XINMI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Guilloche is a decorative technique that involves mechanically engraving a precise, intricate, and repetitive pattern into a material using engine turning. The technique employs a machine controlled by the delicacy of a craftsman's hand. The art, an important process in making superior watches and jewelry, is now mastered by only a few people.
Cheng Yucai, born in 1978, came to know Guilloche in 2013 after seeing a cigarette case decorated with the technique. Attracted by the delicate art, he left his job in a silverwork factory in 2015 to pursue a career in Guilloche. Cheng finally created an integrated Guilloche machine after countless failures and material costs, which was granted the country's patent of invention in 2017. During the first national vocational skills competition in 2020, his skills also amazed professional judges.
Cheng's craft is now widely recognized by foreign customers, particularly in France and Switzerland, who frequently commission custom-made Guilloche designs from him. Cheng Yucai's workshop, "Sanloutang," is located in a kiln in Xinmi City, Henan Province. Although the working environment is simple and crude, it is quiet enough for him to focus on the art. After the kiln was flooded by rain last summer, he relocated to a nearby vocational education center while the workshop was being renovated.
Guilloche requires the craftsman's delicacy, as it involves a dozen processes such as flattening, underlining, and carving. The precision is accurate to a twentieth of a hair's width. A simple Guilloche pattern takes seven to eight hours to create with 70,000 to 80,000 manual turns, whereas a complex one takes dozens of hours with more than 100,000 manual turns. Any minor error would render the entire project useless.
Cheng now has three apprentices to whom he teaches all skills without reservation. His apprentices have a good understanding of the art and are ready to compete in a world technique competition in October. "I wish to pass down the art through generations and let more people know and love it," Cheng said.
Cheng Yucai engraves on a dial by a Guilloche machine at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Cheng Yucai checks a processed dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Photo taken on May 23, 2022 shows a processed dial at Cheng Yucai's workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai draws lines on a dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Jiayi)
Cheng Yucai checks a processed dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai preprocesses a dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Combo photo taken on May 24, 2022 shows Cheng Yucai's works of Guilloche at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li An)
Cheng Yucai selects dyestuff at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai fires enamel for works of Guilloche at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai processes a dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Jiayi)
Cheng Yucai works on a dial by a Guilloche machine at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai measures the thickness of a dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Cheng Yucai heats a processed dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai heats a processed dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Cheng Yucai operates a Guilloche machine at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Cheng Yucai checks a processed dial at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai grinds tools at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Cheng Yucai's apprentice Li Jinghang adjusts the Guilloche machine at Cheng's workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li An)
Cheng Yucai (L) explains the operation specifications of a Guilloche machine to his apprentices at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Cheng Yucai's apprentices dismantle a Guilloche machine at Cheng's workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Jiayi)
Cheng Yucai's apprentices dismantle a Guilloche machine at Cheng's workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Jiayi)
Cheng Yucai (R) looks on as an apprentice operates a Guilloche machine at his workshop in Xinmi City, central China's Henan Province, May 24, 2022.
(Xinhua/Xu Jiayi)
Produced by Xinhua Global Service■
