2,149 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 23, 2001
The next technique of enamelling is called "cloisonné". Here the artist uses the smooth surface of case or dial, without carving it. The image to create is designed by using fine threads of gold wire, to be applied on the surface. Once the wires have been fixed, certain areas are created inside as if it were meadows in the landscape separated from each other by fences : the gold wires. These "meadows" are called cells or in French cloisons. Each cell can be filled by glass powder,the enamal base material enriched by a metal oxyde to achieve the wanted color. The enamellist has to apply and fire the different colors, according to the different melting temperatures of the compounds. One mistake will ruine the end result and by no means the result of each firing process can be predicted. IWC made in the past wrist watches with a cloisonné dial. Most of them were cal. 89 watches. The extremely rare cal.852 from 1954 depicted here, shows such cloisoné dial, but IWC also used this technique in rare pw's. One can clearly see the gold wires, shaping the cells or cloisons. And one can see the different intensity of one particular color within one cell. Due to the intensive hand work, the cloisonné watches were almost unaffordable. None of them has been shown in any of the official IWC brochures and catalogues (as far as I know). Kind regards, Adrian, (alwaysiwc).
1,908 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 4, 2001
Hi Adrian, These 2 have cal 89. The hippocampus motif is cloisonneé dial no 11. The Drakkar motif, according to the IWC document uses the champlevé technique.
829 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 4, 2006
Hello Adrian, thanks for offering the "cloisonné" technic in IWC watches. Really rare and an impressive craftmenship. During the lunch break at our last CM meeting in Geneva, I have had the chance to see and to get a deeper inside in this technic at the V&C booth with PWs. They demomstrated there every step of the manufacturing, very interesting and informative.
829 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 4, 2006
clepsydra Wrote:The Drakkar was no yacht, it was more a destroyer, but the motif can be found in a gold Yacht Club with cal 85x.
You're right, Tony. The Drakkar would be today in naval terms a 'destroyer escort', the "workhorses of the fleet". Nice dial of YCI, never seen it before. Do you have further infos about the quantity produced? I have bootstrapped this topic in connecting a 'designed' Drakkar on the cover on the Mare journal with a YCII. ;-)
1,908 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 4, 2001
Hi Hajo, That YC was for sale, at an outrageous price, on a popular auction site. I believe the seller was based in a country of the Arabian peninsula. I have no idea how many were made, but I can't imagine it was mass produced. A while ago I corresponded with Schaffhausen about the motifs used by IWC on the cloisonée dials, and got the impression that what (little) they knew was the result of reading the postings in this forum.
829 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 4, 2006
clepsydra Wrote:Hi Hajo, .... I have no idea how many were made, but I can't imagine it was mass produced. ...
Hi Tony, go with you, if you have a look at the time of the manufacturing and the number of customers who would be in the line. The Dionysius motif of Exekias pleases me, too. Of course, due to Thetis and her biospherein the Greek mythology. ;-)
Thank you all for another very interesting post / lesson and beautiful images.
Cheers!
Regards,
Jeronimo
Omar Khayyám (Persia XI-XII Century) offered that Time should not only be measured in length but also in width due to the intrinsic difference between a minute or other depending on what is happening to the beholder... I wonder how a watch would look like...
The enamellist has to apply and fire the different colors, according to the different melting temperatures of the compounds. One mistake will ruine the end result and by no means the result of each firing process can be predicted.
IWC made in the past wrist watches with a cloisonné dial. Most of them were cal. 89 watches. The extremely rare cal.852 from 1954 depicted here, shows such cloisoné dial, but IWC also used this technique in rare pw's. One can clearly see the gold wires, shaping the cells or cloisons. And one can see the different intensity of one particular color within one cell. Due to the intensive hand work, the cloisonné watches were almost unaffordable. None of them has been shown in any of the official IWC brochures and catalogues (as far as I know).
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).
These 2 have cal 89.
The hippocampus motif is cloisonneé dial no 11.
The Drakkar motif, according to the IWC document uses the champlevé technique.
clepsydra
ad fontes...
Last edited: 22 November, 2012 - 09:25
clepsydra
ad fontes...
Last edited: 22 November, 2012 - 09:59
thanks for offering the "cloisonné" technic in IWC watches. Really rare and an impressive craftmenship.
During the lunch break at our last CM meeting in Geneva, I have had the chance to see and to get a deeper inside in this technic at the V&C booth with PWs. They demomstrated there every step of the manufacturing, very interesting and informative.
Kind regards
Hajo
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Last edited: 9 January, 2013 - 09:24
You're right, Tony. The Drakkar would be today in naval terms a 'destroyer escort', the "workhorses of the fleet".
Nice dial of YCI, never seen it before. Do you have further infos about the quantity produced?
I have bootstrapped this topic in connecting a 'designed' Drakkar on the cover on the Mare journal with a YCII. ;-)
Kind regards
Hajo
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Last edited: 9 January, 2013 - 09:24
clepsydra
ad fontes...
Last edited: 22 November, 2012 - 10:23
That YC was for sale, at an outrageous price, on a popular auction site. I believe the seller was based in a country of the Arabian peninsula.
I have no idea how many were made, but I can't imagine it was mass produced.
A while ago I corresponded with Schaffhausen about the motifs used by IWC on the cloisonée dials, and got the impression that what (little) they knew was the result of reading the postings in this forum.
clepsydra
ad fontes...
Hi Tony,
go with you, if you have a look at the time of the manufacturing and the number of customers who would be in the line.
The Dionysius motif of Exekias pleases me, too. Of course, due to Thetis and her biospherein the Greek mythology. ;-)
Hajo
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Last edited: 9 January, 2013 - 09:24
Cheers!
Regards,
Jeronimo
Omar Khayyám (Persia XI-XII Century) offered that Time should not only be measured in length but also in width due to the intrinsic difference between a minute or other depending on what is happening to the beholder... I wonder how a watch would look like...
clepsydra
ad fontes...