Without doubts, the most remarkable part of wristwatches is the dial. The style of a dial determines the whole appearance of watches. And, usually, people make their choice based on whether they like the dial’s design or not. Of course, they can differ by color, material, or some additional details. However, in this article, we would like to discuss not styles but types of watch dials.
We could almost hear how you asked: ‘Types? Are there many types of dials?’ You might be surprised, but yes! And today, you will learn about the most well-known ones. We believe that this knowledge will help you understand better what you want, and you will find the best watches easier.
Crosshair
This type is easy to recognize. It is characterized by crossed lines in the middle of the dial. These lines can vary from model to model. They can be thin or thick, short or long, it doesn’t matter. As an example of this type, you can take a look at these Women’s Ceramic Strap Watches. They have an almost invisible cross on the dial.
Gilt
As you might guess, the gilt dial is made with a technique of covering ALL the details thinly with gold paint or gold leaf. There are many examples of such dials on the market: Men’s Luxury Leather Watches or Women’s Elegant Leather Quartz Watch.
Guilloche
Such dials have a repeat pattern on it. In old times, this pattern was handy-crafted but, nowadays, thanks to innovations, it is usually done by a machine. Mechanical Wristwatches and Mesh Metal Watches have guilloche dials.
Tapisserie
This type is similar to the previous one. The main difference is that the pattern looks like tiny squares separated by thin channels. In the production of such dials, the craftsmen use a tool which is called a pantograph. This machine traces the pattern from a larger design then engraves a smaller copy on the watch dial. This process can take about 20 to 50 minutes.
Sector
A sector deal has thick lines that divide the dial into different sectors. To visualize, you can look at this women’s watch.
Skeleton
The most intricate type of dials is the skeleton. Actually, they are quite simple to create because all you need is a transparent material that reveals the movements of the mechanism of watches. Anyway, they look quite impressive, don’t they? If you haven’t seen such types of watches, have a glance at this Men’s Stainless Steel Skeleton Watch.
The next part of this article will be devoted to the less widespread types of dials. Following dials are mostly used for creating luxurious or limited watches.
Marquetry
This is not just a dial, this is a real piece of art. It is composed of layers of materials such as valuable stones, wood, or the mother of pearl. A craftsman gathers these tiny details in one image or pattern carefully and lays them on a dial. Naturally, such watches cost a lot and are released in limited quantities.
Meteorite
The name of this dial type means literally what it is. These dials are made of slices of different meteorites. Because of the uniqueness of the material, there are hardly two dials alike. Meteorite dials are most commonly found on triple calendar watches created by brands like Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Jacquet Droz.
Porcelain
These dials look pretty minimalistic especially in comparison with the previous types. Porcelain dials are usually white and contain some amount of clay. But don’t let their simple design hoodwink you. They are quite challenging to make. Due to this fact, not many watches have such a dial type.
Enamel
One more hard-to-create dial type is enamel. Their production demands a lot of skills. Enamel is a soft glass containing red lead, silica, and soda. It tends to liquify once heated to about 1,200 degrees Celsius. To get various colors, the craftsmen combine enamel with different metals: iron for gray, iodine for red, and chromium for green.
There are also several sub-types of enamel dials: cloisonne, grande feu, champleve, flinque, and grisaille. Each of them has its own specifics in the creation process.
The type of dial is not only about the design. It can also be the indicator of the quality and even the price. We hope this article will help you make a reasonable decision when the time comes to buying watches.
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