Classic Timepieces - Metiers d'Art Urushi

URUSHI The Shining Beauty of Japan Lacquer made in Switzerland

The deep, shiny luster of black or dark red lacquerware, often gorgeously decorated with gold and silver or inlaid with mother-of-pearl, is a Japanese handicraft form that has long fascinated the world. No other application style can match the deep hues and smoothness of Japanese lacquer (urushi in Japanese). Lacquerware stands as one of the most distinctive forms of Japanese beauty.

History of Urushi
Urushi is the sap of the urushi or lacquer tree that is native to Japan, China, and Korea. The sap of this tree contains a resin that polymerizes and becomes a very hard, durable, plastic-like substance when it is exposed to moisture and air.

Characteristics of Urushi

Liquid urushi can be applied to just about any surface: wood, metal, cloth, ceramics, etc.. When it solidifies, it becomes a very hard coating that waterproofs and protects the coated object from the effects of mold, mildew and other forms of weathering. It also provides protection against caustic substances such as acids. Only direct and prolonged exposure to sunlight will cause urushi to deteriorate. Urushi's hardness and durability make it an excellent protective coating for any object that will be used continually over a long period of time. It also has excellent adhesive properties. It is used as a special kind of glue for metal leaf, powders of various kinds, shells, etc.

''I think urushi is one of the finest and most representative craft forms. It is characterized by precision craftwork and expresses the fascination of elegance and beauty"

Martin Pauli

In the year 2006, Angular Momentum has released the „Guilloche Noir“ Timepiece, its first timepiece with an Urushi lacquer dial. It was the first time, classic guilloche engraving has been executed on an black Urushi lacquer dial. In the following years a number of custom made and bespoke timepieces with Urushi dials have been manufactured on customer‘s demand.

Now, Angular Momentum has realized a new collector‘s collection of fine dress watches of classic design, featuring a selection of  different urushi dials representing different traditional but also techniques  newly invented  by Angular Momentum of Switzerland. Each model is limited to 10 pieces only. Differently to classic table ware,  Angular Momentum applies the urushi on steel dials of 0.20 mm thickness. To make sure the urushi sticks propably to the steel surface the first two layers of ki-urushi are burned  into the steel surface by heating the dial on an iron or hearthstone.The following working steps are the same as on classic table ware. All urushi works are executed in the Angular Momentum atelier in Switzerland