Introducing The New AWAKE Sơn Mài Year of the Sssnake

AWAKE is a French independent brand founded in 2019, known for blending design, sustainable innovation, and traditional artistry, as previously demonstrated in the Son Mài and Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf models.

Now, AWAKE deepens its exploration of Métiers d’Art with the Sơn Mài – Year of the Sssnake, a tribute to the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Snake. Created in collaboration with Scottish artist Chris Alexander, better known as The Dial Artist, the watch fuses traditional Vietnamese lacquerware with a rock’n’roll spirit and high-end horology. It is available in a limited edition of just 50 pieces.

The case is crafted from recycled 316L stainless steel and measures 39mm in diameter, 11.8mm in thickness. On the reverse, a screw-down sapphire caseback offers a full view of the movement. Playful engravings include the serpentine word “Sssnake” ending in a forked tongue. Water resistance is rated at 50 meters.

Free of logos and indices, the dial allows the handcrafted Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer to take center stage. Finished with a snakeskin motif meticulously applied in Scotland, each dial takes 15 hours to complete. Every color and texture is chosen to mimic the iridescent shimmer of real snake skin, with a final layer of gloss black paint enhancing its organic appearance. The hands are coated in Super-LumiNova BGW9 and emit a soft glow, evoking the atmosphere of Japanese chiaroscuro.

Inside beats the automatic G101 calibre from Swiss manufacture La Joux-Perret, offering a robust 68-hour power reserve and 28,800 vph (4Hz). A custom tungsten rotor, designed exclusively for AWAKE, is visible through the caseback, framed by a sand-blasted matte ring laser-engraved with the edition name, artist signature, and “Swiss Made.”

The strap is made from shimmering, iridescent LUNA marine trout leather in purple, its fine scales echoing the texture of snake skin. Lined in burgundy calfskin and hand-stitched with tone-on-tone thread, the strap is secured with a pin buckle made from recycled 316L steel.

Each watch comes in a custom presentation case, hand-signed by The Dial Artist and inscribed with a meaningful word, such as “Freedom,” “Create,” or “Daring.” The watch is priced at €2,100 (approximately AED 9,000), with deliveries split across two batches, 30 pieces in July 2025 and the remaining 20 in September 2025.

For more information, visit AWAKE’s official website.