THE ART OF THE DIAL

More than mechanical, there's another kind of savoir-faire that turns a magnificent timepiece into a wearable work of art.

- COLIN GOMEZ

Watchmaking as a whole is an art in and of itself. Mechanical movements with myriad complications are what command the eye-watering sums as well as the fascination of horological enthusiasts everywhere. Inferior to quartz movements in accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and just general sensibility, they exist purely for the sake of themselves. And in some ways, that is as pure as art gets.

But we’re not here to talk about balance wheels and coaxial escapements, no, today we’re going to be exploring that facet of watchmaking that would more readily resonate with a wider audience (and not just watch purists) as art. That facet would be the dial, the most visible part of a watch and its face so to speak. Long having been a canvas for the great watchhouses of the world to explicate their artistry, a dial forms the basis for a horologer to communicate its values, to portray the symbols they embody, and to make tangible their interpretation of the times. In short, to make their mark.

The art inherent in watchmaking is most readily apparent in its dials, the face of the watch, serving as its canvas for expression and leaving the first impression on the wearer. Craftsmanship and creativity enable these small, yet significant components to transcend mere time-telling pragmatism and transform themselves into works of art.

One such house revered for its artistry in this regard is Grand Seiko. Often drawing inspiration from nature, Grand Seiko has a habit of collecting a slice of the Japanese landscape and distilling it into a disc of charmingly bucolic beauty that just so happens to do something so trivial as tell you the time. Take the Omiwatari for instance. In most winters, the water of Lake Suwa freezes over and, in most years, a long ridge forms in the ice from one side of the lake to the other.