The Process
How a Piece Is Made
Each Kees Engelbarts watch is engraved and finished by hand in Geneva. From the first sketch to the finished piece, no two are alike, and no step is rushed.
Step 1
The Design on Paper
Every piece starts on paper. Before any metal is cut, the design is worked out as a drawing, setting the composition that everything else will follow.
Step 2
Transferring the Drawing
Once the drawing is settled, it is transferred onto the dial. A coat of paint is laid down and the design traced over it, so the engraver has a precise guide to work from. The transfer fixes every line in its place before the first cut is made.
Step 3
The First Lines
Engraving begins with the outline. Following the transferred drawing, the first lines are cut by hand to establish the general form of the design. Everything that follows is worked into this outline.
Step 4
Building the Detail
From the outline, the finer work begins, cut in bas-relief. Line by line, the engraving gains depth and texture as shading, form and contrast are brought out in the metal.
Step 5
Finishing the Surface
When the engraving is complete, the surface is finished. Finishing treatments can add depth, colour, texture or patterns to the metal, giving each piece its final character.
Step 6
The Finished Piece
The finished piece brings everything together: the engraved dial, the case, the hands and the strap, all completed and assembled into the final watch.
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