Orient's Textured Dials

Textured dials have long been a hallmark of thoughtful watch design, one that goes beyond the basics. Texture can be subtle or flagrant, it can overpower the dial or take the backseat, but it always has an impact.

The appeal isn’t just aesthetic. Textures originated as a practical solution to glare, particularly in the mid-20th century, when both dress watches and field watches relied on matte or grained surfaces to enhance legibility. Over time, these finishes evolved toward more decorative expressions: stamped linen patterns in the 1960s, crisp radial brushing in the 1970s, and more elaborate machine-cut motifs once CNC tooling became widely available. Each era brought its own take on how a dial could play with light.

Traditional crafts also played a role. Guilloché and other machine-turned patterns – once reserved for high-end dress watches – demonstrated how texture could elevate a dial through pure geometry and light. Even when used sparingly, these classic techniques helped establish texture as a legitimate design element rather than just a technical necessity.

The modern resurgence of textured dials owes a great deal to brands that have leaned into nature-inspired surfaces. Grand Seiko’s “Snowflake” is often credited with kicking off the trend; its finely layered, almost paper-like texture showed just how expressive a dial could be without resorting to bold colors or busy layouts. Coupled with the novel spring-drive movement, that watch gave the premium brand a serious boost, and no wonder Grand Seikos kept boasting unique dials ever after.

What makes this design direction especially compelling is that it bridges the gap between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary watchmaking. Stamped textures, laser finishing, and powdered lacquers all coexist today, each offering a distinct visual nuance. And for collectors, especially those who enjoy discovering small details, textured dials offer the perfect blend of subtlety and richness: quiet at a glance, rewarding under the loupe.

Orient, as a brand that's always happy to add a bit of flair to its designs, dipped its toes in the texture pool as well. Considering it is a visual element that requires no changes to the mechanical parts of the watch, it's a trend that aligns perfectly with its watchmaking preferences.

Take, for instance, the 1970 Orient GM. Containing one of Orient's rare high-beat movements (borrowed from Seiko), but housed in a modest case, most GMs were presented with unique dial textures – possibly hinting that something special is ticking inside. The two samples above show one GM with a linen dial (a style that I see as the true ancestor of the snowflake) and one with simpler, but not any less attractive, geometric finishing.

Royal Orient, of course, would also feature plenty of unusual dials, fitting for a high-end product. Pictured below are just two of many, my favorite polka-dot dial and a more obscure model with a dial that looks like a stamped gold leaf.

Modern Royal Orient watches, while they lasted, also had some standout dials. These were largely inspired by classic machine-turning patterns such as Guilloché and tapisserie. While similar patterns can be found on other Orient watches, the "Royal" versions were generally finished to higher standards.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Orient turned much of its attention to quartz watches. These, too, were often adorned with textured dials. Below, for instance, is a golden ladies' watch featuring a pressed pattern resembling linen dials.

In the second half of the 1990s the focus returned to automatic watches. With the renewed interest, proper dial decorations made their comeback – both to the standard models, and to the reintroduced Orient Star label.

Over the past 30 years or so, Orient and Orient Star dials have featured numerous patterns and textures. Only a few examples can be listed here… two of those are shown below, in the Orient Polaris GMT's Guilloché-like weave pattern, and the "Clous de Paris" finishing of the FD series Orient Star.

Even when Orient does semi-skeleton dials, where the open heart aperture is already taking much of the attention (and space) given to the dial, there's always room for a bit of texture. The layered skeleton is one extreme example, where Orient had put together a few bold patterns.

Another example is the classic moon-phase watch, which has a particularly complex dial structure. Here, the center of the dial features a repeated pattern of Orient Star symbols.

Today, I see two new trends in the application of textured dials by Orient. First, in regular Orient models, these are typically offered to highlight limited edition models – such as this 75^th anniversary limited edition Mako 40mm, shown below.

A completely different approach is taken at the very high end of the Orient Star range. The new M34 F8 Date models were given unique dial finishes and colors, which, along with the fine polishing and premium specs, convey an unmistakable Grand Seiko vibe. Which is fair enough, given how many different brands (including the 3^rd major Japanese brand, Citizen) are attempting the same.

 

Some photos were taken from Orient publications and sale ads, or other classic watch sales ads; photos of blue GM, gold Royal Orient, moonphase, layered skeleton, sun & moon, blue FD-series model, and polka-dot Royal Orient are copyrighted by the blog.