Ancestra

Front and centre to 蛟 (JIĀO)’s appeal is the enigmatic depth of its grand feu enamel, created through the binding of molten glass to its hand-hammered dial base.

From a pale, almost-silver mid-dial, this textured baseplate cascades visually away towards its edges, culminating in a trench-like tone of deep cobalt at its outer circumference. The martéle beneath the enamel’s glossy sheen gives the dial the illusion of deep water — an effect that takes six cumulative firings in a 750-850°C kiln to achieve. The complexity of this process results in a high failure rate of approximately 50%, making the enamelling of these dials an extremely costly and time-consuming endeavour.

蛟 (JIĀO)’s dial hails from the enamel workshop of Mr Kong Ling Jun. A relatively young atelier, the workshop was founded by Kong in 2007, rising through the ranks in China to become the foremost enamel studio for watch dials in the country — a status that it earned in 2021, with the national-level designation of "中国珐琅手表 (北京) 制造中心" (China Enamel Watch [Beijing] Manufacturing Center) by the China Horologe Association (中国钟表协会, CHA).