Round-UpMatt Is The New Gloss: Grained Dials, Another Step Towards Quiet Luxury

Matt, sleek, and understated, the grained dial finish has a unique allure that just can’t be missed. Resembling barley grains, this tiny and uniformly spread finish not only adds texture to the dial but also gives it more depth and character. While there is ambiguity regarding the exact origins of this unique texture, experts believe that it evolved from the traditional decorative technique of guilloche. Interestingly, around the 19th century, a similar dial texture was produced by skilled artisans using the art of grain or silver plating by friction. The dial, as a result, had a fine-grained, velvet-like surface, reflecting most of the incident light without causing glare. Some of the modern watchmakers still apply this traditional technique, though over time, brands came up with different ways of creating grained dials for a unique look. 

At the Milano Watch Week 2024, the Geneva-based independent watchmakers, Czapek launched the Antarctique GMT Milano Edition, featuring a champagne-coloured textured dial, created by the renowned Swiss dial maker and Czapek’s long-time partner, Metalem. At the centre of its dial, this limited edition of 30 pieces features a distinctive grainy matte texture made by stamping. Another fine example is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ Extra-Thin, featuring the rare ‘Tuscan’ or grained dial in blue. Initially released in the 1990s by the iconic Swiss watchmakers, the ‘Tuscan’ dial is achieved by the process of hand-hammering, resulting in a grainy or frosted surface. While this hand-made texture with a rough(er) surface made only occasional appearances since its launch, it reemerged in the late 2010s with independent watchmakers. 

Watchmakers who featured grained dials in recent years are Chronoswiss, Parmigiani, Grand Seiko, and Maurice Lacroix, among others. The Japanese luxury watchmakers, Grand Seiko, for instance, featured a green grained dial in their 2023 USA Special Edition inspired by the Katana, while Maurice Lacroix released the Pontos S Diver with a black grained dial. 

Here is a list of other watchmakers who have featured grained dials in their timepieces:

• Armin Strom
• Doxa
• Louis Erard
• Trilobe
• Ulysse Nardin 

Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture Edition Green

Launched in 2023, the Mirrored Force Resonance Manufacture Edition Green features an off-centred hour and minutes dial, decorated with a green grenage finishing (simply called the grained texture) at its centre. More understated in comparison to the guilloche decoration, a grenage or grené dial finishing is a highly time-consuming process, requiring skills. Originated in the late 1800s, the greange finishing is a hand-made process, divided into two major steps. First, a plate of solid fine silver is used as a base, on which ultra-fine, recessed engravings are created for numbers and markings. These engravings are then hand-filled with lacquer and polished with diamond paper. Over this, a grenage layer—a mix of silver, salts, and other ingredients—is hand-brushed, resulting in a silvery or frosty surface. Achieved by the electrochemical reaction, this texture offers a sleeker and more vintage look to the dial. In this limited edition of 50 pieces, featuring the brand’s patented resonance clutch spring, the grenage textured off-centered dial is surrounded by a circular satin-finished chapter ring for an aesthetically pleasing view. 

Doxa Sub 300 Beta Sharkhunter

Steering away from their go-to colours such as bright orange or yellow, Doxa released the all-black Sub 300 Beta Sharkhunter in 2023, featuring a dark, matt dial with a coarsely-grained texture. Showcasing black-on-black markings with the applied indexes plated with 18-karat gold, and the hands and hour markers filled with contrasting beige Super-LumiNova, this diver with an impressive water resistance of 300m is a contemporary take on older Doxas. The minute track—along with some of the other elements on the dial—showcases gloss finishing, while the date window at three o’clock is matt finished, blending seamlessly with the dial for a uniform look. Surrounding it is a black matt ceramic case measuring 42.5mm by 44.50mm, with a unidirectional rotating bezel and crown in 18-karat 3N gold. 

Doxa SUB 300 Beta

₹7,36,000

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Louis Erard Le Régulateur Louis Erard X Kudoke 

The limited editions of the Le Régulateur Louis Erard X Kudoke in light blue (limited to 100 pieces), forest green (100 pieces), and purple (78 pieces) feature beautiful coloured dials with grained finishing for a frosted effect. Resulting from the first collaboration between the Indie masterwatchmaker Stefan Kudoke and Louis Erard chief Manuel Emch, these Le Régulateurs with their distinctive ‘three in-line hands’ design were launched at the Geneva Watch Days 2024. Their dials feature a railway-track chapter ring at the periphery, along with two counter rings: the 12 o’clock counter features a Clous de Paris hobnail pattern, a ring with Roman numerals, and the infinity-shaped hour hand, while the small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock showcases a fine grained finish, matching the main dial. The dial also features blued steel hands and the ‘Louis Erard’ and ‘Kudoke’ nameplates for a well-balanced look. 

Louis Erard Noirmont X Shop the Collection

Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Grained Havana And Green

Another timepiece that features a gorgeous grained dial is the award-winning Trilobe Nuit Fantastique in havana, green, and blue hues. Featuring an unconventional time display, the dials of these watches showcase an hour ring on their periphery, with the brand’s logo at 12 o’clock pointing at the current hour, while the minutes and seconds are displayed through the two off-centered coinciding circles: the circle on top indicates the minutes, whereas the ever-moving lower circle displays the running seconds. Interestingly, all discs rotate counter-clockwise for a mesmerising visual appeal. The Grained Havana comes in a rose-gold case, while the Green watch is crafted in titanium—both measuring 40.5mm, with a water resistance of 50m. 

Featuring a gorgeous grained dial is the award-winning Trilobe Nuit Fantastique in havana, blue and green hues

₹11,90,000

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Featuring an unconventional time display, the dials of these watches showcase an hour ring on their periphery, with the brand’s logo at 12 o’clock pointing at the current hour

₹25,20,000

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The minutes and seconds are displayed through the two off-centered coinciding circles: the circle on top indicates the minutes, whereas the ever-moving lower circle displays the running seconds

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Ulysse Nardin Blast Dual Time 42 mm

The Blast Dual Time 42mm in a blue or black dial features a rectangle at the centre with grained finishing. This matt texture of the rectangle wonderfully offsets the overall sun-brushed finishing of the dial and the snailing effect on the small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock. The dial also features the brand’s distinctive ‘X’ design, a double window at two o’clock displaying the date, and a framed circular opening at nine for the second time zone. Housed within a 42mm stainless-steel case, the Blast Dual Time is run by the automatic UN-24 movement, with a power reserve of 42 hours. The model with a black dial comes with a matching leather strap, while the blue dialled watch is paired with a blue rubber strap. Both are water-resistant to 50m.