Skip to content
OTMOS
Niello, an octagonal 925 sterling silver timepiece with a graphite sunburst dial, by OTMOS

No. 02REF. OT-N17-GR

Niello

An octagon in sterling silver, stone-set bezel, graphite sunburst dial.

Made to orderBegun on your commission, confirmed at the bench.

The features

  1. The Niello angled on dark slate, graphite sunburst dial catching the light

    01

    The dial

    Graphite, brushed sunburst. Light spreads across it the way polished silver spreads shadow.

  2. The Niello draped over a granite block beside setting tools and silver scraps

    02

    The setting

    Round brilliant stones, seated at the bench and held by metal moved to grip them. Four crystal indices mark the dial.

  3. The Niello case in profile on dark granite

    03

    The case

    An octagon of 17 by 24 millimetres, corners cut, not curved. 5.8 millimetres in profile.

  4. The Niello worn on the wrist

    04

    The wrist

    17 by 24 millimetres, worn. Leather strap, 8 millimetres.

The craft

Where silver is cut, it does not scar. It learns to hold the dark.

The Niello resting on a silver plate engraved with its name

For five centuries, silversmiths engraved sterling, fired black alloy into the lines, and polished the metal back until it held its own shadow. The craft was called niello, from nigellus: blackened.

The Niello carries that shadow on the wrist. An octagon of corners cut, not curved, in metal engraved to hold what others polish away. The darkness is not applied. It is earned.

The material

Niello powder, a graver, and an engraved silver plate beside the Niello

Niello is black alloy, fired into engraved silver and polished back until the line holds its own shadow. That is the craft this piece is named for.

Macro of the Niello bezel corner, round brilliant stones in their settings
Macro of the Niello bezel corner, round brilliant stones in their settings

The record

Specifications

The specification is stated when it is verified.

Reference
OT-N17-GR
Availability
Made to order. Work begins when the commission is confirmed.
Case
17 × 24 mm
Thickness
5.8 mm
Material
925 sterling silver
Case back
Stainless steel
Crystal
Multi-faceted toughened mineral crystal
Dial
Graphite, sunburst
Setting
Round brilliant stones; four crystal indices
Movement
Japanese quartz
Strap
Leather, 8 mm

The catalogue

The Niello's printed catalogue, as it leaves the atelier.

Download the catalogue (PDF, 13 MB)

The register continues

Sérac, a square 925 sterling silver timepiece with a powder-blue sunburst dial, by OTMOSSéracA true square in sterling silver, stone-set bezel, powder-blue sunburst dial.

Begun when you ask. Offered when the standard is met.

No Niello waits in a vitrine. Yours is built for your commission, confirmed at the bench, then released. Viewings are arranged from the Rajkot atelier.

Request a private viewingDownload the catalogue (PDF, 13 MB)Explore the collection

THE ATELIER

Rajkot, Gujarat, India · +91 98794 49443 · inquiry@otmos.com

THE REGISTER

Leave an address. The atelier writes when the bench can begin yours.