A process for decorating a dial includes a step (E1) of engraving a pattern in a pad-printing cliché with a femtosecond laser, then a step (E20) of transferring said pattern to the dial using the pad-printing cliché. The process can include surface structuring of the dial, then transferring the pattern to the dial at least partially superposed on surface-structuring obtained by the surface structuring, and can also include an intermediate coloring of the decorated or to be decorated surface in the surface structuring, using a different color from the color used in the transferring.