Beloved Glasgow-based independent watchmaker anOrdain is best known for its fabulous enamel dials, with a quality so high it gives the Swiss a run for their money. However, creating grand feu enamel dials is painstaking work; numbers are limited, and demand is high. Even with seven enamellers working solidly on dials, production is limited to around 50 dials per month.

In 2022, anOrdain decided to invest in in-house porcelain dials, but not the type of porcelain you might be familiar with. Most watches with porcelain dials use pre-manufactured zirconia ceramic sheets that are stamped and pad-printed. Unsurprisingly, anOrdain has taken a more intensive, and traditional path. Using traditional pottery techniques and made from clay, anOrdain is able to create around 300 dials per month, though the rejection rate can be staggeringly high — up to 90% of fired dials don’t make the cut.

Those that do are stunning. Glossy and organic, it’s a texture that feels right at home in an anOrdain case. And while the watch launched in the Model 2, this time it’s the dressier Model 1’s turn. While the dial material is worthy of note, here it plays second fiddle to the printing and typography. The brand has partnered with Kia Tasbihgou, a typography designer who has worked with the likes of Vanity Fair and Frank Ocean to create a typeface that feels simultaneously fresh and familiar. There’s nods to Breguet and Japanese ceramic traditions, oversized hour hashes and an interrupted chemin de fer, all of which comes together into a dial that is bright, legible and above all, interesting.

Of course, there’s more to the watch than the dial — the 38mm steel case sits 11mm high on the wrist and comes with an 18mm strap. It can be ordered with either a stock La Joux-Perret G101 calibre or a more highly decorated version. Seventy pieces will be available at launch, with monthly batches dropped on the site afterwards.

Tech Specs: anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain With Numerals by Kia Tasbihgou

Movement La Joux-Perret G101, automatic, offered in two grades
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds
Case Steel, 38 x 46 x 11mm, water-resistant to 50 metres
Dial White glazed porcelain
Strap 18mm leather
Price USD 2,950 (G101) or USD 3,400 (A1)