Luminous Luxe: The Sunray Dials that Radiate Elegance

Sunray or sunburst dials are distinguished by their radiant texture, which includes etched grooves radiating outwards from the centre. Depending on the angle and strength of illumination, a dial's look can change drastically, from a faint glimmer to a dazzling explosion of brilliance. In other words, sunray dials promise a captivating play of light and shadow; this effect lends sophistication and refinement to watches. Needless to say, sunray dials or watch faces with a sunburst finish attest to a watchmaker’s exemplary craftsmanship and attention to detail.

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History/Origins

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The sunburst finish dates back to the mid-twentieth century, when watchmakers looked for new ways to make dials more visually appealing. It gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, as the industry evolved towards more refined and elegant aesthetics. These dials came about when watchmakers experimented with treatments that ensured depth and visual appeal for watch faces. 

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A sunray or sunburst dial design includes a thin radial pattern that simulates the sun's rays; this is created by brushing or engraving fine lines from the centre outwards. When light hits the dial, this pattern generates a shimmering appearance that changes brilliance, depending on the angle of the light. By the 1950s, advances in machine tooling had enabled watchmakers to create exact, uniform radial designs on dials.

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Crafting Sunray Dials

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Such a dial is often made of brass and spun on a lathe while a cutting tool engraves thin lines radiating outwards, resulting in the trademark sunburst effect. Once engraved, the dial is generally lacquered or painted to improve its appearance and protect the finish. 

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While the fundamental principle of a sunburst dial remains unchanged, variations in design and colour allow for distinct interpretations. Some dials have delicate, subtle patterns with muted tones while others have vivid colours and a more obvious sunburst effect, making a considerable impact on the entire appearance and appeal of the watches concerned.

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GMT India examines few luxury watches from leading brands to underline the unique artistry of sunray dials.

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TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Green

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The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Green is available with a 39 mm Grade 2 titanium sandblasted case. This material may be seen on the lugs, the crown at 9 o'clock, and the two chronograph pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock respectively. The watch features a silver sunray-brushed dial that is reminiscent of the engines-turned-dashboards found in sports vehicles of the 1920s and 1930s. The dial also features eight applied, polished, and silvered hour markers as well as 12 light green Super-LumiNova® dot markers.

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The watch is powered by the automatic chronograph Calibre 11, which is based on Sellita SW300-1 and has 40 hours of power reserve. When you turn the watch over, you'll see an exhibition caseback with four exposed screws and an oscillating weight embossed with 'Heuer Calibre 11'.

Price: Rs. 9,50,000 (approx.)

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin

The 39 mm stainless steel JLC Master Ultra Thin watch features a polished bezel and a steel crown at 3 o'clock. The newly designed grey-blue sunray dial of the Master Ultra Thin Date model is a masterful exercise in symmetry and harmony. The date display at 6 o'clock features a dial-matching background and a white numeral. The dauphine hour and minute hands, one of which is satin-brushed and the other polished, have the same shape as the elongated trapezoid hour markers. 

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Calibre 899 is visible through the Master Ultra Thin Date's transparent sapphire caseback, which has an oscillating weight. It is assembled in-house and delivers a 38-hour power reserve. The Master Ultra Thin Date model, like every other Jaeger-LeCoultre eligible model, has successfully passed all certification tests as part of the brand’s development project through its 1000-hour testing protocol.

Price: Rs. 12,00,000 (approx.)

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IWC Portugieser Portugieser Automatic 40

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The watch features a reworked case construction with a slender side profile in a 40 mm 18 ct white gold case; the Horizon Blue dial has a sunburst finish. It also features an open dial with the small seconds at 6 o’clock and no date window. There are rhodium-plated hands and hour markers.

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The model is powered by the IWC-manufactured 82200 calibre, featuring parts made of zirconium oxide ceramic. The automatic Pellaton winding system builds up a power reserve of 60 hours in the mainspring.

Price: Rs. 16,00,000 (approx.)

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Blancpain Extraplate

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The Extraplate is a refined time-and-date model with Roman numerals, central hour, minute, and second hands, an inscription, 'JB', dedicated to Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, and a date window at 3 o’clock. It is housed in a unique 40 mm red gold case with short, slender lugs. Armed with a crown at 3 o'clock, the watch showcases a sunburst green dial. The case measures 8.7 mm in thickness and has sapphire crystals on the front and rear, the latter revealing the in-house automatic calibre 1151. This movement has a silicone hairspring and two series-coupled barrels, resulting in an impressive 100-hour power reserve.

Price: Rs. 19,50,000 (approx.)

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Breguet Type XX Chronograph

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Housed in a 42 mm rose gold case with lugs, two pushers, and a crown, Breguet Type XX Chronograph has a striking sunburst dial. The pusher at 2 o'clock activates and deactivates the chronograph function while the one at 4 o'clock resets and restarts it immediately. The straight-line crown can be adjusted in three positions: neutral, winding, date-setting, and time-setting. The graded bidirectional rotating bezel is fluted, and has a blue ceramic ring and a gold 12-hour scale.

The watch is powered by the in-house calibre 728, which is an automatic integrated chronograph with a flyback feature. This movement features a column wheel and a vertical clutch. The power reserve lasts 60 hours and beats at a frequency of 5 Hz.

Price: Rs. 35,00,000 (approx.)

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*Prices in India are subject to taxes and exchange rate fluctuations, and may vary accordingly.‍