The story behind the Eden Green and it's dazzling dial

Where did the inspiration for the Eden Green dial come from?

In 2022 Beaucroft watches became a member of 1 percent for the Planet; this is a commitment brands make to donate 1% of all sales revenue to environmental non-profits. To mark this we wanted to launch a new edition of the Senate watch which encapsulated steps to creating a greener planet. We loved the idea of designing a watch dial with a vibrant burst of green in the centre gradually fading towards a deep green at its edges. We explored many manufacturing processes to create this desired effect and found what we were looking for in the vintage process of fumé dials.

What is a fumé watch dial?

Fumé watch dials are gradient colour dials that slowly transition from a darker colour on the outer edge of the dial to a lighter colour towards the middle of the dial.

How is a fumé dial’s gradient effect created?

To create this effect, the brighter central colour is applied first, then the dial is sprayed with a darker hue while it spins. By altering the intensity of the spray and the speed of the spinning dial you can create amazingly unique colour gradients. One of the cool things about this process is that each batch of dials have a uniquely different gradient based on the varying spray profile. 

When were the first fumé dial watches created? 

The first fumé dials were introduced in the 1970s and, as you can imagine, were very attractive as they suited the vibe of this era with their vibrant looks and tones.

Why are they called fumé dials?

This unique, airbrushed effect for a dial’s gradient colour starting becoming known as the ‘smokey’ effect, and it was not long before the French term for smokey, “fumé” was being used by Swiss watchmakers to describe this modern trend as it started to take off within the luxury watch industry. While there is no actual smoke used in the process of creating the effect, the term ‘fumé’ was first used by luxury watch makers, H. Moser & Cie, who have pioneered the resurgence of this vintage effect for the luxury watch market.

Why are more and more watchmakers such as Beaucroft designing watches with gradient dials? 

I think it’s a great instance of a vintage and classic 70s look finding a new modern audience. This is one of the things we love about the watch industry. For us at Beaucroft, our aim was to take a beautiful vintage effect that’s seen predominantly on luxury watches, put our own flavour on it and make it accessible for our customers on an affordably price mechanical watch.

Finally, why the name Eden Green?

There are 2 reasons for the name, one historical, one personal;

Firstly the name Eden has so many historical and modern ties to nature; from the biblical Garden of Eden to the Eden project. We felt it was a perfect name to link to our commitment to a greener and more natural Earth.

Secondly, my daughter and first child was born in 2020 and we named her Eden - when she was born it really hit home to me that the planet she will inhabit when she’s my age may be very different to the one we have now unless real steps are taken to protect the natural environment and all its beauty.

Thinking of Eden, Karim’s young children, and Eden's younger brother, inspired us to take a positive step with an environmental commitment for our own business. This watch’s name is dedicated to her.