AWAKE Sơn Mài Silver Leaf Collection: Five Vignette Dials Inspired by Vietnamese Craft

By Brent Robillard

All my favourite colours

When AWAKE unveiled the Sơn Mài – Silver Leaf Golden Hour earlier this summer, the watch world got its first glimpse of just how far this young French brand is willing to push the boundaries of artisanal dial-making. Inspired by Vietnamese lacquerwork, the piece was designed as a limited edition for the Toronto Timepiece Show, and it captivated with its fiery vignette of red, orange, and ochre. I was fortunate enough to spend time with the Golden Hour in hand, and I can attest to the mastery behind these dials—the way light seems to pool, shift, and glow with a depth that photographs never fully capture.

AWAKE Refreshes the Sơn Mài Silver Leaf Collection — AWAKE Sơn Mài Silver Leaf Collection

Now, AWAKE has expanded the concept into a full collection. The new Sơn Mài – Silver Leaf series introduces four additional colourways alongside the Golden Hour, each using the same complex lacquer-and-silver-leaf technique that fuses Vietnamese tradition with contemporary watchmaking. Together, the five models offer a spectrum of moods, from bold and provocative to calm and contemplative, all united by a vignette gradient that recalls the smoked dials of the 1970s.

Check out the Elliot Brown Beachmaster Quartz

Key Features of the Sơn Mài Silver Leaf Collection

At the heart of the collection is a painstaking process rooted in the centuries-old Sơn Mài lacquer tradition of Hanoi. Master lacquerers begin with the rare sap of the Rhus verniciflua tree, harvested only a few weeks each year, which is purified into a transparent lacquer of extraordinary shine and durability. Silver leaf is then brushed onto the polished surface, creating a shimmering foundation of texture and relief. Over this, layers of natural pigments and additional lacquer are applied—sometimes a dozen or more—each polished back to achieve an almost infinite depth.

The result is a dial that behaves like no other. Colours bloom and recede as light shifts, the silver leaf catching glints like fractured sunlight beneath water. No two dials are ever the same, and each one feels less like a stamped part and more like a singular canvas.

The Five Faces of Silver Leaf

Golden Hour (Limited Edition of 100)
The warm and radiant version that started it all, evoking the fleeting light just after sunrise or before sunset. Its gradient moves from bright ochre at the centre through orange into deep tobacco tones, glowing like embers in low light.
Ultra Violet
The boldest of the series, playing with mystery and intensity. A rich purple centre darkens dramatically at the edges, giving the dial an aura that feels modern by day, but almost mystical when the lume awakens at night.
Palladium
Perhaps the most understated, its dial transitions from luminous champagne to a chocolate brown edge. It’s elegant and versatile, offering a modern spin on 1970s “smoked” tones, equally suited to contemporary minimalism or vintage-inspired outfits.
Carmine Red
Unapologetically passionate, this dial burns with red at its core before fading to near black. It’s powerful and attention-commanding, the kind of watch that infuses energy into every glance at the wrist.
Moonlight Blue
The most contemplative of the set, inspired by the blue hours of dusk and dawn. Its layered pigments range from pale sky to midnight, a calming gradient that feels both discreet and deeply nuanced.

Modern Mechanics, Poetic Details

The artistry of the dials is matched by AWAKE’s technical choices. All five watches are powered by the La Joux-Perret G101 calibre, a modern Swiss automatic with a 68-hour power reserve and fine finishing, including an oscillating weight designed exclusively for AWAKE. The cases and buckles, crafted in recycled stainless steel, are paired with straps handmade in France’s Franche-Comté region, where traditional saddlery still thrives.

One of the most impressive features is AWAKE’s luminous signature. Instead of conventional lume paint, the indexes and hands are constructed from machined blocks of BGW9 Super-LumiNova®, capped with polished steel. By day, this construction is almost invisible; by night, it produces a subtle backlighting effect that interacts with the lacquer’s reflections in hypnotic ways.

A Meeting of Eras

What makes the Silver Leaf Collection fascinating is the way it bridges different watchmaking languages. The vignette dials nod to a golden age of 1970s style, while the Sơn Mài technique reaches back centuries into Vietnamese heritage. The French handcrafting of the straps and the Swiss reliability of the G101 ground the pieces in modern horology. And yet, none of it feels like a pastiche. Instead, it’s a meeting point: art and mechanics, East and West, past and present.

Final Thoughts

Having handled the Golden Hour, I can say without hesitation that AWAKE’s dials are unlike anything else in this price category. They’re not just decorative—they feel alive, meditative, and deeply personal. Whether you’re drawn to the fiery drama of Carmine Red, the subtle elegance of Palladium, or the meditative calm of Moonlight Blue, each watch offers a singular way of experiencing time. In an industry that often leans too heavily on nostalgia, AWAKE has found a way to make history feel new again.

Pricing & Availability

At €2000 (before taxes), the Silver Leaf models deliver a rare blend of artistry, cultural storytelling, and solid horology. To order, please visit the brand website.

About the author

Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.

On Spec articles refer to upcoming projects and rely upon available information on Kickstarter, the brand website, and promotional materials provided by the watchmaker. An On Spec article does not preclude a future full-length review in our Off The Cuff section. If you would like your project to feature in On Spec, please contact us here.

Please understand that using any links to products on this site might result in us making money.