Painstaking would be the word for those dials....
As someone with a severe allergy to poison ivy (Toxicodendron sp.) I've been fascinated by this technique for a while. Urushi is the Japanese word for a species of lacquer tree (Toxicodendron again) whose sap is processed into the material used in finishing wood (and these dials). In its liquid form, the sap (active component=urushiol) causes severe weeping rashes (even the vapors must be avoided). However, slowly upon exposure to air, the sap dries to a very hard, clear, waterproof coating that can be polished to a high gloss, and which is no longer allergenic. With multiple coats and slow drying, a truly beautiful finish is obtained.
Master artists are able to handle the sap safely, and to apply it and finish it in ways that give depth, gloss, and durability. The quality of the finish is at least partially tied to the conditions under which the wet lacquer is dried. I've read that in past times, certain master artists would put their wet lacquered items into a small boat and moor it out in the middle of a foggy body of water. There, under cool, high humidity conditions, the piece would dry slowly over a period of weeks, leading to an ultra-smooth, ultra-dense finish.
Tom