Enamel: worth its weight in gold

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Classico Manufacture - Ulysse Nardin
2 minutes read
A watch with manufacture movement and grand feu enamel dial generally costs an arm and a leg. But not if it comes from Ulysse Nardin.

Watch enthusiasts are resigned to the fact that enamel dials are costly to produce, and the watches that have them are commensurately more expensive. To add insult to injury, they are generally also reserved for high-end watches, often with grand complications, which doesn’t make it any easier to get hold of one. But times change, and rules are made to be broken. The reprobate under consideration is called Ulysse Nardin. For the second time the Le Locle watchmaker is offering a timepiece with a beautiful grand feu enamel dial at a moderate, one might even say reasonable, price. The first time they did this was in 2009, with the Classico Chronometer watch, which was fitted with an off-the-shelf movement. In the meantime, Ulysse Nardin has built up a complete range of exclusive manufacture movements.

The Classico Manufacture therefore offers a particularly tempting set of features, both inside and out. Inside there is the UN-320 calibre, an automatic movement with silicon escapement, which the company uses in its ladies’ watches and smaller-sized men’s timepieces. The outside comprises a slim and elegant 40 mm Classico case, with a depth of just 9.60 mm. This case generally features in extremely high-end watches, paired with a grand feu enamel dial, which is one of Ulysse Nardin’s specialities.

Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture

The company owns Donzé Cadrans, the biggest independent manufacturer of enamel dials (possibly the biggest dial manufacturer full stop, it’s hard to say). This is where all of Ulysse Nardin’s limited editions in cloisonné or champlevé enamel come from – they are produced in-house. The dial of the Classico Manufacture is made of luminously pure white grand feu enamel. Its cool lustre is heightened by the contrasting blue numerals. To the naked eye, the result is beautifully crisp with a milky glow, and just the right illusion of depth. This quality also holds up under the loupe, where examination of the recessed small seconds confirms that this is certainly not a budget dial.

Ulysse Nardin Classico Manufacture

The inset subdial is not an insignificant detail. Producing a grand feu enamel dial is difficult enough. Successive high-temperature firings, temperamental materials and an entirely artisanal process in which, for every successful dial, three go in the bin, explains why these beautiful objects come at a price. Adding a different level means cutting out the dial and affixing an extra piece, which has to be fired according to the same procedure, further increasing the risk of wastage. Even Donzé Cadrans, with its wealth of expertise, is not immune to this problem. In Europe, the Classico Manufacture costs € 8,500 all in, including an exclusive in-house movement. This price is equivalent to (or less than) the supplement that most watchmakers would charge for the enamel dial alone. Only 170 will be made. You’d better be quick.

 

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