Located in Glasgow, Scotland, AnOrdain specializes in producing accessibly-priced timepieces with real “grand feu” (fire-baked porcelain) enamel dials. Each dial is manufactured by heating a powder (typically silica, lead, and ash) at temperates of over 830°C, in a kiln, applied onto a copper dial, layer by layer, with up to eight total layers. The result is a beautifully colored, glassy crystalline surface that will not fade.
With their latest watch, the Model 2 Fumé, AnOrdain has taken the art of dial enameling a step further with their first fumé enamel dial (smoked enamel which graduates from a lighter hue in the center to darker around the perimeter). According to the company, “Our fumé dials are the result of a mistake that led to extensive experimentation and development from our in-house enamellers to achieve a dial with a smoked edge effect.”
The Model 2 Fumé, at 36 mm in diameter, is even more conservatively sized than the now sold out and discontinued Model 1 (38 mm in diameter), which will be attractive to those with smaller wrists, or for anyone wearing it primarily as a dress watch. The fully brushed stainless steel case measures 43 mm lug-to-lug, and is 11 mm thick, with an 18 mm interlug width.
Unlike the Model 1, the Model 2 has no seconds hand, just hours and minutes, and has a manually wound movement versus an automatic. The hands are similar to the Model 1, with a skeletonized pencil design, however, they’re a bit shorter and now have a luminous tip that matches the painted Arabic numerals and indices.
An outsourced Swiss-made Sellita- SW-210-1 hand-wound movement drives the hours and minutes and is concealed by the solid steel screw-in caseback. While the Model 1 has a clear caseback, offering a view of the movement, you’re not necessarily buying this watch for the movement as much as for the gorgeous dial, and the solid caseback has the advantage of a large area for engraving something custom.
The company believes this to be the first fumé dial watch to be created in enamel, and while we could not confirm the veracity of that statement, it’s also likely that these are the most affordable grand feu enamel dial wristwatches on the market.
There are five versions to choose from: blue, green, orange, turquoise, and purple. Each can be paired with one of 7 suede or leather straps or a Milanese mesh steel bracelet (the bracelet costs extra). A slightly domed sapphire crystal protects the dial. Water-resistance is 50 meters. Retail is $1,920 on a strap.
