True Craftsmanship Takes Center Stage: The AnOrdain Model 1 Porcelain With Numerals By Kia Tasbihgou
Every time anOrdain announces a new release, I sit up and listen carefully. Over the past decade, the Scottish brand has made a name for itself for creating some of the absolute best dials in the industry. The craftsmanship and creativity in every new release are almost second to none. In-house typography designer Imogen Ayres conceives all the dials, delivering some of the watch industry’s most exciting designs. But when the brand brings in an outsider to design the dial’s typeface, you know something exciting will happen. For the newest release, anOrdain asked designer Kia Tasbihgou to devise a new dial. Due to Tasbihgou’s rich portfolio of stunning creative work, this news instantly excited me. The result is a surprisingly traditional Model 1 Porcelain.
As mentioned, every new anOrdain release offers something new and exciting. But when the creative team in Glasgow was asked who they would want to collaborate with to develop a new typeface, Kia Tasbihgou was the unanimous first choice inside the anOrdain studio. As someone who worked in graphic design for almost 15 years, I was also really excited when I first read the press info. I knew Tasbihgou predominantly for the work he did for Frank Ocean. For those who don’t know Frank Ocean, the American singer, writer, and producer released some of the most creative and well-respected modern R&B albums with Channel Orange and Blonde. Outside of his music, Ocean is known as a great creative who loves design and photography.
The story of Kia Tasbihgou
That’s also where the name Kia Tasbihgou comes in. He created several typographic artworks for songs from Ocean’s album Blonde. The artworks were never used, but a connection to Frank Ocean is never a bad thing. On top of that, the typographical artworks are colorful, creative, and original. As a longtime fan of Ocean’s music and style, it’s great to get a glimpse into the overall process of creating an album, something widely documented by Ocean’s reissues of Blonde. While the connection to Ocean is a great boost to get one’s name out there, for Tasbihgou, it’s also just one of the projects he was part of.
If you look up his work, you will find that much of it looks modern and colorful. But look past the initial impressions, and you will discover that it is firmly rooted in deep historical research without compromising modern-day usability. It’s also wildly diverse, showing the great creativity that distinguishes his work for the many big names he has collaborated with. Because of this, the London native, now based in Amsterdam, was understandably at the top of anOrdain’s list of typography designers to collaborate on a new porcelain dial.
The design story of the new anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain
The great thing about having an industry outsider help design a watch dial is that there are no preconceived ideas of what such a design should look like. Therefore, anOrdain gave Tasbihgou a wide-open briefing. Funnily enough, he was intrigued by classic Breguet pocket watches. As Lewis Heath, anOrdain’s founder, explained, the brand would have never briefed something as specific to the watch industry as that. But Kia Tasbihgou decided to take Breguet’s classic typographical style from those days and develop a modern interpretation of his own.
Thanks to this concept, the approach and dial’s execution feel very close to home. But the people involved have their feet very firmly planted in contemporary style and design, making this wonderful collaboration one of the more interesting releases of 2026 so far. The canvas for the dial art is the familiar anOrdain Model 1.
It has a 38mm hardened stainless steel case with an 11mm thickness and a 46mm length. The case features a mix of brushed and polished surfaces and has a modest 18mm lug spacing. For movements, buyers can choose between the standard La Joux-Perret G101 or the A1 caliber, a decorated version of the G101. They operate at 28,800 vph, have 24 jewels, and offer a 68-hour power reserve.
Changing the dial design of the Model 1
Currently, anOrdain offers the Model 1 with an enamel, fumé enamel, or Fabrik dial, the last of which features a semi-matte lacquer for a different look and feel. Old maps of the Scottish Highlands inspired the standard typography for the Model 1 dials, beautifully linking the design to the brand’s Scottish roots. One detail I adore is the line separating them on the minute track. This line runs along the dial’s edge and passes through the minute track, visually connecting to the large hour numerals.
Another nice detail is the absence of numerals for the uneven hours. Upon first glance, you probably won’t notice their absence. But once you look a bit more closely, you’ll realize they’re not there. I love this, as it shows the mind can play fun visual tricks on us. It also gives the numerals for the even hours room to breathe.
