Movement Decorations - The Artistic Side of Artisanship

The movement represents the majority of a timepiece’s value, assuming it’s not clad in diamonds and platinum. In-house design, complications and accuracy help define the overall worth, but decorations can add significantly to the cost. Haute Horology emphasizes the highest level of finishing and third-party certifications like the Geneva Seal reinforce this. It’s the artistic side of artisanship and can transform otherwise staid movements into something extraordinary. Horage movements are hand-finished with various techniques such as Côte de Genève, beveling and brushing, and although we focus on design, accuracy and durability, visual appeal is always vital to the finished product.

Côtes de Genève

Also known as Geneva Stripes, this is among the most common and popular decorations. It appears as ridges or ripples on an otherwise flat surface, produced with a pattern of consistent, systematic scratches. These small, engraved scratches work together to form stripes and are usually achieved with a lathe. Handwork sometimes follows and with true haute horology, Geneva Stripes are often produced solely by hand. Additional handwork after the lathe can include subtle chamfering and polish, which might not be immediately noticeable, but can add significant value to the piece.

This decoration is relatively new, first appearing around the start of the 20th century in Geneva. Its popularity centers on simple visual appeal, but it actually had a practical purpose in the beginning. The scratches acted as filters to contain any dust or particles that possibly entered the movement, keeping it away from more sensitive, moving parts. This effect was recognized in Europe and German watchmakers soon adopted the technique, known as Glashütte stripes. This is less of an issue today as watchmaking facilities use clean rooms and other modern methods to prevent particles from entering the case, but they remain popular decorations that can really transform a movement. Geneva Stripes provide depth and intricacy to inexpensive, mass produced movements or up to six figure counterparts, and are fairly common as exhibition case backs have become the norm.

Perlage

This is another popular finishing technique and as common as Côtes de Genève, and the two are often seen together. It’s simply a series of brushed circles that overlap to form a pattern, made individually with a drill press and abrasive bit. It might look simple, but it’s very difficult as the pattern requires perfect consistency and a very experienced finisher. One out-of-place circle will ruin the entire effect. In addition, each circle must have the same depth, so a bit too much or little pressure during execution can also ruin the part. Although machines play a role, perlage requires a lot of handwork to orient parts for each circle and maintain perfect consistency from the rotating bit. There’s no substitute for experience with this one.

Perlage is also known as stippling and usually a secondary or background decoration as it can be a bit busy, falling behind other techniques like Côtes de Genève (you know what they say about too much of a good thing). It remains very popular, however, and movements in most price brackets can have it. Like Geneva Stripes, perlage captures particles and helps protect the movement, so this decoration is also more than skin deep.

Sunray Patterns and Brushing

The gears of a movement are sometimes decorated as well, but usually not with more pronounced techniques like perlage or Geneva stripes. Sunray patterns are reminiscent of rays of the sun with a brushed pattern extending from the center. This is popular for watch dials as well. There are also spiral variants and these techniques can really enhance a movement by preventing otherwise plain wheels from contrasting with decorated plates. Whether done by machines or hand, it’s a relatively simple but effective secondary decoration.

Brushing is similar to the above, but is generally a fine series of parallel lines that create a slightly textured, matte effect. It’s the opposite of polishing (see below) and creates a softer detail that adds both sophistication and an anti-glare aesthetic to plates, bridges and wheels.

Guilloché

This decoration is almost always reserved for dials and sometimes cases, but there are a relative handful of movements that display it. It’s an intricate engraving technique that’s been around since the 16th century, but was introduced to the watch industry in 1786 by Breguet. Patterns require a special engine turning machine that’s traditionally operated by hand and many watchmakers use antique equipment as the technique is unchanged. It requires a lot of skill and experience, and most artisans are trained within a brand’s workshops as it’s no longer part of most watchmaking schools. Well, there’s a reason for that…

Technology has allowed CNC machines to create very intricate guilloché patterns without human intervention. They’ve become so good that it can be nigh impossible to distinguish man from machine, but many luxury brands continue to embrace the art of true hand guilloché. Connoisseurs believe that machine-made patterns are too perfect and “soulless,” while the very subtle imperfections of handwork define true artistry. Popular patterns include Clou de Paris (or hobnail), barleycorn, sunburst and more.

Engraving

This method is among the oldest forms of art and can be found on stone, antique firearms, pottery and, of course, watch movements. Even paper currency is printed via intricately engraved metal plates. Engraving falls into two general categories with watches - letters, numbers, names, etc. or artistic patterns. The former is commonly done with CNC machines or lasers today, but high-end brands often have master craftsman that engrave much by hand. Machine engraving can be finished by hand, creating a more polished, artistic touch, but some patterns and techniques simply can’t be

replicated by machines (intricate swirls, etc.).

A burin is used when engraving by hand and a pattern is often placed on the metal that the engraver follows. Some artisans can simply engrave incredible designs from scratch without anything to trace. Like a golfer with multiple clubs, an engraver can have over 20 different burins and use many during a session. Chasing is the opposite of engraving where a design is finished in relief as the artist removes metal around the pattern.

Anglage or Beveling

This technique simply removes sharp edges with (usually) 45-degree polished angles. This again can be done with machines, but traditional handwork is always desired in high-end pieces. It’s simple in concept and requires basic, inexpensive tools, but also great skill and experience to create perfectly uniform bevels throughout. This is often done on both the inner and outer edges of parts (if applicable), and even tiny screw heads are beveled in luxury movements. The overall effect softens the parts and can really transform a movement.

Black Polish

Black polish and mirror polish are often interchangeable terms, and describe a high-polished metal surface with zero imperfections. This is achieved by hand and very time consuming, taking several hours on even tiny parts via multiple grades of polishing materials. When light hits this surface at certain angles, it can appear black as the light reflects in a single direction (hence “black polish”). Cases and bracelets are also polished to a high degree, but black polish is almost always limited to movement parts as external wear will degrade the effect. An exception are cases from Grand Seiko, which are polished via the Zaratsu technique. This is a combination of hand and machine polishing, but the result is a mirror finish that’s free of distortions. Perhaps not quite a black polish, but as close as it gets in the industry for external parts.

This doesn’t cover all movement decorations, but highlights the most common and desirable. Horage movements incorporate many of the above, including Côte de Genève, anglage, engraving and brushing, and combine hand-finished artistry with chronometer level accuracy and industry leading durability. The latter includes shock protection and silicon escapements and hairsprings, which are both anti-magnetic and highly temperature resistant. We always strive for the perfect balance of engineering and aesthetics to bring you the best in-house Swiss pieces at unprecedented prices. It’s just what we do as a performance watchmaker.

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Erik Slaven