Featherwork was chosen to bring to life an imaginary serpent coiling across the dial within a fantastical landscape. Rising only three millimetres above the surface, the snake achieves its remarkable sense of volume and plasticity. This intricate three-dimensional effect is made possible by a specially developed metal appliqué, which serves as a support for the feathers, allowing the artist to maximise their volume. The natural iridescence of the plumes, with their shifting reflections, further enhances the illusion of depth. To achieve this effect, the snake itself is a masterpiece of micro-plumasserie, meticulously crafted from over 200 tiny pieces derived from seven rare Lophophore feathers. Completed over approximately 250 hours, including research and prototyping, the work demanded a level of precision comparable to surgery.

Suspended within the dial, a group of miniature manta rays swirls across the deep-blue nocturnal background of the hand-guilloché display. Varying in length from 5 to 10 millimetres, each ray is folded from specially dyed, hand-coloured Japanese paper and mounted on fine brass stems, giving the illusion of creatures floating weightlessly through water. These origami manta rays were folded using only fingers, fingernails and the tip of a toothpick – without magnifying glasses – from paper measuring 9 to 12 millimetres. Dyeing the paper to a specific shade of blue for realistic manta rays was a key challenge. The development process lasted over two years and, because of this intricate design, early pieces could require up to six hours to fold.

From the circular frame of a watch dial, an all-white crocodile prowls through seemingly snow-covered vegetation. It is the result of microscopic cotton paper sculpting executed on sheets of two different weights, 250 and 300 grams, through a combination of embossing, laser cutting and hand assembly. The precise superposition of elements was crucial in creating subtle shadow effects and a remarkable sculptural presence, bringing the scene to life. The four apertures on the dial became integral to the composition itself, with the crocodile appearing to nestle naturally between them. Brass matrices engraved with the crocodile’s scales and surrounding foliage were heated to 60–70°C before being pressed onto the paper under intense pressure to create relief and volume while retaining the necessary microscopic precision of detail. The project required months of experimentation and the development of bespoke embossing tools.