Marquetry materials that are equally refreshing alternatives to wood.
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ELEMENT OF SURPRISE
Silicon has once again found an unexpected use in fine watchmaking. The first watchmaker to use silicon parts is now also the first to use the element for decorative art. The ever-audacious Ulysse Nardin has just released two Freak X models featuring dial designs which, according to the brand, resemble “a bevy of interacting laser beams”, an effect achieved with silicon marquetry.
Unlike wood, which is used in traditional marquetry – where small pieces of inlaid material fit together to create designs – silicon is trickier to handle because of its fragility. If the pieces are not precisely matched, even the slightest overlap will cause their edges to chip. So, for the craftsmen to assemble some 120 individual segments by hand for each dial is a laudable feat.
There are two versions available: one in blue with a gold “X” and the other in a purplish-blue with a silver “X”. These are cased in blue and black PVD titanium respectively. Aside from the fancy new faces, this reference remains a standard Freak X, powered by the UN-230 movement, which houses a lightweight silicon balance wheel with nickel flyweights and stabilising micro-blades.
TEXT CHARMIAN LEONG