For this new release, anOrdain created a white glazed porcelain dial. As most of you will know, porcelain dials are notoriously hard to create. The biggest risks during the firing process are shrinkage, warping, and surface defects. As a result, the success rate is much lower than for the more regular dials. But anOrdain can create wonderful clay-based porcelain dials in-house, and a beautiful white porcelain dial is the perfect base for Kia Tasbihgou’s design.
The combination of classic and modern design works miracles
He kept the characteristic overall design of the Model 1 dial but changed the style of its elements to create something new. Or maybe it’s better to call it a new version of something very classical, as Tasbihgou chose blue as the contrasting color for his design. Because of this, the white porcelain dial with blue hands, numerals, and details looks antique, even though it is not.
The redesigned Breguet hour numerals immediately catch the eye. I love the little details here, including the combination of elegant, rounded shapes and sharp angular corners. Just look at the graceful curve at the top of the 2 and the sharp lines at its base. That’s where you see the style evolve from the classic dials that would use elegantly curving lines all the way through. Another wonderful numeral is the ultra-sharp 1. It pops brilliantly, especially in combination with the 0 at 10 o’clock.
The magic is all in the details
Another detail I adore is the closed minute track, interrupted by numerals every five minutes, the brand’s name at 12 o’clock, and the word “porcelain” at 6 o’clock. The interrupted closed minute track contains small blocks of three rectangles, making it look much more modern than a classic, closed version. The modern dynamic of the minute track in the Model 1 Porcelain is simply wonderful. Overall, I love the dial design. Despite its seemingly straightforward approach to honoring the classic porcelain dials of the past, the magic truly is in the details. That’s also evident in the application of the dial’s numerals. The thickness adds an extra layer of depth and tactility, emphasizing the great craftsmanship.
All of this convinces me that buyers will often take the watch off and break out their loupes to admire the details. But I can assure you that on the wrist, the anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain is equally impressive. A nice detail is the black leather strap, now also made in-house. It helps the Model 1 wear really well, and the proportions will make it a great fit for a variety of wrist sizes. Due to the case’s angles, I would not call this a classic dress watch per se. The special dial of this new Model 1 Porcelain might push it more toward that classification, but it never felt like a dress watch on my wrist.
Impressions of the new anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain × Kia Tasbihgou
The main takeaway from spending time with this wonderful anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain is that it’s a great new release for design enthusiasts and fans of traditional watchmaking alike. This watch is a stunning result of Kia Tasbihgou’s design approach. By always diving deep into history, he creates context that helps him design the typography for his projects. In this case, the history of watchmaking gave him an abundance of style options, but I love that he chose the famous Breguet numerals and put his distinct spin on them. But this spin is far from alienating for fans of classic watches. At the same time, design enthusiasts will appreciate the modern twists of the typography that Tasbihgou created.
For me, the anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain × Kia Tasbihgou is so much more than just the next watch release. It connects to multiple passions and interests, and its execution intrigued me every time I wore it. I found myself uncovering new details every time, which made for a great hands-on experience. In fact, this is one of the most memorable new watches I’ve had the pleasure of wearing recently. In the great stream of releases, some stand out immediately because of a personal connection I have to them. While that doesn’t happen often, when it does, it hits even harder. That’s the feeling I had with this anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain × Kia Tasbihgou.
An initial limited edition of 70 pieces, with more to follow
AnOrdain will create an initial run of 70 pieces of this new Model 1 Porcelain, which is now available for sale on the brand’s official website. The watch will cost £2,200 / US$2,950 (excluding taxes) with the standard La Joux-Perret G101. If you want the decorated A1 caliber, that will bring it up to £2,520 / US$3,400 (also excluding taxes). AnOrdain will ship the watches within two weeks after purchase. For full disclosure, existing customers already had a chance to buy one of these models 24 hours before the release.
If you’re unable to get your hands on one now, additional small batches will be released every month. So there is no need to worry, though the wait might be much longer. Then again, the longer wait will probably also result in an even greater appreciation once you finally get it. After trying out the new Model 1, I can say I have found my second anOrdain favorite after the stunning Model 3 that the brand developed in collaboration with Hodinkee. Due to the personal connection I feel for them, they occupy a special spot in my watch-loving heart. That’s a spot reserved for only a select few.
