Awake Refines the Son Mai Silver Leaf With a 38mm Case and Vignette Dials

Awake has given its Son Mai Silver Leaf collection a sharper, more wearable chapter.

The French independent brand’s lacquer-focused line now moves into a redesigned 38mm stainless steel case and gains four new Vignette dials, each built around the distinctive meeting of silver leaf gilding and Vietnamese Son Mai lacquer.

It’s a notable update because the collection already sat in an unusual space, bringing a genuine decorative craft to a watch priced well below most traditional métier d’art pieces.

At a glance

• Awake has updated the Son Mai Silver Leaf collection with a redesigned 38mm case and four new Vignette gradient dials.
• The dials combine silver leaf gilding, coloured pigments and around twelve layers of natural Son Mai lacquer.
• All versions are priced at EUR 2,640 including VAT, with Purple Viola limited to 200 pieces.

A smaller case with stronger everyday proportions

The new Son Mai Silver Leaf adopts the compact case architecture Awake introduced earlier this year with its Guilloché collection.

The 316L stainless steel case measures 38mm across, 44.75mm lug to lug and 11.5mm thick including the anti-reflective sapphire crystal.

Without the crystal, the case measures 10mm thick, which keeps the profile restrained for a watch with an automatic movement and a display back.

A second sapphire crystal sits in the screw-down caseback, revealing the movement inside.

Water resistance is rated to 100 metres, giving the collection a practical foundation beneath the artisanal surface.

The caseback ring is engraved with Awake’s mission statement, “Illuminating the hands and heritage behind rare crafts”, along with “Artisanship, Awakened”.

Vignette lacquer dials with silver leaf beneath the colour

The visual centre of the collection remains the dial craft.

Each dial begins with a prepared lacquer base, over which delicate sheets of silver leaf are applied before coloured pigments enter the process.

Around twelve successive layers of natural lacquer are then added, with each layer individually sanded and polished.

That layered construction gives the dials their depth, while the new Vignette treatment brings a soft gradient effect inspired by watches from the 1970s and 1980s.

The four colours are Indian Red, Java Green, Gentian Blue and Purple Viola.

Indian Red leans into warm red tones, Java Green moves across a spectrum of greens, Gentian Blue uses a calmer blue palette and Purple Viola is the most assertive of the group.

Indian Red, Java Green and Gentian Blue join the permanent collection, though production of each permanent colour is limited to a maximum of 100 dials per year.

Purple Viola is a numbered limited edition of 200 pieces.

A distinctive approach to lume and movement finishing

Awake continues to use an unusual construction for the hands and applied hour markers.

Rather than conventional luminous inserts, the brand uses solid BGW9 luminous bases covered by small sculpted steel caps.

By day, the steel caps conceal the luminous material; in darkness, the lume creates a subtler halo effect around the markers and hands.

The movement is the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic calibre, positioned as an alternative to the ETA 2824 architecture.

It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and delivers a 68-hour power reserve.

Through the sapphire caseback, the movement is paired with a tungsten oscillating weight machined from a solid block.

The rotor uses alternating recessed and raised surfaces, with brushed, micro-blasted and polished finishing.

Straps, pricing and availability

For the straps, Awake works with French leather specialists Maison Jean Rousseau and Bouveret.

The options include Alcantara and nubuck, lined with rubberised calfskin for a more practical feel against the wrist.

Curved quick-release spring bars are fitted, while the pin buckle offers micro-adjustment of up to 3mm.

Green, grey, blue and red strap options are available depending on the model.

All four versions are priced at EUR 2,640 including VAT and are available to order now.

Details & Specifications

The appeal here is less about novelty for its own sake and more about balance.

Awake has kept the craft-led identity of the Son Mai Silver Leaf intact, while giving the collection a case size, movement package and colour range that should make it easier to wear often rather than admire occasionally.