After multiple baths in various plating & cleaning solutions, the dials are ready to receive a base coat of up to 20 layers of lacquer paint. Once polished, the dials exude an exceptional luster thanks in large part to the thin layer of precious metals previously applied.

After the base coat of color has been applied, it’s time to carve out various apertures on the dial. Circular holes for the hands, square windows for date displays, and various segments will be removed to accommodate specific displays such as moon phases, power reserves etc. Dials with applied numerals, chapter rings and other elements will be peppered with tiny holes in this stage to allow the various appliques to be mechanically fixed through a dial.  

Once all apertures are machined, the dials are again sent to be polished with an ultra-fine amalgam to reveal the lustrous color and underlying patterns applied to the dial.

After polishing, most dials are sent to one of several pad printing stations. Here a specialized machine presses a soft silicon pad into an inked cliché’ (stencil) to precisely outline numerals to be hand-painted, print letters, logos, and other markings around the polished dial. These same pad printers also apply diminutive copy & markers to the rehaute that frames the dial on the Vanguard, Skafander and round case designs.  

One characteristic of a Franck Muller that elevates it beyond the typical luxury watches is the hand painted dial. Outlines already applied by pad printing are painstakingly filled with one or more colors by the steady hand of a trained specialist. With a sharply pointed stylus in hand, the technicians moderate the flow of enamel through the needle-tip via a foot pedal control to expertly and precisely apply the iconic Franck Muller numerals, flowers, or other designs. This technique is difficult to master, but when applied gives the numerals and appliques exceptional character and a deep rich color - whether applied to the numerals or the various effects and forms added to the dials.  You can see a brief video of the precision dial painting here: Hand Painting

Once hand-painting is complete, a final trip into the kiln will heat-set the enamel and prepare it for the next steps on the way to being integrated into the finished timepiece. 

The results are truly amazing and elevate a Franck Muller dial into a miniature work of art.