DIAL MAKER

The dial maker is the craftsman specialized in the manufacture of Dials for watches, clocks and timepieces. He masters all the steps that lead from the metal blank — brass, German silver, silver, or more rarely precious metal — to the finished dial: cutting and shaping of the plate, drilling of the feet and hand holes, application of Surface treatments (electroforming, lacquering, Enamelling), then fitting of the appliques, Index (hour marker)s and Display elements. Historically distinct from the Horologist (watchmaker) and the case fitter, this trade became organized into a guild as early as the 18th century in major horological centres. It combines rigorous technical skills with a developed aesthetic sense, since the Dial constitutes the “face” of the watch, the first element perceived by the wearer and decisive for the legibility of the time. The dial maker works in close collaboration with decorators — enamellers, engravers, guilloché workers — and with designers, in order to translate a project into a legible and harmonious piece. The diversity of possible finishes — Sunburst finish, opaline, Guilloché (engine-turning), Lacquer, Mother of pearl — attests to the breadth of their expertise.