chintu
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I quote from A.Lange & Sohne
May 22, 2021,15:24 PM
“Treatment of the back”
“Counter-enamel is applied to the back of the dial. This is necessary to prevent distortion of the enamel on the dial side through excessive stresses.”
Anordain also states the very same thing
To quote: “At the beginning, both sides of the base plate receive a layer of enamel. Known as ‘contre émaillage’ (counter enamelling), this crucial step is done to prevent the metal from warping. (Due to the stress induced from firing multiple layers of enamel on the topside.)”
Donze Cadrans, which makes enamel dials for Patek Philippe uses Copper blanks and in their video they show that both sides of the blank are layered with enamel.
Given the above statement and Romain Gauthier holding a similar view, IMHO this perhaps represents the highest level of enamelling approaches whilst many brands may adopt a more economical but undesirable approach to leave the underside of the dial non-enamelled.
Another interesting factoid is that whilst I believe A.Lange uses 18K gold blank plates for their enamel dials, they have used Copper base dial in 1815 Tourbillion which was a 100 piece LE in Platinum.
Thinness is more relative as a measure. I have no issues about the degree of thick vs thin. I was merely highlighting the fact that a enamel cookware cannot be compared with a watch dial.
I would though like to add that the enamel dial on an A.Lange& Sohne is just 0.2mm thick.
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Base metal for the Enamel Dial
By: chintu : May 22nd, 2021-10:25
A very interesting horological tidbit. Romain Gauthier in a recent interview ( yesterday on youtube “in the metal”) spoke of the complexity of making enamel dials and how factors such as the color mixing and layering as well as temperature plays a crucial...
Some more info
By: chintu : May 22nd, 2021-13:51
Base dial metal can be Gold, Silver or Copper. There may be alloys, but the three represent the preferred metals for their properties. That it is enamelled on both sides is also confirmed. This is known as “contre èmaillage” ( counter enamelling) when the...
Here is an article that can explain some things...
By: John-E-Mac : May 22nd, 2021-11:12
. All the old pocket watches with enamel dials probably don't have base gold dials. Think about all those old road or advertising signs. Le Creuset enamel ware is cast iron. Just have to match the glass to the base material. -John
Enamel on cast iron is not comparable
By: chintu : May 22nd, 2021-14:10
Watch dials have to be without any blemish or even a speck of trapped dust or bubbles and are unimaginably thin, besides the color having to be exact and uniform. The dials cannot have any camber or even the mildest un-evenness across the entire surface. ...
Have do disagree...
By: John-E-Mac : May 22nd, 2021-15:47
Any enameled product, regardless of the base material metal, has to be meticulously cleaned of all oil, dirt and debris for the vitreous enamel to adhere. If any of the enameling doesn't adhere to the base material and there are pockets or voids, it is ve...
If all enamelling works were the same, then...
By: chintu : May 22nd, 2021-16:03
there would be no basis for an enamel watch dial alone to command an extra price of $20k while an enamelled cast iron cookware costs $100 and an enamelled pen circa $1000. And so it goes...where a Faberge egg would cost astronomical sums. If enamelling wa...
Perhaps...yes
By: chintu : May 22nd, 2021-16:20
I cannot hazard a guess at this stage. For now I tend to believe that enamel dials are complex from multiple perspectives, the build-process, the physical attributes once finished, the decorative artwork incorporated into the dial etc; all of which elevat...
I quote from A.Lange & Sohne
By: chintu : May 22nd, 2021-15:24
“Treatment of the back” “Counter-enamel is applied to the back of the dial. This is necessary to prevent distortion of the enamel on the dial side through excessive stresses.” link: Anordain also states the very same thing To quote: “ At the beginning, b...
More educational info on enamel dial production
By: cazalea : May 22nd, 2021-19:40
This is from the site honoring Seiko Craftsmen SEIKO ENAMEL MASTER and talking with Mitsuru Yokosawa, who has been making enamel products since 1971 SEIKO MASTER INTERVIEW
Thanks Cazalea for bringing this up.
By: chintu : May 23rd, 2021-01:53
Seiko Presage enamel dials, are acknowledged by Seiko to have rough surface (apart from dimples which are normal). Arita Porcelain dials also have color unevenness as acknowledged by Seiko. Arita dials are also substantially thicker by virtue of their pro...