2025 marks our maiden participation at the biennial extravaganza that is Dubai Watch Week, and as we assemble in the heart of Burj Park alongside the industry’s best and most decorated, this milestone is certainly not one that we wish to let pass unmarked.
We are therefore delighted to announce the release of Ancestra 垚 (Yáo), alongside our long-time collaborators and close friends over at Revolution. And far from being just a celebration of our own milestone, the watch also commemorates two significant events for the Revolution team - with 2025 being the 20th Anniversary of Revolution Media, as well as the launch-year of Revolution Arabia!
This second variation of our Ancestra collection debuts another new craft, with a 925 fine-silver dial that has been decorated with a delicate gratté or “scratched” finish. This is subsequently layered with multiple layers of translucent grand feu enamel that build up a complex, fumé gradient that ranges from pale-sand in its centre to a deeper, chocolate tone along its periphery.
Their effects, in combination, form a gossamer-like texture reminiscent of the fine silken fabrics traded between China and the Middle East since the days of the Silk Road.
Ancestra 垚 (Yáo) launches as a time-limited edition, and will be available exclusively through Revolution between 18 November 2025, 12noon GST and 27 November 2025, 2359 GST.
It retails for US$5,850 (excl. taxes and duties), and the pieces will be delivered in late 2026.
The Art of Scratching a Watch
There are few haute horlogerie finishing techniques as curiously ironic as gratté — or "scratching". Logic would ordinarily dictate that scratches and watches tend not to mix well, and yet it is precisely this act of meticulous scratching that forms one of the most uncommon and prestigious decorative approaches in the watchmaking world.
Gratté involves the building of texture through the careful abrasion of a treated metallic base to form either geometrical or, in our case, organic textures. The finish is traditionally executed with a “cabron” - or wooden buffing stick - that is shaped into a wedge and fitted with a small piece of sandpaper at its tip. This tip is then carefully and intentionally applied with even pressure, creating precise scratches on the metal.
There are few haute horlogerie finishing techniques as curiously ironic as gratté — or "scratching". Logic would ordinarily dictate that scratches and watches tend not to mix well, and yet it is precisely this act of meticulous scratching that forms one of the most uncommon and prestigious decorative approaches in the watchmaking world.
Gratté involves the building of texture through the careful abrasion of a treated metallic base to form either geometrical or, in our case, organic textures. The finish is traditionally executed with a “cabron” - or wooden buffing stick - that is shaped into a wedge and fitted with a small piece of sandpaper at its tip. This tip is then carefully and intentionally applied with even pressure, creating precise scratches on the metal.
The result is a dial that calls to mind a myriad of images. The gratté itself mimics the textures of fine fabrics - an intended nod towards those that were conveyed by Chinese silk merchants into the Middle East since the earliest days of trade between the regions. This symbolism is further enriched by the tone of the enamel layers on its surface, grounding the piece in the environmental surroundings and earthy, sandy tones of the Arabian peninsula. Together, they coalesce into a historical whole, marking and celebrating the deep cultural ties that have long existed between the Far and Middle Easts.
An Ancestry of Exchanged Cultures
While the nomenclature of “The Silk Road (~130 BCE)” undoubtedly refers to its most popularised era in the modern cultural consciousness, the relationship between China and the Middle East stretched far beyond that. The exchange of material commodities such as silk, spices, horses and precious stones extends beyond the 2nd century BCE, and alongside these, ancestral knowledge of metallurgy, philosophy, languages and artisanship was likewise conveyed and shared between the regions.
It therefore stands to reason that the series canvas for this collaborative project - that recognises and celebrates these ancestral cultural bridges - was none other than Ancestra. When we launched Ancestra 蛟 (Jiāo) back in July, we debuted a watch that was replete with historical and artisanal references. Its case that featured lugs inspired by ancient jade dragon carvings from the Hongshan culture that were amongst the first examples of both draconic depictions and the very craft of jade carving in Ancient China. It also incorporated a movement with a three-quarter bridge, micro-etched with an 2000 year-old poetic contemplation of the the ancient Chinese cosmos titled 天问 (tiān wèn).
Those same details are once again present here, in 垚 (Yáo), and you can read more about them in this journal entry.
Technical Specifications
Movement
- - Self-winding heavily customised Pequignet Caliber EPM03, featuring 3/4 bridge with circular, deeply micro-etched Chinese manuscript
- - 65-hour power reserve
Functions
- - Hours, minutes
- - Hacking function
Case
- - 38mm × 11.3mm (including crystal); 904L stainless steel; water resistant to 100m
Dial
- - Gratté base in 925 silver, with fumé grand feu enamel in light sand to chocolate gradient
- - Eastern Arabic numerals for odd hour markers, lab-grown baguette-cut diamonds for even markers
Strap
- - Hand-stitched, full-grain leather with cream Epsom upper and Zermatt lining
- - Stainless steel buckle with hand-applied, mirror-polished bevels and fine brushing
Price
- - US$5,850 (tax exclusive)
Availability
- Orders open between 18 November 2025, 12noon GST and 27 November 2025, 2359 GST; to be delivered in late 2026