AWAKE Sơn Mài collection Watch Review
The AWAKE Sơn Mài collection comprises watches featuring dials suffused with Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer and silver leaf, offered in a choice of four hues. Equipped with Swiss La Joux-Perret movements, these highly original timepieces, imbued with ‘French Elegance’, deliver extraordinary value. US-based Meehna Goldsmith, waxes lyrical about these accessible exemplars of Métiers d’Art.
AWAKE watch
Métiers d’Art timepieces are prized because they turn the dial into an artistic canvas, using techniques such as marquetry, enamelling, engraving and damascening. The French independent watchmaker, AWAKE takes the genre in a new direction, debuting four extraordinary Métiers d’Art timepieces in its permanent collection. The brand highlights the ancestral art of Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer in a unique combination with silver leaf to create a lustrous portrait.
In contrast to the lacquering technique of China and Japan, Vietnamese Sơn Mài adds in materials such as crushed eggshells, mother-of-pearl and gold or silver leaf, which gives the lacquer more texture and depth. Even the sap used in the lacquer itself is a precious resource, extracted from the Rhus verniciflua tree which grows in northern Vietnam. Only after a decade of growth is the tree ready for harvest during the early mornings of June and July. At its peak, the tree only yields 200 ml of sap.
After the sap from the trees is collected, it’s processed to remove impurities, then dehydrated to form a transparent lacquer. To create a range of colours, natural pigments are then added. The resulting lacquer is then layered and polished to achieve a mirror-like finish. AWAKE gives a unique twist to the art form by incorporating pure silver leaf. After laying down a base coat of lacquer, which is sanded and polished, the silver leaves are placed and fixed with a brush. Next, the artisans apply coloured pigments for depth and texture, followed by 12 coats of lacquer to add protection and shine before the final polishing. The entire process requires several weeks of precise and meticulous work.
Lilian Thibault x Sơn Mài
The owner of AWAKE, Lilian Thibault, first discovered the art of Sơn Mài in 2008 when he went backpacking in Vietnam. While in the imperial city of Hue, he was captivated by a woodcut painting depicting peasants and bulls in a rural scene. He discovered the technique that blended natural pigments with layers of lacquer was known as Sơn Mài. He bought the piece and to this day it sits in his office in Aix-en-Provence. Inspired by this art form, Thibault decided to use the technique on watch dials, combining Sơn Mài lacquer with pure silver leaf gilding – a first in watchmaking.
AWAKE Sơn Mài collection – four colours
AWAKE keeps the heritage of Sơn Mài intact through its partnership with Hanoia, a prestigious Vietnamese lacquerware atelier that was established in 1997. Here, approximately 20 master lacquerers are tasked with different stages of the process to bring the ancient art alive. The Awake Métier d’Art dials are offered in 4 colours: Lava, Emerald, Outre Bleu and Amethyst.
AWAKE Sơn Mài collection – Super-LumiNova® BGW9
To enhance and highlight the artistry of the dials, AWAKE uses Super-LumiNova® BGW9 to special effect. The indexes and hands are wrapped, rather than filled, with the illuminator, creating a chiaroscuro effect. The accompanying reflections offer different perspectives to deepen interaction with the dial’s colour and its shimmering luminescence.
AWAKE Sơn Mài collection – 316L steel
The Sơn Mài collection is framed in a 39 mm case constructed from recycled 316L steel. The bezel, case middle and lugs, including their chamfered edge, are polished, while the sides of the case are brushed horizontally. Meanwhile, the crown features alternating polished and brushed finishes and a polished ‘Genesis’ symbol, which is an emblem of the four elemental forces of air, earth, water and fire entwined. The watches are made complete with a strap crafted by DELUGS, specifically made for AWAKE. The straps are made of nubuck with a grey rubber lining and stitched underside. They are affixed to the wrist with a pin buckle formed of recycled 316L stainless steel.
AWAKE Sơn Mài collection – Automatic La Joux-Perret G101
While AWAKE originally used Miyota movements in its previous collections, it has now turned to the Swiss to power these new models. Each of the Sơn Mài watches contains an impressive La Joux-Perret engine that has an impressive 68 hours of power reserve, enough to get you through the weekend and then some. Through the sapphire case back, you can view the custom-designed tungsten oscillating weight, along with a textured “clous de Paris” ring.
AWAKE Sơn Mài collection – closing remarks
AWAKE has come up with a unique expression of Métiers d’Art with the Sơn Mài watches. The dials are beautifully crafted by hand and offer Swiss reliability. What makes them even more remarkable is the price. The majority of Métiers d’Art pieces are well out of reach to most enthusiasts; however, in this instance, AWAKE has delivered a collectors’ item priced at an obtainable €1,950 excluding VAT (RRP as of 3.1.2025).
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: AWAKE Sơn Mài collection
- Case: recycled 316L stainless steel, diameter 39 mm, height 11.80 mm (with crystal), water resistance 5 ATM (50 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, centre seconds
- Movement: Automatic La Joux-Perret G101, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 24 jewels, power reserve 68 hours
- Strap: colour-coordinating DELUGS nubuck strap with grey rubber lining and stitched. Pin buckle made from recycled 316L stainless steel
- Price: €1,950 excluding VAT (RRP as of 31.1.2025)