By Brent Robillard
With a handmade porcelain dial, custom typography and beautifully judged proportions, the anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain encourages a different kind of watch collecting
Tea cups.
That is what I think of when someone says “porcelain.” Ming Dynasty vases, blue-painted dinnerware and the Chinoiserie that found its way into European homes during the 17th and 18th centuries. Watches do not immediately come to mind. Or, at least, they did not before I spent a week with the new anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain.
In many respects, this is a collector’s dream. It sponsors curiosity over consumption. It rewards reflection–encouraging its wearer to consider its handmade dial, its typography and the people responsible for bringing the two together. Follow any one of those threads and it can send you spiralling down a rabbit hole like Alice.
And yet, on the wrist, it remains a masterclass in simplicity. Or, at least, in making things look simple…
My own collection is populated primarily by fidget-friendly tool watches. There are rotating bezels, timing scales, bracelets and complications—objects that frequently invite some sort of physical interaction. The Model 1 Porcelain offers something different. Its appeal is found in balance, proportion and the small details that reveal themselves gradually.
It makes you think about case finishing. It makes you think about artistry and typography. More fundamentally, it makes you ask: what makes a good watch?
Advertisement
Longines HydroConquest vs Omega Seamaster Diver 300M: Is the Omega Worth the Extra Money?
Porcelain, properly made
The Model 1 Porcelain follows the Model 2 Porcelain introduced in 2024, although anOrdain’s work with the material began two years earlier. The project developed from the Glasgow watchmaker’s efforts to increase production (the waitlist had grown to five years) without abandoning the handcrafted character for which it has become known.
Many watch dials described as porcelain or ceramic are cut from pre-manufactured zirconia ceramic sheets. anOrdain instead works with clay, using techniques associated with traditional pottery. The dial is formed, fired and glazed in-house, giving each example its own minute variations.
The process may allow for greater production than vitreous enamel, though it remains demanding. According to anOrdain, approximately 300 porcelain dials may be attempted each month, with rejection rates reaching as high as 90 per cent. A single ceramic specialist currently produces between 30 and 40 finished dials monthly.
Those numbers give some indication of how difficult it is to produce something that appears so uncomplicated.
The finished dial is a clean expanse of glazed white porcelain. Look more carefully and the surface begins to show its character. It does not have the absolute uniformity of a lacquered or printed metal dial. There is a softness to it, along with slight variations that become more apparent as the light moves across the surface.
This is where the Model 1 Porcelain becomes perfect in its imperfection. The dial bears evidence of the material and the process used to make it. Those characteristics do not disrupt the design. They give it life.
Advertisement
A new language for the Model 1
Blue and white porcelain has a cultural history stretching across centuries and continents. It can recall Chinese ceramics, Dutch Delftware, Portuguese azulejos or the patterned dinnerware hidden away in a family china cabinet. anOrdain founder Lewis Heath cites a trip to Porto and the blue-and-white tilework of Rem Koolhaas’ Casa da Música among his own points of reference.
The combination feels immediately familiar, even though its application to a wristwatch remains unusual.
Much of the Model 1 Porcelain’s personality comes from its numerals, designed exclusively for anOrdain by typographer Kia Tasbihgou. His previous work includes projects involving Frank Ocean and Vanity Fair, yet he approached the watch without the accumulated assumptions of someone steeped in conventional dial design.
A discussion about the details found on Breguet pocket watches helped shape the eventual direction. The resulting typeface carries some of that historical elegance, although its irregular curves and sharp transitions give it a more contemporary character.
Only the even hours are represented, leaving plenty of open space across the white dial. Around the perimeter, a segmented blue minute track provides additional structure, with small Arabic indications appearing at five-minute intervals. The anOrdain name sits discreetly near 12 o’clock, while “Porcelain” is printed along the lower edge of the dial.
There is a great deal happening here when the watch is examined closely. From a normal viewing distance, however, it feels remarkably restrained.
The hands and numerals were developed together as a complete composition. The hour hand has a circular, off-centre opening that echoes the zeroes in the 10 and 20-style markings around the dial. Its rounded form contrasts with the long, angular minute hand, while the needle-like seconds hand stretches nearly to the dial’s edge.
All three are made from polished steel and thermally blued. Depending on the light, they can appear bright electric blue, deep navy or almost black. That variation brings movement to an otherwise minimal display and keeps the watch highly legible against the white porcelain.
