Selten Métiers d’Art Collection – Grand Feu Enamel Series

Tom Austin

In 2017, a younger Leonardo Tsai from Hong Kong set about launching a brand new microbrand, reigniting his household’s custom of dial making. Selten was born, a phrase taken from the German phrase for “uncommon”, and an ideal match for the model, tying in with Leonardo’s admiration for German watchmaking. Up till now, three fashions crammed the Selten catalogue: the Collection 00, the Salvage Bronze, and the M1 Moonphase, and now there’s a brand new variation within the Selten lineup: the Métiers d’Artwork Assortment – Grand Feu Enamel Collection. The gathering embraces Tsai’s ardour for artisanal dial creations and showcases enamel artistry that takes a long time to grasp.

The case

Persevering with on from the model’s M1 Moonphase mannequin, the Grand Feu Enamel collection shares the identical case design: a svelte 39mm huge, 316L stainless-steel case sits at 10.5mm thick, barely thinner this time round than the M1. The watch is classically proportioned, with softly curved tapering lugs which can be 20mm huge. The lugs do look like broadly spaced on the case, giving the watch a stocky look, however it balances the 39mm diameter properly. A elegant bezel extends to the outer fringe of the case, framing every part properly. The ending is nice for a watch at this value level, with clear bevelled edges contrasting towards brushed surfaces.

The big crown and domed sapphire crystal grant the watch 50 metres of water resistance, which, whereas not large, is enough on the very least. That is no dive watch, however it ought to simply deal with day-to-day use with little concern. A sapphire exhibition case again finishes issues off – extra on that in a second.

The dial

As I discussed in my introduction, Leonardo Tsai comes from a household of artisan dial makers, which impressed the model initially, so the will to create a look ahead to the model with an beautiful dial was at all times there. It wasn’t till Leonardo met Qin, a self-taught enamelist, jeweller, and engraver in 2021, that the thought would turn out to be a actuality. The Grand Feu Enamel assortment options dials which have been meticulously engraved in a sunburst sample, then painstakingly enamelled, every taking round 4-5 hours to finish.

I like refined variation, and the Grand Feu Enamel assortment makes you cease and do a double-take, the place you say, “Wait, oh sure, they’re totally different!” – it’s a type of points in watches that excites me. It could not seem so at first, however out of the 5 totally different colors there are, in truth, two totally different types of dial in use with the Grand Feu Enamel. The primary is the “Flare”, with a sample of roughly 700 traces all emanating from the centre in a sunburst sample, and the second is the “Spiral”, once more with round 700 engraved traces, however this time with a refined spiral impact radiating from the centre.

The dial format is traditional, with a printed minute observe and a mixture of slim utilized hour markers and slender Roman numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock. The arms are finely polished, with the hour hand in a vintage-inspired, observatory-style, though it doesn’t reveal something, so it’s only a stylistic alternative. I might have favored to see the Selten emblem be a bit of extra refined, maybe smaller and even utterly absent, like on the M1 Moonphase, however it’s not a deal breaker.

The strap

Every Grand Feu Enamel watch is provided with a handcrafted Leather-based Strap by HasNoBounds, and each is fastidiously chosen to pair with a particular color on the dial. The “Moonstone” comes with a gray leather-based, “Golden Fall” is paired with a light-weight beige, “Rustique” is matched to a rusty brown, “Prism Violet” comes with a lavender-coloured leather-based, and “Sunbird Blue” is matched with a darkish brown, grained leather-based strap. All the leather-based straps come outfitted with a metal pin buckle, however there’s an non-obligatory stainless-steel bracelet with a folding clasp, and for an additional $70, it may be outfitted with a micro-adjuster for on-the-fly changes.

The motion

Japanese Miyota actions have powered Selten’s earlier watches, however for this mannequin, Selten has opted for a Swiss calibre, specifically the Soprod M100 computerized motion. It’s a motion that’s shared throughout many microbrands and is predicated on the unique Soprod calibre A10. For the Grand Feu, it has been adjusted to five positions to supply an improved accuracy of  +-6sec/day, and sports activities a 42-hour energy reserve at 28,800vph. At 3.6mm thick, it’s a pleasant, skinny time-only motion, so it’s attention-grabbing to see that the watch couldn’t afford to be barely thinner general.

One thing which is a bit of totally different is that Selten presents the choice of a hand-engraved computerized rotor for this motion for an additional US$100. Many microbrands fee customized rotor designs for off-the-shelf actions, however this can be a minimize above different choices. Even with out the rotor, the motion is pleasantly (if industrially) completed – however c’mon, you’d be foolish to not go for the engraved rotor right here.

Selten Métiers d’Artwork Assortment – Grand Feu Enamel Collection pricing & availability

The Selten Métiers d’Artwork Assortment – Grand Feu Enamel Collection is accessible for pre-order, with deliveries starting in April 2025. Worth: from US$1,899 (Flare designs, pre-order value), from US$2,199 (Spiral designs, pre-order value), US$2,599 (Flare, full value), US$2,899 (Spiral, full value)

Made in partnership with Selten. Nonetheless, the opinions expressed on this article are our personal in accordance with our Editorial Coverage.