Introducing: The New, Smaller Awake Sơn Mài Guilloché Main Lineup
We’ve been following Awake since well before the 2024 introduction of its Sơn Mài collection. The watches, which feature painstakingly layered Vietnamese lacquer over silver leaf, have vaulted the brand into new territory. Each release is greeted with fervor from fans, and the limited editions frequently sell out quickly. Until now, the watches have featured a 39mm case. All that changes today with the brand’s new Sơn Mài Guilloché Main series, which also debuts a new 38mm case design.
Indeed, our first exposure to the Sơn Mài collection was in London in a dark cellar restaurant. It was there that we saw something very different from the previous, somewhat whimsical space-inspired pieces. Since then, Awake has released a flurry of variants with different colors, textures, and themes. Now, a new collection comes our way as a trio of Sơn Mài Guilloché Main pieces. Yes, these watches combine two métiers d’art.
The new Sơn Mài Guilloché Main lineup
We’ll come to the dial details of the Guilloché Main collection shortly, but let’s run through the basic specifications. The cases are still crafted from 316L stainless steel but now have a 38mm diameter and 44.75mm lug-to-lug. There’s also been a 0.3mm reduction in total thickness, giving the new watches an 11.5mm profile.
A sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating is part of the package, but the water resistance rating has doubled to 100 meters. Finally, each watch comes with a dial-matching 20mm Jean Rousseau Alcantara strap complete with a rubber lining and an adjustable stainless steel pin buckle.
Guilloché main from the Renzetti family
For the latest pieces, Awake worked with Renzetti in Italy, a family business dedicated to guilloché main (hand-applied guilloché) since the late 18th century. To create the dials in today’s pieces, artisans at Renzetti operate straight-line and rose engines by hand. After all of the fine grooves have been carved into the dials, they travel to Vietnam for the sơn mài process. There, craftsmen spend more than 15 hours creating each dial by adding thin layers of lacquer with pigment. The result is a rare blend of two handcrafted techniques from different continents.
The Sunset
The Sunset has a purple hue with a 1930s-inspired drapé-moiré guilloché pattern that changes from darker to lighter and back to darker tones. The wavy pattern is unlike most we’ve seen. Aside from this, the watch has the brand’s characteristic polished indexes with underlying blue-emitting Super-LumiNova BGW9. The same luminous treatment is echoed on the hour and minute hands. Of special note is Awake’s new logo. Frankly, I love it and appreciate the more elegant appearance.
The Alba
The orange-toned Alba moves from the center’s lighter hue to a more concentrated dark shade at the dial’s edge. This guilloché technique displays a helical pattern. Indeed, it’s a complex shape that must be carefully crafted.
When we view the case profile, we notice a slightly different shape. The case is similar to the 39mm forebear in a familial manner. However, the lugs are slimmer, and the transition to the circular main case is more dramatic. Altogether, it’s a slightly finer design with more details. Plus, the bezel now has a convex curve, which lends a finer edge to the overall look. Also, note the different logo on the signed crown.
The Borealis
The final watch in the Sơn Mài Guilloché Main trio is the Borealis. This green piece shows off what might be the most intricate pattern of all. The Renzetti family added a radial pattern to the dial before the complex lacquering process. In this case, yellow transitions from the dial’s center to rich green.
Each watch has a stainless steel screw-in case back with a sapphire display and laser-engraved ring. The wearer can view the automatic La Joux-Perret G101 automatic with its tungsten rotor and mainplate striping. As always, this movement, with a frequency of 28,800 vph and a power reserve of 68 hours, is a fine choice.
Availability and pricing
Awake will produce just 200 of each of the new Sơn Mài Guilloché Main variants, with the first 50 pieces of each shipping in June 2026. The remainder will begin deliveries in September 2026. At €2,650 each, these watches are pricier than prior versions, but a lot more work goes into them. Plus, the dials traverse much of the globe before coming together with a watch. I was able to see these pieces in person during Chronopolis Geneva in April, and I can verify that they’re vibrant and incredibly attractive. Plus, while the new cases are marginally smaller, the change makes a large difference and puts them into the opportunity zone for a smaller wrist like mine. Overall, the construction and quality of these new dials, along with the foundational changes to the case, should ensure that these pieces are incredibly successful.
What do you think of the Sơn Mài Guilloché Main lineup? Do you have a favorite variant? Let us know in the comments section.
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