Anordain Model 1 Adds Kia Tasbihgou Porcelain Numerals in Glasgow

Anordain has issued a Model 1 with porcelain numerals by Kia Tasbihgou on a Glasgow-made in-house porcelain dial. The case is 38mm of steel and 11mm thick. The movement is LJP G101. Water resistance is 50 metres. Pricing is USD 2,950, or USD 3,400 for A1 grade.

Porcelain is Anordain’s reason for existing. Firing a dial in-house in Glasgow is still unusual in a market that outsources enamel and print. Commissioning Tasbihgou for the numerals is a graphic decision: the numbers have to survive glaze, shrinkage and a second firing without looking like a decal. According to the brand’s published spec, the watch stays in the Model 1 envelope—38mm, 11mm, 50m—rather than growing into a showcase case. Builders who chase dial texture on NH platforms should still check feet, thickness and handstack; the Seiko mod compatibility checklist is the dull, useful document.

Size, movement and grade

Thirty-eight millimetres and 11mm of thickness is a daily-wear box. It is not a dress wafer and not a diver. Fifty metres of water resistance matches that brief: rain and a washbasin, not a pool habit. LJP G101 is a Swiss automatic used by several independents; it is a known quantity, not a manufacture tourbillon. The price split—USD 2,950 versus USD 3,400 for A1—tells buyers that Anordain grades porcelain the way a potter grades a kiln load. A1 is the cleaner fire.

Why numerals on porcelain are hard

Printed steel dials forgive registration error. Porcelain does not. Numerals can sink, crawl or crack at the glaze line. A named designer on the numerals is both credit and risk: the drawing has to be fired, not only posted. Anordain’s Glasgow workshop has spent years on colour; this edition is about type.

If you are decorating a Seiko-family dial at home, you cannot fire porcelain in a kitchen kiln and expect 50m of water resistance afterwards. You can choose a crystal that does not grey out white glaze. Sapphire is the usual answer; fit and AR notes are in the sapphire crystal upgrade guide. Lume on porcelain is a separate chemistry problem. For aftermarket Super-LumiNova on metal dials, use the lume upgrade guide rather than mixing compounds on ceramic.

Where it sits for buyers

USD 3,000-ish is independent-watch money, not mod-kit money. The offer is a Scottish porcelain dial with a designer’s numerals in a modest steel case. A1 grade is the SKU for people who want the cleanest surface. Standard grade is the SKU for people who accept kiln character. Neither is a tool watch.

Field-watch fans who prefer a green ring and a compass bezel will not be converted by porcelain. They already have a map in the Seiko Alpinist mod guide.

FAQ

Who designed the numerals on this Model 1?
Kia Tasbihgou, applied on Anordain’s in-house Glasgow porcelain dial.

How big is the watch?
38mm in steel, 11mm thick, with 50 metres of water resistance.

Why are there two prices?
USD 2,950 for the regular grade and USD 3,400 for A1, reflecting porcelain quality after firing.

Anordain’s new Model 1 is a typeface on a kiln disc, in a 38mm steel case that already had a following. The news is the numerals and the grade split, not a new diameter.