2,156 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 23, 2001
Another technique to decorate a watch case ( or dial) is called "Champlevé". This French word is built up from "champs" (field) and "élevé" (raised). Here the engraver incises the surface metal to create the details of the selected image. In fact it is not very different from the "niello" technique! The "sunk" or "hollow" parts are filled with enamal and the raised field is the original surface of the gold or silver case. Enamel is a glass powder. Once baked at a temperature twice that of niello procedure : about 1000 °Celsius, the color of enamal is white. However, when metal oxides are added to the neutral powder, any color can be produced. The difference to the niello technique is that the glass powder melts at a much higher temperature and it does not adhere to its background, but fuses with it. This means that enamal is much more resistant to wear and tear, but there is more. Each color needs its own composition of glass powder and metal oxides. And by that, these mixtures melt at different temperatures. As a consequence the artist needs to heat a case up to 15 times, going from very "hot" to relatively "cold" bridging a gap of 400 ° Celcius.(800-1200°Celsius). The IWC P.W. shown here is a unique piece, showing several of the known tehniques, inluding "champlevé". It is a very early Pallweber with an 18 kt gold case. It is depicted in the IWC reference book by Tölke and King, pp. 126-127. This magnificent IWC watch got its case in 1884-1885.It shows a Bulgarian National Order of Merit, connected with the Bulgarian Court more than a century ago. Kind regards, Adrian, (alwaysiwc).
Adrian --this is a great series, and I thank you for providing it here.
On Bulgarian "award" watches, I see a lot of them on eBay, but also I am dubious of the provenance. I think a lot of these watches, and also Ukranian ones, have the cases decorated today by a goldsmith and then marketed as a special "award" watch. I've never see anything, at least on eBay, which reflects the fact that the watch "originally" left the IWC factory like that, I also see them decorated with diamonds and rubies. Also, several of the work on differenbt watches looks like similar techniques/designs are used, and there may be one or two key "artisans" working these watches today.
I would think some may be original, and some have "stories" which lead to some inference that they may be so. This isn't to dismiss the quality of the work one bit, but to me "modern" decorations, if that's the case, are in a different collectibility league.
I am not doubting the image in the Toelke and King book --I just don't knwo and I see a lot of this stuff on eBay today. Still, the work is very nice.
829 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 4, 2006
Great post, Adrian. Thanks for sharing with us. Besides Michael has good reasons due to provenance and decorations these watches as well the models you have shown in part 1&2 are witnesses of a nearly vanished craftmenship, history and fashion of the "fin de siécle".
2,156 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 23, 2001
I agree 100 % with MF. I did not touch that aspect in this thread but it is purely fake stuff what is advertised on ebay by Ukrain and Bulgarian sellers, complete with documentation. Obviously collectors don't trust these sellers, as most of these "Tsar, King, Prince and General" pre-owned masterpieces are not sold very well... Kind regards, Adrian, (alwaysiwc).
This means that enamal is much more resistant to wear and tear, but there is more. Each color needs its own composition of glass powder and metal oxides.
And by that, these mixtures melt at different temperatures. As a consequence the artist needs to heat a case up to 15 times, going from very "hot" to relatively "cold" bridging a gap of 400 ° Celcius.(800-1200°Celsius).
The IWC P.W. shown here is a unique piece, showing several of the known tehniques, inluding "champlevé". It is a very early Pallweber with an 18 kt gold case. It is depicted in the IWC reference book by Tölke and King, pp. 126-127.
This magnificent IWC watch got its case in 1884-1885.It shows a Bulgarian National Order of Merit, connected with the Bulgarian Court more than a century ago.
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).
Kind regards,
Clemens
On Bulgarian "award" watches, I see a lot of them on eBay, but also I am dubious of the provenance. I think a lot of these watches, and also Ukranian ones, have the cases decorated today by a goldsmith and then marketed as a special "award" watch. I've never see anything, at least on eBay, which reflects the fact that the watch "originally" left the IWC factory like that, I also see them decorated with diamonds and rubies. Also, several of the work on differenbt watches looks like similar techniques/designs are used, and there may be one or two key "artisans" working these watches today.
I would think some may be original, and some have "stories" which lead to some inference that they may be so. This isn't to dismiss the quality of the work one bit, but to me "modern" decorations, if that's the case, are in a different collectibility league.
I am not doubting the image in the Toelke and King book --I just don't knwo and I see a lot of this stuff on eBay today. Still, the work is very nice.
Regards, Michael
mfriedberg@iwcforum.com
Last edited: 21 November, 2012 - 12:32
Besides Michael has good reasons due to provenance and decorations these watches as well the models you have shown in part 1&2 are witnesses of a nearly vanished craftmenship, history and fashion of the "fin de siécle".
Kind regards
Hajo
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Last edited: 9 January, 2013 - 09:24
I did not touch that aspect in this thread but it is purely fake stuff what is advertised on ebay by Ukrain and Bulgarian sellers, complete with documentation. Obviously collectors don't trust these sellers, as most of these "Tsar, King, Prince and General" pre-owned masterpieces are not sold very well...
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).