The Art of Watch Facelifting | Custom Dials & Handmade Automatic Watches

The Art of Watch Facelifting

In the world of watchmaking, transformation isn’t limited to creating something new. Sometimes, the real art lies in reinventing what already exists — giving a watch a second life with a new identity and soul.

This is what I call Watch Facelifting — a blend of craftsmanship, creativity, and technical precision that turns existing timepieces into one-of-a-kind works of art.


Why Watch Facelifting?

Every watch carries a story — a memory, a person, or a moment in time. But as our style evolves, so can our watches. Facelifting allows me to preserve the mechanical core while reimagining the exterior — reshaping design, dial, and finish without losing what makes the watch itself.

Through engraving, painting, coating, and custom dial creation, a standard movement becomes something new — a mechanical canvas.


🐅 The Bengals Edition — A Facelift with Spirit

This project began as a personal gift — my wife’s watch, reimagined in honor of her favorite team, the Cincinnati Bengals.

The transformation started with an idea: a tiger on the dial. What followed was hours of handwork — painting, laser engraving, detailing, and finishing — until the dial embodied the team’s fierce energy and her personality.

A true fusion of sport, sentiment, and craftsmanship, this watch roars with character.


⚙️ The Anatomical Movement — The Engineering Facelift

While the Bengals piece celebrated emotion, The Anatomical Movement celebrates mechanical beauty.

This watch features a hand-made dial laser-engraved with the detailed anatomy of the NH35 movement beneath it — each line, jewel, and contour precisely represented and painted by hand. It’s a tribute to the inner workings of time — an art piece that reveals what most dials choose to hide.


🎨 Custom Dials — The Soul of Every Facelift

Custom dials are the heart of any watch facelift. Each one is unique — cut, engraved, and painted by hand — carrying its own story and aesthetic.

From abstract art to mechanical engraving, these dials redefine what a watch can express. They’re not just faces of time; they’re faces of identity.


✍️ Final Thoughts

A watch facelift isn’t about replacing — it’s about reawakening. Each transformation is a blend of engineering and emotion, of art and precision.

Whether it’s reviving a sentimental gift or creating something entirely new, facelifting turns a watch into more than a timepiece — it becomes a story, captured in steel and soul.

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