No other Swiss watch brand can claim to dedicate itself to the art of enamelling in the way that DeLaneau does, creating every one of its decorated dials in-house in a process that takes an average of three months to complete.

When it comes to choosing a design to adorn your personal DeLaneau masterpiece, the only constraint is your imagination. The noble head of a favourite horse; the exotic colours of a tropical bird; the gossamer wings of a butterfly or the beauty of an exotic jungle animal - all can be replicated onto a DeLaneau dial in the form of a miniature masterpiece created using the notoriously difficult technique of Grand Feu enamel, in which pieces are fired at a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius in order to enable the vivid colours to fuse to the surface.

The most complex designs require more than 100 hours of work to complete but, in addition to the most intricate creations, our artisans also specialise in simpler, more subtle forms of decoration such as the plain, shimmering tones of dials which are enamelled in rich, individual colours.

DeLaneau enamel dials are finished using the 300-year-old enamelling technique known as 'fondant de finition,' a famously difficult last stage of the decorative process which, if performed incorrectly, can destroy the work entirely. When successfully carried out, however, it gives depth to the finish and provides a final protective layer that will ensure the enamel retains its vibrancy for hundreds of years.