Son Mài - « Cotton Candy »

Lustrous Brilliance and Profoundness

We have embraced a technique never before used in watchmaking for the ‘Cotton Candy’ limited edition’s dials: Sơn Mài, or Vietnamese sanded lacquer. This ancient art involves meticulously layering and polishing coats of natural lacquer to achieve a lustrous, mirror-like finish that elevates Vietnamese lacquerware to an unparalleled level of prestige.

All begins with the careful extraction of sap from the Rhus verniciflua tree, which grows in northern Vietnam and is renowned for producing the finest and most radiant lacquer. Each tree, after a decade of growth, yields a mere 200 ml of sap, harvested only during the early mornings of June and July. Once collected, the sap is processed to remove moisture and impurities, then filtered and dehydrated to create a transparent lacquer.

Time-intensive process

The process begins with a base coat of lacquer, which is dried, sanded, and polished to achieve a flawlessly smooth surface. Natural pigments are then subsequently airbrushed to enrich the visual dimension of the dial and to produce a range of vibrant shades, inspired by the cyan and pink colors of the TickTockBelles logo. Finally, a dozen layers of lacquer are applied to provide protection, brilliance, and durability. This intricate, time-intensive process requires exceptional skill and unwavering precision, ensuring that every dial in the Sơn Mài collection emerges as a true work of art.

Mastery of Luminescence

‘Sơn Mài - Cotton Candy’ features our innovative luminous “cap signature’’, inspired by the poetic aesthetics of Japanese chiaroscuro.

This refined effect took a full year to perfect. Designed to reveal the beauty of our dials in interplay between light and shadow, this luminous signature blends elegance, legibility, and respect for the material. Rather than overpowering it with light, we chose to elevate it with subtlety—a philosophy reflected in the unique and complex construction of our hands and indexes, shaped through multiple machining stages.

The hands and hour markers are composed of a slim yet robust base of Luminova BGW9, topped with faceted, polished steel inserts, each finished to a fine glaive point. This exclusive design offers a discreet and refined reading of time, never detracting from the richness and the sweetness of this dial.

In the darkness, the glow spreads gently, creating a poetic halo that reveals the deep reflections of the lacquer and the soft hues of the natural pink and cyan pigments specially created for this limited edition ‘Cotton Candy’.

Timeless Elegance and Contemporary Flair

The Awake for TickTockBelles « Cotton Candy » limited edition is housed in our 39 mm case, crafted from recycled 316L steel, that perfectly marries modern aesthetics with timeless elegance and comfort. Inspired by the finest elements of classic watch design, the case strikes a refined balance between heritage and contemporary style.

Its sleek silhouette is enhanced by polished bezel and lugs, including a striking chamfer that stretches elegantly from one lug to the other. In contrast, the case sides are brushed horizontally, adding a discreet and modern touch. The crown combines alternating polished, brushed and sandblasted finishes for a sophisticated feel and a better grip, and is crowned with the polished “Genesis” symbol, an emblem of the four elemental forces—air, earth, water, and firer— that reflect our commitment to harmony between innovation, tradition, and environmental consciousness.

Reliability and Mechanical Excellence

The screw-down caseback of the “Cotton Candy” limited edition - rendered in subtle grey tones - reveals a generous view of the reliable and precise Swiss Made G101 movement, developed by the prestigious manufacture La Joux-Perret.

Renowned for its 68-hour power reserve, the movement is distinguished by a custom-designed tungsten rotor, sculpted with alternating reliefs and hollows to create a captivating play of light and depth, all protected by a sapphire crystal. Our signature water-resistance hallmark (the fish) and recycled 316L steel hallmark (the anvil) are discreetly engraved within the lugs — a playful reminder that that one can take watchmaking seriously without taking oneself too seriously.

Encircling the movement is a custom sandblasted ring, where the inscriptions specific to this limited edition are subtly laser-engraved.

Exclusive Strap for TickTockBelles

To sublimate this limited edition of 33 pieces, we selected a white grained calf leather strap (20–16 mm), with a soft, luxurious texture and embellished with light grey topstitching. Comfortable and resistant, this 105x65mm strap has been imagined to complement each dial in this new collection to perfection and adapt elegantly to slimmer wrists. This strap is mounted on a recycled 316L stainless steel pin buckle and equipped with presto spring bars.

The bracelets for this limited edition have been handcrafted in France by master saddlers at the BOUVERET factory in Franois, Franche-Comté. Each of the bracelets in this edition has passed through expert hands forged by years of experience, breathing soul into the material. From the rigorous selection of the noblest skins, to cutting, assembling, trimming, threading and sewing, a total of nearly 60 operations are performed by the expert hand of the master saddler, demonstrating perfect mastery.