the watches in Patek Philippe’s Grand Complications collection.
Geneva Stripes
Geneva stripes, also known as Côtes de Genève or scalloped edges, are probably the most common decorative finish on movement components. Rotating, slightly inclined sanding heads are guided in parallel lines over the part being finished, resulting in straight, wide, slightly overlapping stripes, and achieving a wavy effect. When used on dials (which is rarely done), they radiate simple elegance. Jacquet Droz in particular knows how to showcase this decorative touch.
Perlage
Perlage is a classic decorative cut used for movement components. Here, the surfaces are decorated with round swirls that overlap to form a pattern. This can also be found on affordably-priced watches where the perlage is applied by machine. High-end watch perlage, however, is applied by hand. This is a challenge because of the positioning of each element; the alignment and overlap must be perfectly even for each swirl to have the same depth and intensity. Perlage is a discipline in itself, mastered only by a few artisans. Chopard is particularly famous for its handcrafted perlage, as seen with its L.U.C. models. This finish has special appeal for connoisseurs: there are never two identical hand-finished perlage pieces.
Exceptions also prove the rule when it comes to perlage. Chopard uses it on its dials, as seen with select versions of the Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph.
More Decorative Finishes
There are a number of other finishing techniques. For example, circular sanding of brass parts produces fine circular lines. There are countless finishing techniques available for watches. High-end timepieces in particular often have highly customized finishes that make each piece unique. Of course, this also depends on the material being worked on. It’ll be interesting to see what new finishing techniques will be used on watches in the coming years as the industry continues to experiment with new materials.
Mirror Polishing
Mirror polishing, also known as black polishing, is another great finishing technique. Here, a surface is polished to the point where it either absorbs all the light falling on it, or brightly reflects it back. Depending on the surrounding light, this kind of polished surface can shimmer black. This technique requires a high level of craftsmanship and, above all, plenty of patience, which is why it’s often reserved for components like tourbillon bridges.
Guilloche and Laser Engraving
Have you thought of some other ways of decorating dials? For example, guilloché (fine line engraving) or laser engravings (to name just two).
Summary
Watch finishing refines movements and other components using a wide variety of techniques. It’s truly a horological world unto itself. Take the time to explore this world and the wide variety of watches that feature these amazing finishes. We promise you: It’ll be time well spent. Why not start with the watch on your wrist? It’s a great way to get to know it better. What finishing techniques do you see on it? We think you’ll appreciate your watch even more when you realize how much time and care goes into creating each element.
