Awake's Son Mai Guilloché Main: A Fusion of Craftsmanship

Awake, the esteemed French independent watch brand established by Lilian Thibault in 2019, has unveiled its latest collection, the Son Mai Guilloché Main, marking its fifth anniversary. This series signifies a new direction for the brand, moving beyond its previous space-themed designs to focus on refined craftsmanship. The collection masterfully combines the ancient Vietnamese Son Mai lacquering technique with traditional hand-guilloché artistry, presenting a trio of limited-edition watches that are both visually striking and technically accomplished. These new models also feature an updated, more streamlined case design, offering enhanced wearability.

A distinctive feature of these watches lies in their captivating dials, where two venerable artisanal methods converge. Lilian Thibault is recognized for being the first to introduce the Vietnamese Son Mai lacquer art into horology, a discovery made during a 2008 trip. The exquisite lacquered dials, meticulously crafted by Hanoia, a renowned Vietnamese atelier, are further elevated by hand-guilloché motifs. Executed by the Renzetti family in Italy using 19th-century lathes, these intricate patterns impart an extraordinary sense of texture and depth, playing with light in a mesmerizing way. The collection includes three distinct models: the purple Sunset dial, featuring a 1930s drape-moiré guilloché pattern; the fiery orange Alba dial, with a helical guilloché pattern; and the Borealis, which captures the vibrant greens of the Northern Lights with its complex, flowing lines.

Beyond their artistic dials, the new Son Mai Guilloché trilogy boasts several notable enhancements. Each watch incorporates Awake's signature luminous display, where the hands and indices are fashioned from a robust Super-LumiNova BGW9 base, topped with faceted, polished steel overlays that allow light to emanate from beneath. The redesigned 316L stainless steel case, now a more compact 38mm in diameter, offers a sleeker profile and improved comfort. With a refined bezel, shorter lugs, and a screw-down crown providing 100-meter water resistance, these watches are powered by the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement, ensuring precision and reliability. Complementing the timepieces are color-matched Alcantara straps from Jean Rousseau, equipped with Awake's innovative micro-adjustable pin buckle for optimal fit. Each of the three models is a limited edition of 200 pieces, priced at EUR 2,650 (excluding tax).

This collection represents a beautiful convergence of global artistry and horological precision. It demonstrates how diverse cultural traditions can be interwoven to create objects of enduring beauty and sophisticated engineering. The Son Mai Guilloché Main watches are a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation, showcasing a dedication to excellence and a passion for unique, meaningful design that inspires appreciation for intricate detail and cross-cultural artistic dialogue.