A Hand-Made Watch Brand From Baden-Baden
Welcome to the small village of Baden-Baden, Germany in the Black Forest, home to Jaeger & Benzinger watches.
Using the traditional German watchmaking techniques of hand guilloche, hand engraving and hand skeletonization each Jaeger & Benzinger watch is essentially a unique piece since these techniques will never produce an exact copy.
The Dial and Sub-Dial
The first thing you'll notice about this dial is that it is not machine made or printed. That would be too easy.
This dial is made completely by hand and in the workshops of Jaeger & Benzinger. The team first creates the dial in sterling silver, and then applies rhodium to create the silver color.
Rhodium is a very rare, naturally occurring member of the platinum group of metals. The properties are extremely durable, able to resist corrosion, abrasion and discoloration.
The sub-dial is also made completely by hand, and is created on a rose engine. The process of hand guilloche can take hours, and each pattern is essentially unique because of the hand workmanship. Once completed, liquid silver rhodium is applied.
The Movement and Finishing
Jaeger & Benzinger have chosen to finish the movement using a traditional East German watchmaking technique - the three-quarter plate.
This plate is first hand guilloched using a traditional sunray pattern and finished with hand engraving. Finally the plate is finished in silver rhodium with blued screws and perlage on the base plate.
The balance cock is hand engraved and finished with rose gold, and the movement is protected by a sapphire crystal back.
If you've never seen a movement finished by hand using techniques that date back more than 100 years, you're in for a surprise.
Other Features
This watch is fitted in a stainless steel case made in Pforzheim, Germany with onion crown.
The anti-reflective sapphire crystal is slightly domed contributing to the classic good looks of this watch. The dial is completed with Roman numerals.