Enamel from Glasgow
By Sam Okafor, London ยท
anOrdain makes its own vitreous enamel dials in a workshop in Glasgow, and the colour you get from enamel is nothing like paint or lacquer. It has depth. The teal on the Model 1 looks as if it's been poured rather than printed, and it changes slightly in different light, cooler by a window, almost green under a warm lamp.
The design is restrained enough to let the dial be the subject. Simple printed markings, slim hands, and a 35 mm case that I think is exactly right for this kind of watch, small enough that the colour feels concentrated. Hand-wound, with a Sellita movement and 42 hours, an open back and sapphire.
The sticking point is money. 2,390 to 2,575 dollars is a lot for a simple hand-wound watch on a Sellita base, and you are paying for the enamel. Also, 35 mm will look small to anyone used to modern sizes. But I'd wear this more often than most watches at three times the price.