Best Dive Watches Under $1,000
Advertisement
Familiar Model 1 proportions
The Model 1 Porcelain is housed in a 38mm stainless steel case measuring 46mm from lug to lug and 11mm thick. For my 6¾-inch wrist, those dimensions are close to ideal.
The relatively narrow bezel allows the dial to occupy much of the watch’s footprint, making it feel visually generous without wearing large. Its curved lugs draw the case neatly around the wrist, while the 46mm length leaves ample clearance at either end. At 11mm thick, it also slips beneath a cuff with little trouble.
A mixture of brushed and polished surfaces helps define the case’s architecture. The polished areas respond to the gloss of the porcelain and the thermally blued hands, while the brushing prevents the watch from becoming overly formal. There is enough detail to reward inspection, but the case understands that the dial is the centrepiece.
The sapphire crystal receives three layers of anti-reflective coating. This is especially valuable on a watch with such a bright dial, where reflections could easily interfere with the typography and the softer texture of the porcelain.
Water resistance is rated to 5 ATM. That is appropriate for the Model 1’s character, although this is clearly not a watch I would select for swimming or strenuous outdoor use. Spending a week with it required a slight recalibration of my own habits. There was no bezel to turn and no bracelet clasp to adjust. I found myself looking at the watch more often and touching it less.
A new in-house strap
The Model 1 Porcelain also introduces anOrdain’s first small-batch, in-house leather strap. The company established its own textile department in 2025 and has been experimenting with methods that could eventually allow these straps to accompany every anOrdain watch.
The black leather is an strong choice here. It frames the white-and-blue dial without competing for attention, while the 18mm width complements the traditional proportions of the case. The restrained stitching and polished pin buckle continue the watch’s broader emphasis on clean, carefully considered details.
Straps produced through anOrdain’s Bespoke service can require as many as three days of work. These new small-batch straps are intended to translate some of that handcraft into a more scalable form. Their appearance alongside the Model 1 Porcelain makes sense: both dial and strap represent anOrdain’s effort to bring a greater share of its production under its Glasgow roof.
Advertisement
The La Joux-Perret G101
Inside is the automatic La Joux-Perret G101, offering a practical 68-hour power reserve. That is enough to remove the watch on Friday evening and return to it on Monday morning without having to reset the time.
Buyers can also choose the A1, anOrdain’s decorated interpretation of the G101. Developed with Glasgow artist Rachel Duckhouse, the A1 uses laser engraving, multi-axis machining and galvanic treatments to translate her pen-and-ink work into movement decoration.
The standard G101 version is priced at £2,200 plus VAT or approximately $4,080 CAD. The A1 raises the price to £2,520 plus VAT or approximately $4,700 CAD. Both versions are covered by a five-year warranty.
Specs
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 38mm Diameter 46mm Lug to Lug 11mm Thickness 18mm Lug Width Screw-down Caseback 5 ATM Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal /w Three Layers of AR Handmade White Glazed Porcelain Dial Custom Kia Tasbihgou Numerals Thermally Blued Steel Hands |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret G101 Automatic (Optional anOrdain A1 Decorated G101) 68-hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Handmade In-house Leather Strap /w Stainless Steel Pin Buckle |
anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain
Advertisement
Final thoughts
The anOrdain Model 1 Porcelain is a difficult watch to reduce to a specification sheet. Its dimensions are excellent, the movement offers a useful power reserve and the case is finished with care. None of that fully explains its appeal.
Its real strength lies in the ideas it contains. Traditional pottery, contemporary typography, Breguet pocket watches, Portuguese architecture and Glasgow craft all converge within a 38mm case. Those references are present for anyone who wants to pursue them, yet no prior knowledge is required to appreciate the result.
After a week, I found the Model 1 Porcelain changing the way I looked at other watches. It made familiar designs seem busy. It reminded me how much character can be carried by a numeral, a hand or a slight variation in a dial’s surface.
Collectors frequently talk about finishing, rarity and mechanical complexity as measures of value. The anOrdain proposes another: curiosity.
The Model 1 Porcelain is beautiful at first glance. More importantly, it remains interesting after the first glance has passed.
Advertisement
Check out The Ultimate Watch Buying Guide
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.
Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.
Please understand that using any links to products on this site might result in us making money.