On a bright January day I had the chance to spend time in DeLaneau's Geneva headquarters. Here, above the brand's elegant boutique, I spent time finding out how enamel dials are made.
DeLaneau is fortunate to have its own team of in-house artists who are keeping alive the art of enamelling. The team practices the craft of miniature painting using enamel powders as well as different techniques such as plique-à-jour and pailloné enamelling. I learned about the intricacies of each step in the highly specialised and demanding, as well as risky process of miniature enamel painting, from grinding lumps of coloured glass in an old-fashioned pestle and mortar through to final firing and polishing,
I also had the chance to watch the artists in action, using binocular magnifying equipment as they patiently applied the enamel paint to the small surface of a gold disc that will become the watch dial. See for yourself how each DeLaneau enamel dial is a work of art in its own right.
