Review: anOrdain Model 1

For the minimalist 38-millimeter Model 1, Scotland’s anOrdain spent over 4,000 hours over three years trying over 160 enamel types from five different countries before finally making a dial they could keep. Many dials still end up in their scrap pile—a common result due to very hot kiln firing— but today anOrdain can consistently make eight successful dials a week. Those dials come in loud Pink, rich Post Office Red, deep Translucent Blue, Black, and the creamy Iron White found on the watch we have in-hand for review.
Obviously there’s much more to the Model 1 than the dial, but everything on this watch is there to show off the enamel, and with good reason. Very few materials achieve the depth of color that enamel does, and, given the demands of getting it right, anOrdain is understandably proud to show it off. The result is alluring, to say the least. The Iron White dial is so warm you might call it beige if that didn’t fail to do justice to the complexity of this hue. It takes on surrounding colors like a chameleon, and—much to my surprise—proves that off-white can be thrilling.