Awake combines Sơn Mài lacquer dial with the Midas touch for new Royal Blue limited edition
Andrew O'Connor- Awake releases new Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf Royal Blue limited edition.
- Featuring Awake’s updated case and dial logo, the dial includes 24-karat gold leaf in the layering process, a first for the brand and for Swiss watchmaking.
- The Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf Royal Blue is limited to 200 pieces and is priced at €3,000.
Awake has been quite prolific with its new releases. Still, given that each release is a limited edition that often sells out quickly, the brand has clearly developed a winning formula. The independent brand has brought the unique craft of Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquered dials to the watch world, creating vibrant dials with unique textures and colours.
For those who are new to the brand, the lacquer used in the Sơn Mài craft utilises sap from the Rhus verniciflua tree, which grows in northern Vietnam. Like other lacquering techniques, layers of lacquer are applied and then polished. What is unique to the Sơn Mài technique is the use of precious metals between layers, bringing a depth of colour, reflections, and textures to the dial. Past Awake releases have predominantly used silver as the precious metal in its Sơn Mài dials, and the brand recently ventured into guilloché dials as well. With its latest limited edition, Awake brings some gold to the dial with its new Royal Blue limited edition.
The new Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf Royal Blue limited edition builds upon its Frosted Leaf series of dials. Instead of layers of pigmented lacquer and silver leaf, the Royal Blue brings 24-karat gold leaf to the table, with layers of lacquer, 24-karat gold leaf, and varying shades of natural blue pigment, giving the dial a great deal of depth and a variety of textures and tones. Not only is this the brand’s first use of 24-karat gold leaf, but it is also the first time this dial technique has been used in Swiss watchmaking. Each dial takes 15 hours to complete, and because they are handmade, each will be unique.
The dial features hands and indices with BGW9 Super-LumiNova, polished steel, and bevelled caps. The result is prominent luminescence surrounding the indices and hands, becoming part of Awake’s signature look. The dial also features Awake’s new handwritten script logo, a tribute to the artisans who make it, and it gives the dial a more classically influenced, elegant feel.
The stainless steel case for the Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf Royal Blue features the new case design first seen on the Guilloché Main series. Measuring 38mm in width, 44.75mm lug-to-lug, and 11.5mm thick, including the sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, this case design features a stepped profile and more pronounced lugs, giving it a more mid-20th-century feel while retaining a more modern flair thanks to the proportions and finishing. The front of the case and the concave bezel are polished, with horizontal brushing on the case flanks. The crown has been redesigned from previous models, and Awake has increased the water resistance from 50 metres to 100 metres with a screw-down crown.
Powering the Awake Royal Blue limited edition is a La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement. The G101 has a 68-hour power reserve, operates at 28,800 bph, and has 24 jewels. Awake has fitted the G101 with its own custom-designed rotor machined from a solid block of tungsten. The rotor features brushed, polished, and micro-blasted finishes. The movement is surrounded by a redesigned rehaut set beneath the rear sapphire crystal, engraved with Awake’s mission and signature “Illuminating the hands and heritage behind rare crafts”, and “Artisanship, Awakened.”
The Awake Royal Blue comes with a 20mm blue Alcantara strap from Jean Rousseau. The strap tapers down to 16mm and features Awake’s new micro-adjustable FitWell pin-buckle, offering adjustment in 3mm increments for a precise fit.
Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf Royal Blue pricing and availability
The Awake Royal Blue is a limited edition of 200 pieces and is available to pre-order at Time+Tide Studios in New York, Melbourne, and London, as well as at the Time+Tide Shop. Delivery is slated for September 2026. Price: €3,000/£2,500/US$3,350/A$4,690
| Brand | Awake |
| Model | Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf Royal Blue |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 11.5mm (T) x 44.75mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Handcrafted Sơn Mài lacquer with 24-karat gold leaf |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Jean Rousseau dial-matching Alcantara strap, adjustable pin buckle |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret G101, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 68 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Limited to 200 pieces per dial |
| Price | €3,000/£2,500/US$3,350/A$4,690 |