anOrdain built its reputation on vitreous enamel, but its latest Model 1 explores a different material with an equally demanding process. The Model 1 Porcelain uses an off-white glazed dial made in the company's Glasgow workshop, paired with thermally blued hands and a compact polished-steel case.
This is the second watch to use anOrdain's in-house porcelain work after the Model 2. Moving the material into the Model 1 changes the effect. The smoother case and dressier proportions give the dial more room to feel delicate, while the blue hands and calligraphic numerals keep it recognisably anOrdain.
A dial made in Glasgow
anOrdain says the porcelain project took three years to develop, with research aided by master potters in Stoke-on-Trent. Each dial is made by its porcelain artist, Cara Louise, using traditional hand tools from the first mould through to the final high-temperature glaze firing.
The process does not produce perfectly identical surfaces. Slight texture remains in the finished glaze, so no two dials are exactly alike. That variation is part of the appeal: it gives the white surface depth without relying on a printed pattern or artificial texture.
Porcelain also behaves differently from the enamel dials for which anOrdain is best known. The off-white glaze feels softer than a stark lacquered white, and the slight irregularity becomes more visible as light moves across it.
Blue hands and specially drawn numerals
The dial's bespoke numerals were designed by typographer Kia Tasbihgou. Their pointed strokes recall a calligraphy pen or an engraver's tool, giving the watch a distinct voice without making the time difficult to read.
Thermally treated steel hands provide the colour. Depending on the light they can appear bright blue, almost black or somewhere between the two. The contrast against the pale porcelain is strong enough for easy reading, while the small seconds display keeps the centre of the dial uncluttered.
The combination is traditional without feeling like a reproduction. Blue-and-white ceramics have a long history, but anOrdain uses that familiar palette within a contemporary typeface and a clean modern case.
The Model 1 case
The polished 316L stainless-steel case measures 38mm across, 46mm from lug to lug and 11mm thick. Those dimensions should work for a broad range of wrists while giving the porcelain dial enough presence.
It is a useful middle size: neither deliberately vintage nor oversized, and compact enough to let the dial remain the focus.
A sapphire crystal with three layers of anti-reflective coating covers the front. The caseback screws in, and anOrdain rates the watch to 5 ATM of water resistance. That is appropriate for an everyday dress watch, though it is not intended as a sports or dive watch.
The 18mm strap width keeps the proportions balanced. Buyers choose a strap after placing the order, allowing the blue-and-white dial to be paired with something restrained or given a more colourful frame.
The automatic movement
Inside is a La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement. anOrdain also offers its decorated A1 version of the same base, giving buyers a choice between the standard movement and a more elaborately finished option.
The movement choice does not change the watch's central appeal. This is a dial-led release, and the value lies primarily in the small-scale in-house work rather than a novel mechanical complication.
Price and ordering
At the time of writing, anOrdain listed the Model 1 Porcelain from €2,675 plus VAT on the Irish version of its website, with shipping shown in six months. Prices, taxes and lead times vary by region and can change, so the current product page is the place to confirm the final cost.
The wait is worth considering because this is not an off-the-shelf dial. Each one moves through a hands-on production process, and the slight differences between finished dials are part of what the buyer is ordering.
The verdict
The Model 1 Porcelain is anOrdain at its most convincing: a familiar case, a clearly explained craft and a dial that could not be mistaken for a mass-produced alternative. The off-white glaze, sharp numerals and blue hands are distinctive without becoming theatrical.
Buyers who want maximum movement specification for the money will find other options. Those drawn to small-scale dial making and the idea of owning a subtly individual watch will understand the appeal immediately.
Written by the Man of the Hour Editorial Team.