How to keep paint from cracking

[Indiana_Parrothead]

I have been working on some watch parts pens and some of the dials are painted. On some of them the bend radius must be too small or the paint that they used has no give to it, may be an enamel, and they are cracking and some flaking off.

Has anyone run into this and been able to figure out away to prevent it? I was thinking about spraying the dial with a clear acrylic paint as away to prevent it, not sure it will work I have not tried it yet. It might also help from the paint that doesn't crack from rubbing off when you bend them.

Any ideas would be helpful

Thanks, Mike