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Anita Porchet

Anita Porchet Enameller
Contact
French, Spanish
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+41 21 9034163
© Anita Porchet

Mastering a miniature world

  • • Anita is renowned for her intricate enamel watch dials
  • • Her work is in demand by the biggest names in watchmaking
  • • She has won many prestigious prizes during her career

Anita Porchet is the best-known enamel artist working in watches today. She was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the very heart of Switzerland’s fine watchmaking region. And it is precisely in the luxury watchmaking industry where she has become famous for the splendid dials and cases that she skilfully decorates with the sophisticated enamelling techniques of cloisonné, champlevé, plique-à-jour, email Grand Feu, paillonné and miniature painting. In 1994 she opened her workshop, where, besides carrying out her own enamelling work, she has for the past ten years taught enamelling skills to other artisans.

Read the full interview

Works

Photo:
Watch created for the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe (back)

This pocket watch was commissioned to celebrate Patek Philippe’s 175th anniversary in 2014. Anita used the Grand Feu technique, which entails coating the surface with different coloured layers of enamel, to decorate the dial and back of the watch with miniature landscapes: the back shows a traditional lateen-rigged sailboat on Lake Geneva. The Paillonné technique was used to complete the decoration, with tiny pieces of foil inserted between two layers of enamel, creating shimmering reflections around the edge of the case.

Diameter 4 cm

Photo:
Watch created for the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe (dial)

This pocket watch was commissioned to celebrate Patek Philippe’s 175th anniversary in 2014. Anita used the Grand Feu technique, which entails coating the surface with different coloured layers of enamel, to decorate both sides of the watch: the dial is shows several landscapes of the Geneva region. The Paillonné technique was used to complete the decoration, with tiny pieces of foil inserted between two layers of enamel, creating shimmering reflections around the edge of the case and on the dial.

Diameter 4 cm

Photo:
Watch for Chanel

This limited-edition wristwatch with miniature enamelled floral and peacock designs reflects Chanel’s continuous endeavour to strive for artistic excellence. The design was inspired by the series of Chinese Coromandel screens, part of Coco Chanel’s personal collection that is still displayed in her original apartments.

Diameter 3 cm

Photo:
Watch dial for Piaget

Anita used the Grand Feu technique for this miniature enamelled dial, commissioned by Piaget. It depicts the iconic Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute beside the Grand Canal in Venice. The enamel was then hand engraved by Richard Maier of Trompeter & Ritchi, in line with Piaget’s vocation of innovation and principle of collaborating with master artisans.

Photo:
Vacheron Constantin watch

Anita decorated the case for this Vacheron Constantin timepiece using the ancient Grand Feu technique, which entails coating the surface with different coloured layers of enamel and firing it several times. The design was taken from a 1965 surrealist painting by Rene Magritte, Le Blanc Seing, an impossible image of horse and rider merging into the trees, playing with our perception of shapes and spaces.

Diameter 4 cm

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