Probably one of the proudest informal titles I’ve garnered in my nearly 15-year career in the watch industry is “the resident enamel girl.” As a refresher, I fell in love with the artform in a hands-on workshop during a press trip several years ago and have gone on to complete three different apprenticeships in Switzerland studying the craft. I have an immense appreciation not only for the beauty of enamel dials but also the meticulous creative process behind them.

Enamel dials were long held in esteem as one of the elements of watchmaking reserved for the elite, much like high complications. It’s no small feat to bring a well-executed enamel dial to life. The materials, tools, machines, and the expert level of training for the craftspeople were once gripped tightly by top brands like Patek Philippe, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, Jaquet Droz, and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Let me be clear – in practice, brand clout ultimately does not correlate to the best enamel dials. There’s a particular maison not named here (and who I will not call out by name) but who is one of the biggest names in the industry, with every resource at their disposal, and one of their recent and highly popular enamel dials is unbearably mediocre if you give it a look under a loupe. Thankfully, the collector community is starting to come around to this notion that enamel from independent brands can be equally good if not better than the old guard. If you need further proof, here are nine under the radar enamel dials to consider.

anOrdain 

Okay, I have to start with anOrdain who is admittedly not so under the radar. In fact, I would say this brand has been crucial in helping to break down barriers and allow the art of enamel to be appreciated – perhaps even lusted after – to the same degree as the traditional players. The Scottish brand, founded just over a decade ago, paved the way for the art of grand feu enamel to span beyond its traditional Swiss and high-end strongholds with a very simple catalog of models where the dials are the star of the show and pricing caps at just over $5,000 for the most complex designs. Now, anOrdain’s signature enamel beauties have reached cult status with a waitlist that stretches not just one but several years.

5280

You may recall I was over the moon to discover 5280 a couple years ago. This Colorado-based company is not just another great example of a brand defying stereotypes with beautifully executed enamel dials at accessible price points. 5280 takes things a step further, bringing things stateside where watchmaking, admittedly, isn’t as highly respected as from European counterparts. I highly recommend you check out the full feature I wrote on the brand last year, which details the truly fascinating trajectory of the brand’s resident enamellist Bill Brinker. This artisan has one of the most unique stories I’ve heard in the world of watchmaking, starting from a jewelry making elective in junior high school to Faberge and ultimately 5280. The brand follows a similar model to anOrdain, with a very lean catalog consisting of just three models where the dial takes center stage.

Atelier Wen

I’m also not shy about my love and appreciation of Atelier Wen’s enamel work. In fact, a colleague first connected with the brand’s founder, Robin Tallendier because of my passion for enamel dials. One of the closest “sister” artforms to enamel is guilloche – this craft is another cornerstone of 5280’s dials and is another technique I’ve studied in several workshops. Using a surface with relief and texture as opposed to a smooth, flat one brings enamel to life in a new way. Atelier Wen takes this concept a step further with hand-hammered dials that offer the same depth, visual interest, and interplay with light but with a more organic look compared to the more structured patterns achieved with guilloche. It’s worth noting that Atelier Wen’s enamel models vary a bit more widely in price, with the Ancestra sitting more on par with anOrdain and 5280 around the $5,000 mark but models like the Inflection tipping the five-figure mark due to other details like the choice of metal in tantalum across both the case and bracelet.

Bernhardt

Moving onto a brand I have not yet seen in the metal, I can’t speak to the specific quality of the enamel but still feel it’s worth a mention given the low asking price. Bernhardt’s approach to watchmaking seems to be inspired by the design cues of the traditional high-end brands. However, the brand brings them down to highly accessible price points thanks to the use of quartz movements and more cost-effective Japanese mechanical ones alongside a direct-to-consumer business model. As our Editorial Director Zach Kazan perfectly put it, the Captain collection of dress watches takes on a Calatrava-esque vibe. Adding enamel dial options only seems like an appropriate choice to further elevate this line. If you’re just dipping your toe into the enamel pond, this could be a good option given the incredibly accessible price point under $500.

Louis Erard

Louis Erard is a jack of all trades when it comes to artistic crafts with a full line of métiers d’art pieces that span across mediums from wire art to marquetry, guilloche, enamel, and more. To incorporate these rare handcrafts, the brand is no stranger to tapping some of the best artisans to execute them. I love Louis Erard’s spirit of collaboration across its collections, including its métiers d’art line. In its current catalog, the brand has three models with grand feu enamel dials – one in its signature regulator format and two more standard with the former just tipping over the $5,000 mark and the others sitting just under $5,000.

O&HoraPictor

This is yet another brand whose models I have not seen in the metal and therefore can’t confirm the quality of the execution, but the photos have definitely piqued my interest. Rather than taking a more traditional approach, O&HoraPictor enamel dials feel reminiscent of a more modern brand like Moser with bold colors, textures, and the use of a fume effect. I’m also impressed by the fact O&HoraPictor has a dedicated section on their site to their enamel work, which tells me the brand takes the craft seriously. Here, there is detail not only about the enamel itself but also techniques like engraving and silver leaf used at the base to enhance the beauty of the enamel. Prices of the enamel pieces largely sit in the $1,500 to $2,500 range with one more intricate model just over $4,000. I’m really eager to get my hands on one of these models and see how the application looks under a loupe.

Seiko

This may be one of the most if-you-know-you-know, under the radar finds in the realm of enamel dials. Seiko offers several enamel-dial models in its elegant yet affordably priced Presage series. Here, the brand leans on the expertise of Misturu Yokosawa, a master enamellist who has spent over half a century perfecting his craft and is known for his ability to apply extremely thin coats of enamel with flawless execution. With prices sitting under $2,000, this is another great value proposition for an enamel watch.

Statera

Statera is not just among the collection of brands here breaking down barriers for enamel watches as a whole, but the brand is charting new territory in the Latin American market, marking the first watchmaker in the region to create high-horology timepieces crafted with local enameling expertise. Across Statera’s two collections, enamel is front and center with one line simply dedicated to transparent enamel and the other opaque. The trio of transparent models allow for a little more play and interest with textured dials whereas the opaque models appear to showcase an extremely clean and crisp application. Of course, prices are relatively accessible sitting well below $5,000.

Vitreum

We are closing out with a final brand I need to make an effort to see in the metal to properly assess the enamel application but is worthy of joining this list, nonetheless. What sets Vitreum apart from the other brands on this list is its range of enamel applications. Most of what we’ve explored so far is solid color. Now, let me emphasize that executing a consistent application of enamel in a single color, particularly black or white can be equally if not more challenging to accomplish – with all possible flaws on display, it has to be perfect and flawless. However, enamel painting presents its own sets of challenges. Vitreum has tackled the full scope, with solid colors on textured surfaces in its core collection and more intricate designs incorporating multiple pigments in its rare handcrafts line, with prices around $3,500 or less for the former and tipping close to $6,000 for the latter.

What I love most about this full assortment of nine brands is the range of countries represented: Scotland, America, China, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil, and finally, Denmark with Vitreum.