FeatureA Sight To Behold: Understanding The Irresistible Charm Of Guilloche Dials

The dial of a watch is its face and arguably the most important element as it not only sets the timepiece’s overall tone but also helps the wearer develop an emotional attachment to it. Therefore, it isn’t surprising at all to witness watchmakers going to great lengths to craft dials by using different techniques to add layers of details and alluring attributes. Moreover, brands pay a whole lot of attention to colours, textures and even the size of the hour indices to make sure that the display of their timekeepers can grab maximum attention. One such well-known technique, which has been a part of the horological industry for centuries is guilloche, also known as engine turning.

In layman’s terms, guilloche is the art of executing fine and intricate patterns on any surface. Introduced in the 15th century, it was initially used to decorate soft materials like wood and ivory but by the next 200 years, it made its appearance on metallic surfaces too. When it comes to the horological industry, although the first watch with a guilloche dial came out around 1680, it wasn’t until the late 18th century that this technique gained prominence. One of the first brands to begin using it were Breguet and since then, it has been a go-to technique for watch brands, especially for those who want to exhibit their mastery in manufacturing extravagant timepieces. Let’s take a deeper look at this art form and how it has evolved over the years.

The Louis Erard Excellence Guilloché Main II offers a manually-crafted guilloche dial that features a large diamond-shaped pattern along with concentric circles

₹4,22,000

Check Our Selling Price

To craft this glorious dial decoration, Louis Erard used the age-old rose engine lathe and it took them several hours of work to produce each one of the display. The watch is limited to 99 units

₹4,22,000

Check Our Selling Price

Instead of featuring one of the commonly used guilloche patterns, the brand chose to produce their own unique motif and collaborated with Fehr & Cie SA—a specialist dial-making firm in La Chaux-de-Fonds

₹4,22,000

Check Our Selling Price

01

Stepping Into The Mainstream

Renowned watchmaker, Abraham-Louis Breguet was drawn towards guilloche not just because of its aesthetic appeal. What impressed him the most were the functional characteristics of the technique as it provided better protection against the daily wear and tear in addition to offering antireflective properties that allowed easier readability of the dial. Not only this, Breguet used it to carefully divide the dial for different readings, such as the chapter ring, small seconds, power-reserve indicator, and various different counters. Needless to say, these displays became an instant hit for the watchmaker and subsequently, others followed him. As a result, by the turn of the 18th century, guilloche dials began to enjoy such popularity that they outnumbered enamel displays, which enjoyed prominence up until then, and took centre stage in the world of watches.

The Manufacturing Process

Although guilloche artwork was in huge demand, producing it remained a painstakingly tedious process. One of the oldest and most prominent ways was and still is by using a rose engine lathe. This large and costly machine consisted of a cam, essentially a disc that rotated around an axis and could be shaped into the desired geometric pattern with the help of a cutting tool. The complicated process required the operator of the machine to be highly skilled and patient as they had to make sure to not apply too much pressure on the cam through the cutting tool or else it would result in tearing of the cam. Any irregularities would require the operator to restart the process from the beginning.

One of the oldest and most prominent ways of creating a guilloche pattern was and still is by using a rose engine lathe. Seen here is the machine used by Louis Erard to create their Excellence Guilloché dials

This large and costly machine consists of a cam, essentially a disc that rotated around an axis and can be shaped into the desired geometric pattern with the help of a cutting tool

The complicated process requires the operator of the machine to be highly skilled as they have to make sure to not apply too much pressure on the cam through the cutting tool or else it would result in the tearing of the cam

Launched in 2021, the Louis Erard Excellence Guilloché Main is a limited-edition watch that comes with a fascinating guilloche pattern, which tricks the eye by creating depth in an image that is perfectly flat

₹4,22,000

Check Our Selling Price

01

Given how complex and time consuming the rose engine lathe is, in modern times, it has mostly been used only by a select few high-end luxury watch brands. Other watchmakers have shifted to something called computer numerical control (CNC) machining, which is capable of automatically stamping and cutting guilloche patterns in a far simpler and quicker manner than the aforementioned process. However, as this contemporary technique doesn’t require any human touch, the guilloche dials crafted by it seem cold, soulless and they lack subtle imperfections of the operator that paradoxically contribute to making the display special.

Bovet 19Thirty SHOP THE COLLECTION

Different Faces Of Guilloche

In the 21st century, guilloche dials might not have remained as popular as they once were—presumably because of a greater interest in simpler and more minimalistic timepieces. However, there are still several brands that are trying to preserve the art form and pushing the boundaries of creativity. In order to distinguish themselves from each other, watch manufacturers use a host of guilloche patterns ranging from sinuous and wavy motifs to straight lines. Here’s a look at some of the most popular patterns realised by the guilloche process seen on watch dials today.

Barleycorn

Nothing short of an instant eye-catcher, the barleycorn pattern is dynamic, vertically-oriented and arrow-like upward-pointing. The texture exudes sophisticated vibes and makes for a perfect addition to the overall look of the timepiece.

The Longines Master Collection Moonphase flaunts a barleycorn guilloche pattern that elevates the overall opulence of the timepiece. The watch consists of a moonphase display at six and central, three-hand timekeeping

Clous de Paris

Also referred to as ‘hobnail’, the Clous De Paris is one of the more common guilloche patterns in the industry. Reminiscent of the cobbled roads of Paris, this form of guilloche is a continuous tapestry of hollowed lines, which intersect to form tiny pyramidal shapes.

Sunburst    

This variant of guilloche isn’t as intricate as Clous de Paris, but is equally alluring. Involving finely-engraved lines, radiating out from the centre of the dial, the pattern resembles the rays of light that radiate from the sun.

The sunburst variant of guilloche isn’t as intricate as Clous de Paris, but is equally alluring. A perfect example of this kind of pattern is the Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas

The 35mm timepiece comprises hand-applied indices against its guilloche-engraved black opaline dial that creates a striking contrast of hues

BVLGARI Serpenti

₹14,46,000

Check Our Selling Price

Tapisserie

First introduced by Audemars Piguet with the release of their iconic Royal Oak timepiece, the tapisserie guilloche pattern consists of uniform flat-topped square elements with a broad flat grid inset between. Usually available in two options—small or large—this variant mostly comes with sports watches that feature integrated bracelets.

Others

Apart from the aforementioned types, some watchmakers tend to craft their own unique and exclusive variants of the guilloche. A case in point are Czapek who have come up with ‘ricochet’ guilloche, which comprises intersecting circular lines that form a motif of bas-relief squares. It resembles the wave interference pattern a stone might make when ricocheting on water. Another brand who have recently launched a completely distinctive pattern are Louis Erard. Seen above on this page is their Excellence Guilloché Main—a limited-edition timepiece that comes with a fascinating guilloche pattern, which tricks the eye by creating depth in an image that is perfectly flat.

Czapek are one of the few watchmakers who have created their own unique guilloche patterns. Their ‘ricochet’ guilloche consists of intersecting circular lines that form a motif of bas-relief squares. It resembles the wave interference pattern a stone might make when ricocheting on water. Seen here is the Faubourg de Cracovie L’Heure Blue