Vipera Aspis Blue Green

From Lundis Bleus -

Courtesy of Lundis

So where to begin?  I personally like the guys at Lundis Bleus.  In a hyper-competitive and unforgiving business, they have created a real following.  And they did not do this with "friends of the brand" or crazy promotion.  I would call it a quiet storm.  They are honest, and they are sincere, and I am proud to call them friends.

Having said that, this is their latest - a truly one of a kind piece, the Vipera Aspis Blue Green.  Now personally, I am not a "snake guy", but the thought, effort that went into this piece, and the resulting beauty could well change my mind.

Courtesy of Lundis Bleus

A bit of Henki lore, I sucked at art class.  Even with a smock on, there was usually more paint on my shirt than the paper by the end of class.  So suffice it to say, I am probably more intrigued by the arts and crafts applications in the watch making world than the technological advancements.  And this is a truly wonderful result.

Courtesy of Lundis Bleus

Completely a home team effort and created in by the Lundis Bleus team in their workshop, the dial is of cloisonné enamel and measures 34 mm in diameter and just under 1 mm thick. And needless to say, this was not a middle school art class project ; )

Reportedly 107 fine gold wires were utilized to shape the viper's outlines and "skeleton".  Meaning roughly 45 centimeters of gold wire were shaped and formed, by hand to create this masterpiece.  15 shades of transparent and opalescent enamels create the rich color scheme.   The dial went into the kiln 9 times, fired at about 830°C before its surface could be carefully polished to make it flat and shiny. A mere three weeks later, the dial was finished ; )

Here are the pertinents -

Dial - 
100% handmade at the Lundis Bleus workshop Base in sterling silver
Head of a viper by cloisonné grand feu enamel

107 fine wires to create the head of the viper, totalizing a length of 45cm 17 wires used for the outlines (wire of 0.40x0,10mm)
90 wires for the details (wire of 0.40x0.05mm)

15 shades of transparent and opalescent enamels 8 firings at 830°C
3 weeks of meticulous work

Minute track, “Swiss Made” and “Pièce Unique” by pad printed, white

Hands -
Rhodium-plated, polished

Movement -
Swiss Sellita SW300-1 Premium
Functions: Hours, minutes & seconds by hands

The Sursum Corda

From Czapek -

Courtesy of Czapek

This is the latest from Czapek, a Unique Piece featuring cloisonné enamel, and brushed white gold and hand engraving on the dial. 

Here are the pertinents -

FUNCTIONS
Hours, Minutes & Seconds
Small second at 7h30

MOVEMENT
Calibre SXH1: Haute Horlogerie proprietary mechanical hand-wound movement
Power-reserve > 168 hours (7 days) on 2 barrel- springs
Frequency: 3 Hz – 21,600 VpH
Diameter: 32 mm – 14 lines 1⁄4
Height: 4.75 mm

FINISH
Double open ratchets, sandblasted bridges, blue screws, beveling, final anglage 'main'

CASE
1N white gold case
42.5 mm diameter
Curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective
treatment on the inside surface
Sapphire crystal case back with anti-reflective
treatment on the inside surface
Water-resistance: 30 meters (3 atm)

STRAP
Dark matte blue alligator strap

DIAL
World map at the center of the dial in cloisonné enamel
Inscriptions ring in brushed white gold
Hours outer ring with hand-engraved waves
Laser blasting and cutting and soft sand blasting
to create a ‘velvet’ effect

HANDS
Skeletonized, rhodium plated steel hands

The Pendant Boule

From Hermès

Courtesy of Hermès 

Hermès in many ways is a "Dream Factory" - a place where the difficult to imagine is produced with a precision, quality and beauty that is difficult to imagine possible.  And with their latest offering, the Pendentif Boule, that reputation is further enhanced.