Lundis Bleus Ref.1120-UP “Vipera Aspis Blue Green”

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Lundis Bleus Ref.1120-UP “Vipera Aspis Blue Green” – the viper (vipera aspis) and the cloisonné enamel technique were selected as key elements for the unique piece that the brand is proud to share with you today: the Ref.1120-UP.

The star of this model is, without a doubt, its cloisonné enamel dial. Measuring Ø34.00mm for just a bit less than 1.00mm in thickness, it was entirely handcrafted at the Lundis Bleus workshop.

To create the viper, no less than 107 fine gold wires, sometimes shorter than a millimeter, were shaped by hand. The total length of gold wires is about 45cm*.

In addition, 15 shades of transparent and opalescent enamels were used in thin layers to give the dial its colors. 9 firings at about 830°C were required before we could carefully polish the surface to make it flat and perfectly shiny. The last operation was to pad print a minute track and the mention “PIÈCE UNIQUE”.

Even by working full time on it, such a dial still requires nearly 3 weeks of meticulous labor to be finished and this doesn’t include the high failure rate that is part of manufacturing any kind of enamel dial!

This model comes with our Ø40mm polished stainless steel case and is equipped with a Swiss automatic movement Sellita SW300-1 Premium. The flat and polished hands are plated with rhodium.

A beautifully handmade light mustard alligator leather strap harmoniously completes the watch. On the back, the electric blue lining is also made of genuine alligator.

The dial can be admired through a box sapphire crystal and the movement is partially visible thanks to a blue mineral crystal on the back that echoes the color of the lining of the strap.

*17 wires of 0,10mm for ~20cm + 90 wires of 0,05mm for ~25cm

The cloisonné technique, in short

Used by enamellers since ancient times, the cloisonné technique consists in creating, by hand, the outlines of a design with many thin flat wires, and fire them onto a metallic base.

The shapes created – also called cloisons, hence the name of the technique – are filled with thin layers of vitreous enamel (a type of glass), then the dial is fired in a kiln at about 830°C (1530°F) for a few minutes to allow the enamel to fuse and bond to the metal.

The flat wires used by Lundis Bleus are made of pure gold. They measure 0.40mm (0.016in) in height and from 0.05mm (0.002in) to 0.10mm (0.004) in thickness. Thanks to its extreme pliability, pure gold wires allow reaching an incredible refinement of the details. It is also this very pliability that makes it so difficult to work with. Blowing on a 0.05mm thick pure gold wire will twist it… You better have a steady hand while working with it! The base plate for our enamel dials is usually made of sterling silver, but we sometimes use gold.

The creation of a cloisonné dial handmade at the Lundis Bleus workshop usually requires 8 to 15 firings and from 5 days to a full month of meticulous and demanding work, depending on the complexity of the design.

A few words about Lundis Bleus

Co-founded by the watchmakers Johan Storni and Bastien Vuilliomenet in 2016 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Lundis Bleus is still a 2-man operation to this day.

Best known for the creation of enamel dials, we also offer a wide range of other beautiful dials made of stones, hand engravings, hand paintings or crafted with mixed techniques for bespoke projects.

The yearly production does not exceed 150 pieces. This is synonyms with quality and rarity.

Our motto – “Soulful watchmaking” – means that we intend to infuse subtle emotions into our watches, with the secret hope that, somehow, our customers will be positively touched by them.