This dial design is very representative of the Pacific Northwest, a place dear to Neil, the store's owner, who has lived there for a number of years, and a place obviously dear to Celeste too since this is where she is based. Here the scenery includes water and lush evergreen forests, the Pacific Northwest in a nutshell, and of course the region is famous for mushroom picking in the abundant forests.
The stream, trees, earth and mushroom in the foreground are abalone, inlaid into a mother-of-pearl background which sets the scene. The white spots on the amanita mushroom tops are all hand painted, giving this work of art a playful touch while still imparting the flavor of the region. As the watch moves on your wrist, it will catch the light in many different ways thanks to the natural properties of abalone and mother-of-pearl, which can be mesmerizing.
Overall work on precisely laser cutting the shells to fit on this dial can take up to 12 hours. Celeste also hand-makes the goat-skin straps, which can add another three hours to the time it takes to produce each timepiece.
Please note that each dial is individually hand-made from natural materials with natural color variations, so no two dials will be exactly the same. We do guarantee a very high quality dial similar to the one pictured, but each dial will have variations, making each watch a unique timepiece, which can very much add to it's desirability.
Materials Used
The abalone and mother-of-pearl used in all Celeste watches is harvested and managed under strict fishing quotas with only the waste material being utilized.
The watch straps are hand-sewn vegetable-tanned goat leather, made only with naturally occurring tannins. Vegetable-tanned leather can develop a patina over time, giving the leather a soft sheen and beautiful depth of color. Vegetable-tanned leather also often smells sweet and earthy, compared to the chemical, synthetic smell of chrome-tanned leather.