Make time fly with a feather dial on your watch

By Rebecca Doulton

In the watch world, dials are the equivalent of an artist's canvas, inviting talented artisans to apply their skills on a diminutive surface. The art of plumasserie, or feather art, which was popular in the 19th century, has been revived by two watch brands that have both discovered the beautiful and unique effects and compositions that feathers can produce on a dial.

Contemporary feather artists use natural feathers to create their artistic compositions, and although you might think it's just a matter of sticking down a nice peacock feather on the dial, it is in fact a very delicate and painstaking art. First, the feathers are selected and chosen for their stability, density, finesse and colour, before being steam cleaned. Each individual remige, or flight feather, is then arranged in a composition using a technique similar to that of wood marquetry and then glued flat.

And just in case men are wincing at the thought of a watch with a feather dial, history sets the record straight. Feathers have been used for millennia in tribal rituals and often denote the chief member of a clan. In Native American tribes, a feather symbolises trust, honour, strength, wisdom and power, and is considered a privilege to receive. Feathers and plumage have also festooned military uniforms throughout history.

This year, Harry Winston watches has decided that men ought to enjoy a feather dial and has presented the Midnight Feathers Automatic 42mm collection. Simulating a textured fabric, the alternating dark and light brown feathers impart a dynamic rhythm to the dial, conferring a masculine, almost safari, feel to this Harry Winston watch.

Corum watches produced a Feather model in the 1970s and revisited the motif in its Heritage Artisans Feather red gold watch last year featuring a peacock feather framed and highlighted with 120 diamonds on the dial.

Just a few years' ago, Harry Winston watches launched a series of 36mm feather dials in its Premier Ladies collection. The beautiful faces display a shimmering rich marquetry of silvered pheasant, guinea fowl, peacock and turquoise guinea feathers surrounded by diamonds on the bezel, lugs and crown. Time certainly flies when gazing at these winged dials.

Corum Feather watch presented in a 39mm red gold case with a dial set with peacock fathers framed by 120 round-cut diamonds.
The art of plumasserie, or feather art, requires patience and dexterity.
The feathers are rigorously sorted and chosen for their stability, their density and their finesse, before being cleaned, steam-stabilized and re-cut by hand.
The feathers are arranged using a technique similar to wood marquetry, individually positioned in order to reproduce the desired motif before being glued flat.
Harry Winston Feathers Automatic watch is presented in a 42mm slim rose gold case with a transparent caseback to reveal the refined finishes of the automatic movement.
Harry Winston Midnight Feathers Automatic watch simulates a textured fabric on the dial alternating dark and light brown feathers to impart a dynamic rhythm to the dial.
Harry Winston Premier Collection with marquetry of peacock feathers housed in a 36mm white gold case with 96 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel, crown, lugs and buckle.
Harry Winston Premier Collection with marquetry of blue-tinted guinea fowl feathers and 96 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel, lugs, crown and buckle.
Harry Winston Premier Collection with a marquetry dial of silvered pheasant and guinea fowl feathers.
Harry Winston Midnight Feathers Automatic watch for men unites the realms of high horology and the art of plumasserie (feather artistry) to create unique, one-off dials.