Awake Launches Son Mai Collection: A Tribute to Vietnam’s Traditional Lacquer Art

Awake, a French Watch Brand, usually approaches watchmaking with futuristic watches with a space theme. The brand didn’t have a permanent collection, and its watches were limited edition. Until now, the Son Mai collection, based on Vietnamese art, will be its first permanent collection.

Son Mai (Lacquer Painting)

Lacquer painting is a traditional art form with a long history in Vietnam and has become an important part of the nation’s artistic culture. From using handmade latex to applying gilded paint on antique objects to gilding ancient artifacts. The name “lacquer painting” refers to the technique: “sơn” means lacquer and “mài” refers to the sanding motion by the artisan.

Son Mai Collection

According to the CEO of Awake, Lilian Thibault discovered Son Mai during a 2008 trip to Vietnam. This is the first instance of the technique being used in a watch. To smooth the surface, the base coat of lacquer on the dials is sanded and polished. After applying silver leaf, natural pigments are airbrushed over it. This process involves layering about twelve coats of lacquer, followed by sanding and polishing, taking ten to fifteen hours to complete each dial. The silver leaf also creates unique patterns in the four colors: amethyst, lava, emerald, and outré bleu.

Amethyst

Lava

Emerald

Outré bleu

Inspired by Farer, Son Mai Collection has also introduced backlit elements. Specifically, they utilized Super-LumiNova BGW9 to illuminate the indices and hands, which are covered with faceted steel caps. This design allows the lume to shine from behind the silver caps of the hands and indices, creating a unique glow.

The Son Mai collection will use a brand-new case design that Awake has never utilized before. Measuring 39 mm wide and 11.8 mm thick (including the crystal), it has a lug-to-lug distance of just 45.6 mm. Made from recycled stainless steel, the case showcases lugs topped with a domed sapphire crystal surrounded by a finely polished, rounded bezel. The rest of the case has a brushed finish, accented by a polished chamfer that runs from lug to lug. Additionally, it offers water resistance up to 50 meters.

You can pre-order the Son Mai collection now, and it is scheduled to arrive in December. Click here to check out the Awake website for more.

>Read More

170th Anniversary Timex One Dollar Watch

Panerai Introduce Radiomir Perpetual Calendar GMT Goldtech To Celebrate Anniversary of The Radiomir