Chopard’s latest creation may be the most eloquent example yet and perhaps the peak of the hard-stone dial craze that has been sweeping the world of luxury watches over the past couple of years ...

Several of Grand Seiko’s dials have an almost mythical status. Snowflake, White Birch, Lake Suwa … these are names that can cause heart palpitations and excessive drooling among the Grand Seiko ...

Elsewhere, Cartier’s elongated oval-shaped Baignoire watch has a mesmerizing, hypnotic dial featuring an irregular mosaic of mother-of-pearl, turquoise, and onyx stones.

The birch forest dial comes in several variations, including white birch which emulates white birch forest scenery near Shizukuishi Studio, home of Grand Seiko’s mechanical timepieces.