It takes 16.5 hours and roughly 3,500 individual cuts to complete a single dial—no exaggeration, this is exactly what goes into the "Yum Cha" commemorative dial created through the collaboration between Selten and watch community platform Watch Ho & Co. The source material is the texture of a woven bamboo steamer, achieved through meticulous hand-engraving under a microscope, followed by multiple rounds of high-temperature kiln firing to set the color.
The starting point for this watch traces back to a childhood memory belonging to Watch Ho & Co. founder Jackie Ho—going to yum cha with his grandparents at the local tea house. Rather than following the well-worn path of racing or military watch aesthetics for this 3rd anniversary piece, the brand instead brought the essence of a family gathering directly onto the case. The star of the dial is the work of Selten's go-to engraving and enamel master, Master Qin, who used silver-based enamel to create a honey-gold to amber gradient—mimicking the patina a bamboo steamer develops over years of steam and use. The hands are shaped like tea leaves with diamond-cut polishing, arguably the quietest yet most nostalgic detail on the entire watch.
The case measures 38mm in diameter and 9.95mm thick, crafted from stainless steel with a tall sapphire top-hat crystal. Inside beats the Sellita SW210-2 M Power+ hand-wound movement, offering 65 hours of power reserve with accuracy kept within ±6 seconds per day. The case back is engraved with a scene of a family gathering, extending the warmth of the front dial to the back of the watch.
The packaging doesn't cut corners either: it includes an actual bamboo steamer basket, a bamboo coaster, and a warranty card styled after a traditional Hong Kong tea house dim sum order sheet—completing the full "yum cha" ritual experience down to the last detail.
The Watch Ho & Co. x Selten "Yum Cha Edition" is limited to 100 pieces worldwide, priced at $4,950. For more details, visit the collection page on Selten's official website.
