Awake - Son Mài Silver Leaf
A year ago, the French brand introduced the Sơn Mài collection, highlighting Vietnamese craftsmanship in the watchmaking industry for the first time and paving the way for a new approach to Métiers d'Art, based on the desire to preserve ancestral skills while embedding them in contemporary culture.
To celebrate this first anniversary, AWAKE designed five new ‘Silver Leaf’ dials, including one in a limited edition of 100 pieces. This combines sanded Vietnamese lacquer with pure silver leaf – an entirely artisanal technique exclusive to the brand.
The Sơn Mài Silver Leaf technique requires unparalleled concentration and dexterity from the master lacquerers, and is based on a long and complex process carried out entirely by hand. It all begins with the sap of the Rhus verniciflua tree, which grows in northern Vietnam. After a decade of growth, each tree produces only 200 ml of sap per year, harvested only in the early morning hours of June and July. Purified and dehydrated, this sap becomes a transparent lacquer, renowned for its shine and protective qualities.
Inherited from a centuries-old tradition, the Sơn Mài technique consists of applying, superimposing, and then polishing multiple layers of natural lacquer until a mirror-like finish of unparalleled depth is achieved. Unlike Chinese and Japanese schools, Vietnamese artisans incorporate precious materials into the lacquer— gold, mother-of-pearl, and here, silver leaf—creating unique textures, reliefs, and plays of light.
Technical Specifications
Case: Recycled 316L stainless steel
Diameter: 39mm
Lug to lug dimensions: 45.6mm
Lug width: 20mm
Thickness: 11.80mm including glass / 10.90mm excluding glass
Métier d'Art dials, entirely handmade:
Sơn Mài - Silver Leaf - Golden Hour - Limited Edition of 100 pieces.
Sơn Mài - Silver Leaf - Ultra Violet - Regular Collection
Sơn Mài - Silver Leaf - Carmine Red - Regular Collection
Sơn Mài - Silver Leaf - Moonlight Blue - Regular Collection
Sơn Mài - Silver Leaf - Palladium - Regular Collection
Indexes and hands: Super LumiNova® BGW9, AWAKE luminous "cap" signature
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Case back: Screw-down case back, sapphire crystal
Movement: Automatic La Joux-Perret G101, 68-hour power reserve
Decoration: Custom tungsten rotor, alternating hollows and reliefs with brushed, micro-blasted, and polished finishes. Laser-engraved micro-blasted ring
Strap (20-16mm): Nubuck bull calfskin or suede - gray, blue, brown, or black - depending on the version, rubberized calfskin lining, tone-on-tone stitching
Water resistance: 5 ATM (50 m)
Price: HKD $20,000