ETCHED IN TIME

ON THE GRID

It takes Audemars Piguet seven hours and 12 separate steps to make each of its Tapisserie dials, defined by an engraved grid of pyramidal squares. There are three sizes: the Grande Tapisserie – as seen on this plum-hued dial of the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding Chronograph watch – lies between the Petite Tapisserie and the Mega Tapisserie. The 41mm white gold case was hammered using a jewellery-making technique to give it a diamond-like sparkle. 

ALL ABUZZ

The watches of Chopard founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard used to be engraved with a beehive and bees – a nod to the Swiss farmers of yore who used to make movement components during the winter. The Chopard LUC XPS 1860 Officer pays tribute to this historical motif with a guilloche honeycomb motif, found on the dial and the back of the office-style cover. Powered by an automatic COSC-certified movement, the ultra-thin timepiece is housed in a 40mm white gold case. 

POETRY IN MOTION

The Legacy Machine Thunderdome by MB&F was made possible by two master watchmakers – Eric Coudray and Kari Voutilainen. Together, they conceptualised the world’s fastest triple-axis tourbillon, which sits atop an equally mesmerising blue dial and bears the signature guillochage of Voutilainen. This hand-wound timepiece measures 44mm in diameter and 22.2mm in height (because of its domed structure). This Hour Glass edition features a tantalum case and a dial in dark blue. 

TIDAL FORCE

The 18th century watchmaking great Abraham-Louis Breguet was the first to apply guilloche techniques to watch dials, using different patterns to delineate the various subdials on a watch. Today, the brand with his name continues to be synonymous with the engraving art. Housed in a 40mm white gold case, this self-winding Breguet Marine 5517 timepiece is distinguished by the wave-like guillochage on its blue dial. 

TIMELY TRADITION

As early as 1780, hand engraved guilloche was used by Vacheron Constantin to decorate its dials. As its model name suggests, the Traditionelle Manual-Winding continues this decorative tradition with an understated Clous de Paris motif. Atop the dial is a 40-hour power reserve indicator (10 o’clock) and date indicator (3 o’clock) – aside from the time indications, of course. A hand-wound movement powers this 40mm pink gold timepiece. 

PURPLE REIGN

Available in purple, grey or brown, the Little Lange 1 models are as busy as a A. Lange & Sohne dial will get. A guilloche motif enlivens this timepiece in a diamond-set, white gold case measuring 36.8mm and framed by a diamond-set bezel. The power reserve indicator at 2 o’clock shows how much is left of the three-day energy store of this manually wound timepiece. 

RAYS OF LIGHT

What is the perfect complement to a moon-phase display featuring a polished new moon set against a starry sky encircled by an engraved date counter? As the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel shows, it’s a sunray enamel guilloche dial in sky blue, which catches the eyes with its uniquely shiny translucence. Powered by a self-winding movement, this dressy timepiece is housed in a 39mm white gold case. 

TEXT LYNETTE KOH PHOTOGRAPHY VEE CHIN ART DIRECTION FAZLIE HASHIM