PeterCDE
10167
A very short introduction of GP´s new in-house enamel-making department
Dear enthusiasts,
it is an outstanding pleasure for me to share some preliminary insights and informations to what i regard one of the greatest achievements by GIRARD-PERREGAUX lately.
And this time, it´s an almost quiet sensation!
Dials account for much of the final appearance of a watch; it may be the most important watch component in terms of design and hence it is no surprise that GP always went a long way to ensure only the finest dials are used.
But dials can be small items of artisanery and craftmanship too, representing centuries-old traditions and manufacturing methods.
There are many ways to add numbers, signatures or designs to a dial. And there´s a variety of almost ancient production methods to make them look interesting and nice, such as "guilloche work" (engine turning).
And that´s not for cheap; a truly high-grade hand-made guilloche dial easily can be as much as 2.000 swiss francs!
But to me, there´s no other material than enamel to go with the eternal idea of a fine wristwatch.
A fine watch is not a disposable item; it´s made to withstand time, despite the fact it needs a little attention here and then. Nonetheless, a fine watch can be repaired and last for decades and centuries; all those beautiful artefracts of past watchmaking skills, still alive and kicking today, really do proof this long-term perspective.
In terms of a dial, the most significant design element of a watch usually doesn´t share this - a dial suffering from age needs to be replaced and very rarely can be repaired.
This is where the enamel work becomes important.
Full-fire enamel basically means melted glass; a metal base is covered by a glossy thick layer of melted glass, which usually is coloured.
Glass is a very brittle, but also very hard cristalline structure. It´s capable to withstand moisture, heat, many acids and almost every thread apart from direct mechanical impacts. It will not tarnish and does not need to be freshened up. Simply said, a fine enamel dial is almost indestructible and will last centuries, which is what many historic enamel dials still do today.
And if it´s there´s one thing to go with a fine watch made to last, it´s certainly a dial that will take any test of time.
Unfortunately enamelling is an almost lost art.
There are few enamellers and the old craftmanship almost died in the 1970´s and only a handfull (probably less) of craftsmen remained in business after the "quartz crisis". The effect came to show subsequently; when the art of enamel-making is not carried out, there are few to hand down their wisdom and experience.
And exactly this is what is needed to create a genuine full-fire enamel dial! It´s not only applying some glass powder on a metal base and expose it to fire, but even the most simple aspects require thorough know-how. That´s starting with coloured enamel, be it white, eggshell or any more vivid colour one wishes to use. Enamel means melting and despite the base being cristalline, genuine enamel tends to change it´s appearance and colouration when it´s exposed to the oven.
The firing process itself is not less challenging, as the enamel contracts during the firing and easily breaks, in which case the whole dial is lost no matter how much time was spent on it before.
To me, it is both the longevity aspect and the skills required that make genuine full-fire enamel dials stand out; it´s an art not less than the art of a watchmaker. And it´s a very rare art today.
Because of this, i´m particularly happy to share some insights and informations about the in-house enamelling department of Girard-Perregaux!
And here we go:
There´s more to come, including the application - which resulted in some of the most beautiful timepieces by GP ever made. This will include at least to very very limited edition (each a handfull of pieces only).
I do hope you´re now excited to await further coverage during SIHH 2008 
Greetings from Germany,
Peter
