Awake first launched the Sơn Mài in 2024 and since then it has quickly sprung to the fore of stylish and colourful microbrand designs thanks to its use of traditional Vietnamese lacquer dials. The new Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf limited edition collection builds on that foundation by fusing that traditional lacquer technique with silver leaf to create a distinctive texture. The collection contains a trio of watches with colours inspired by the natural hues of Earth when seen from satellite images.
Jumping straight to the dials, the production starts the same as a standard Sơn Mài lacquer design. It starts with a lacquer base made from the sap of native Vietnamese trees that then has a black pigment applied to it followed by a layer of silver leaf. For a typical dial you’d then apply the coloured pigments of the final product but for the Frosted Leaf they’ve pushed the technique further.
They add a second layer of black pigment and then another layer of silver leaf. At this stage where it is multi-layered, one of the dedicated craftsmen sands the dial by hand in order to reveal different sections of the layers, creating the frosted texture that has a sense of three-dimensionality to it. It’s at this point they return to the coloured lacquer and polish to set in the final colours and finish. All in, it takes 15 hours to produce each dial.
The colours on offer are Green, Blue and Moca (mocha), inspired by the world’s forests, oceans and soil. They’re the type of dials you could spend hours studying thanks to the immense intricacies with no two looking the same. There’s a rich organic quality to it like a moss growing on an ancient wall, but you know, in a way that feels like luxury due to the shiny finish.
Beyond the new dials, the Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf series presents the Sơn Mài as we’re already familiar with from other references like the Jurassic. That means a 39mm steel case with a smooth bezel and polished lugs. In low light conditions they make use of the Sơn Mài’s signature lumed hour markers and hands which are constructed in a way to make them appear backlit.
Powering the watch is the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement, visible through the exhibition caseback with custom Awake rotor. The G101 is currently regarded as the premium off the shelf movement among independent brands with increasingly wide usage across the industry. LJP have really stepped up as a practical, high performance alternative to Sellita, ETA and the Japanese manufactures.
Each of the three colours of the Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf is limited to 50 pieces, resulting in a total production quantity of 150 watches. They’re priced at €2,150 (approx. £1,800) excluding tax. That’s standard for Sơn Mài limited editions.These dials need to be seen in the metal to be truly appreciated, which you can do here in London on June 14th at Hands On Horology. For more information and to secure your ticket, click here.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Awake
Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf
Case:
39mm
diameter x 11.8mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial:
Blue,
green or moca frosted leaf
Water resistance:
50m
(5bar)
Movement:
La
Joux-Perret G101, automatic, 24 jewels
Frequency:
28,800
vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve:
68h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds
Strap:
Delugs
light grey nubuck leather strap with rubber lining
Price:
€2,150
(approx. £1,800), limited to 50 pieces per colour
More details at Awake.
Oracle Time