Craftsmen create clocks with cloisonné horse designs to celebrate the Year of the Horse (Bính Ngọ).

To own a timepiece featuring the horse motif crafted by Vietnamese artisans, customers not only need to spend a large sum of money but also place an order in advance.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Chien is known for his nearly 10 years of experience in creating unique, one-of-a-kind designs on watch faces.

Known to enthusiasts both domestically and internationally for his exquisite sculptures and watchmaking using microscopes, Tran Ngoc Chien (a resident of Hanoi ) has recently completed his horse-shaped watch faces in time for the upcoming Year of the Horse (Binh Ngo).

Each clock is a unique piece designed by the craftsman, drawing inspiration from Vietnamese culture, such as Dong Ho paintings, the image of Saint Giong, or designs developed from ancient paintings.

According to the author, each watch dial is crafted using a highly intricate and sophisticated enamel technique, with each piece taking approximately six months to complete before reaching the hands of collectors.

Although successful in sculpting and heat-transforming metals, Chiến says that creating paintings using the enamel technique is much more difficult because there is no opportunity to correct mistakes.

Mr. Chien revealed, "Each firing process carries inherent risks. Just a little too much heat, prolonged firing, or the wrong combination of metals (copper, silver, or gold) can cause the enamel to burn, tarnish, discolor, or even ruin the entire dial. With ultra-thin dials of only about 0.5mm, the risk of warping due to heat is very high. Any mistakes require discarding the product and starting over."

After thoroughly researching the Hue enamelware craft, which originated in 1827 and only lasted for 60 years before declining, and through consultations with experts and his own research, along with hundreds of failed attempts, Mr. Chien's works, crafted in this style, now possess an exceptionally unique beauty.

The firing process takes place at temperatures ranging from 500-700 degrees Celsius, and this process is repeated many times. The success rate depends heavily on the experience of the craftsman.

Each year, Mr. Chien only completes a very limited number of enamel dials due to their handcrafted nature and high risk involved. On average, basic products cost around 20-30 million VND, while more elaborate projects using a lot of gold or complex techniques can cost many times more.

Handcrafted products cannot be made to the test of quantity; each product is a long process requiring patience and a willingness to accept risks.

For Tran Ngoc Chien, enameling is not just a crafting technique, but also a way of telling Vietnamese cultural stories on a very small space like a watch dial, where art, history, and time intersect.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tho-thu-cong-lam-dong-ho-voi-tranh-pha-lam-hinh-ngua-don-tet-binh-ngo-20260214002517385.htm#content-4