Damascus steel — Automatic watch LWPSD

The pattern is not engraved on the steel. It is the steel, seen in section.

Two steels of different composition are stacked in alternating layers, taken to nearly 1,250 °C, then welded to one another under the hammer — no glue, no filler: metal binds to metal. The block is drawn out, folded — each fold doubles the number of layers — then twisted, which sends the strata diving and rising inside the mass. Slicing it means cutting through dozens of layers: the waves on the dial are the trace of that journey.

The acid bath does the rest, and it colours nothing. The two steels do not react to it in the same way: one is eaten away and darkens, the other resists and stays bright. In classic damascus it is the nickel in the second steel that refuses the acid. The contrast is a difference in chemical composition made visible.

It is the oldest material in the collection and the only one that comes straight from the forge. The twist, the number of folds and the exact place where the block is cut are enough to change the whole drawing.

In raking light the concentric waves deepen: the grey turns to anthracite in the furrows and almost white on the crests. Head on, under flat lighting, the pattern calms down and leaves only a discreet moiré — the watch reads differently depending on the time of day. The bezel is cut from the same block. Black leather strap.

316L stainless steel case machined from solid, six screws in the caseback, sapphire crystal on both sides. The calibre is a Miyota 8215 automatic: 21 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour, around 42 hours of power reserve. It can be seen running through the caseback.

43 mm across, 13 mm thick. The wrist photograph in the gallery is taken on a 19.5 cm wrist. Limited to 200 numbered pieces: the strength of the contrast and the direction of the waves vary from piece to piece. The smith does not command the pattern, he discovers it as he cuts the block.

Key specifications

• Japanese automatic movement Miyota 8215 — 21 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour
• Power reserve: around 42 hours — automatic and manual winding, quick date setting
• Dial, bezel and crown in damascus steel — two steels forge-welded, pattern revealed by acid
• 316L stainless steel case machined from solid, caseback secured by six screws
• Sapphire crystal front and back — movement on show
• Water resistance 5 ATM (50 m)
• Display: hours, minutes, seconds, date
• Diameter 43 mm · Thickness 13 mm
• Adjustable genuine leather strap, folding clasp
• Limited to 200 pieces, each one numbered
• Assembled and inspected in France — 2-year legal guarantee of conformity

Care

A soft dry cloth after wearing. Wipe and dry the dial after prolonged contact with water or perspiration. No abrasives and no polishing paste: they would smooth out the relief left by the acid bath and erase the contrast of the pattern.

Further reading (in French): our guide to damascus steel in watchmaking.