“If it [a colour] exists in this world, I am going to find it.'

Vanessa Lecci has been working for some of the most prestigious Swiss watch brands.

- BY ROGER RUEGGER

-Independent grand feu enameller

She is, for example, the artist behind such one-of-a-kind pieces as the L'Armoriale pocketwatch and the Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica. The Italian master enameller works in Peseux in what she calls her "own small kingdom," the Officina de l'Émail, and quickly learned that the art of enamelling wouldn't be possible without the constant search for good colours, often stemming from long-gone manufactures.

In theory, enamel is simple glass elevated to its greatest exponent through fire, metal oxides, and the expert skill of a master craftsman, or in this case, a craftswoman, who, like Vanessa Lecci, is dedicated to preserving and perfecting this centuries-old art. In reality, only a handful of traditional manufacturers were able to preserve the art of enamelling, and there are only a few places that teach it today. What's worse, the choice of raw materials is increasingly restricted by the dwindling number of glass manufacturers. In addition, not unlike the unmatched quality and precision of vintage guilloché machines, today's colours cannot always keep up with the quality of enamel colours from the past. Lecci says, "Fortunately, I started 25 years ago to search for my colours and pick up stock. The last stock I was able to find, and I love telling this story, actually came from a convent of nuns."