The unalterable shine of enamel

Enamel is an age-old art that watchmaking adopted in the 17th century. Opaque or translucent, the traditional material is composed of various minerals to which metallic oxides are added according to the desired color. Reduced to powder and liquefied with oil or water, it is applied with a brush and vitrified at very high temperatures, from 500 to 800 degrees. It is applied in layers and fired in successive high-risk firings.

It takes extraordinary skill to master the different kiln times for different colors. With each and every pass, down to the last, the slightest error can wipe out a job on which hours or days have already been spent. In the end, enamel dials have the appearance of glass penetrated by light, an incomparable depth and brilliance that they will retain indefinitely. At Donzé Cadrans, we produce dials in “Grand Feu” enamel, uniform and monochrome, and dials with enamel motifs which, if they are themselves made in Grand Feu, are qualified according to the decoration technique used: flinqué, champlevé or cloisonné enamel dials. On enamel dials, numerals, indexes and other inscriptions are transferred or applied. When done by hand, the transfer is made using a very special technique known as tampography. The pad is a small, flexible gelatin ball with which an imprint is made on an engraved, ink-coated matrix, then transferred by pressure to the dial. Precision and regularity are essential.

The inks used by Donzé Cadrans are either enamel, which requires a further oven treatment, or
acrylic paint. As for the appliques, these are metal parts that add relief to the dials in which they are riveted. Although tiny, they can be sophisticated, with facets or elaborate shapes, such as logos, and contrasting finishes. To fit them, the enamel has to be pierced, a very delicate operation, as once again, the work can be irreversibly damaged. It’s a particularly difficult exercise, which illustrates the complexity of the enameller’s ancestral know-how, which gives the dials their unalterable brilliance.

A recognized talent
Donzé Cadrans was founded in 1972 by Francis Donzé, a master enameller specializing in the restoration of antique dials and the creation of exceptional pieces for prestige watches. The small Le Locle company earned a reputation for the quality of its work, carried out according to the rules of the ancestral art. Francis Donzé remained in the business until his retirement in 1987. In the meantime, he was joined by his daughter and son-in-law, Francine and Michel Vermot, who retired in 2011, selling the company to one of their main customers, the Locle-based Ulysse Nardin. No exclusivity, however: since its takeover, Donzé Cadrans has continued to exercise its talent for other manufacturers.

LEXICON

ÉMAIL FLINQUÉ
An enamel dial is first engraved, usually guilloché, then covered with translucent or opalescent enamel to reveal the engraving. The guilloché process produces designs composed of intersecting or intertwining lines or curves. At Donzé Cadrans, we start with an old-fashioned guilloché model, using a hand-guided mechanical lathe, which we reproduce by stamping at a pressure of over 100 tons.

CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL
To create a champlevé enamel dial, the enamel is deposited in cavities previously dug into the metal. Finally, the walls are meticulously reworked with a chisel, representing 8 to 15 hours of work.

CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL
In a cloisonné design, the enamel is deposited in compartments delimited by gold wires. At Donzé Cadrans, these are always extremely fine rectangular wires (5 to 6/100 mm cross-section, 5/10 high). It takes 8 to 15 hours to install the partitions, and 50 to 60 hours to complete the entire dial.

Donzé Cadrans SA
36, Rue de l’Avenir
CH 2400 Le Locle
Tel. 032 931 61 42
www.donze-cadrans.com