Horological Meandering

Thomas Engel in addition to being well-versed in the nuts & bolts of horology, the art of guilloche, goldsmithing etc. the Professor was adept in the artistry of enameling; though more-or-less self-taught (epitome of an autodidact), A.L Breguet was Thomas Engel's spiritual don through the score+ of Breguets the Professor enjoyed, many masterpieces; years of handling Breguet’s work and the study of contemporary workshop practices and tools, Thomas Engel gathered as much as a mortal could (as much as any human-being could hope) the pith of a Breguet timepiece…but let's return to the enameling.

At least a handful of Thomas Engel’s watches featured an enameled case often with gold paillons (gold-leaf covered by translucent enamel), 2-3 (I think) enameled tourbillons appear in Das Tourbillon for the curious, also some of the Zenith-Engel pocket-watches feature enameled cases; it is difficult to inventory all (or even a fraction) of Thomas Engel’s enamel work as often the literature, auctions etc. are sans case-back…most often Thomas Engel uses green and blue for his enameled watches…as much as Engel appreciated Breguet’s red enameled watches (Ottoman watches) the following may explain why the Professor to my knowledge (admittedly limited) never made a red-enameled watch himself (or at least I’ve never seen one)…

Their colors [Breguet’s Ottoman watches] are striking. In looking at translucent red enamel you would think it was a glass of red Bordeaux. No one knows how they did it 200 years ago. I have done considerable research myself in trying to capture this particular red for my enameled tourbillons, but I was unable to produce it. (Thomas Engel: Warum Taschenuhren)

An example of Thomas Engel’s blue enamel work with gold paillons is enclosed: there are 12 gold stars and a bumblebee along with a central tetraicosagon (I think that is a 24-sided polygon); I do not know if there is any meaning in these symbols.

Note: one thing I like about Thomas Engel’s watches is more-or-less the watches are art for art’s sake, with the Professor’s resources it hardly seems there existed an overriding commercial motivation though I assume he sold his watches; I think it was the enjoyment of creation and also of honoring A.L. Breguet…but who really knows?

  login to reply