Oris has built a reputation for the quality and robustness of its timepieces, and it’s little surprise that its collections are bursting with tough diving watches and hardy pilot’s models. And while these are peppered with refined design and heritage influences, the watchmaker has made few forays into the world of highly decorated dials – until now.
The Sun Wukong Artist Edition, created in collaboration with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio Co, is the first piece from the brand to feature an intricate, hand-decorated cloisonné dial. The legend of Sun Wukong (known as “The Monkey King”) is embedded in Chinese culture. This distinctive artwork featured on the dial takes its inspiration from the 1961 Chinese animated feature-length film The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven, in which the character finds a weapon in the Dragon King’s underwater palace.
The aquatic scene is brought to life in stunning shades of blue. This is achieved through a process that takes three days to complete, undertaken by a Swiss artist. First, minuscule strips of silver wire are carefully shaped to form an outline on top of the white-gold plate. These compartments are then filled with coloured glass powder, before being fired in a kiln at around 800°C, a delicate undertaking that requires skill and care to achieve the flawless, shiny finish.
The technicality required to produce the dial is reflected in the watchmaking within, with the timepiece powered by Oris’s anti-magnetic automatic Calibre 400 with five-day power reserve. Meanwhile, the model is limited to just 72 pieces, a testament to the time and patience required to create this wearable work of art.
