DIAL: white color enamel (porcelain) over a concave metallic base, signed OMEGA at twelve. Subsidiary dial for seconds. Black color roman numbers. As seen at the pictures, dial has a "hairline" between 3.00h and 4.30h. Original blue metal hands.
CASE: original STEEL case decorated with a beautiful DAMASCENE artwork, also called Gold from Toledo. Bezel is also decorated with damascene artwork, showing the same intrincate arabesque motif than in case back. The center of the snap back case is also decorated with two (2) English style capital letters, probably a J and a P in red and green gold respectively (see pics, please).
MOVEMENT: original Omega (unsigned) mechanical with manual winding movement, 19-ligne, produced between 1894-1911, open face caliber, bimetallic screw balance, Breguet hairspring. The redesign of this caliber, introduced 1911, was renamed to Omega 42.7 in 1919.
MEASURES: 50mm diameter without crown or ring, 69.50mm high, including its standing hanging ring.
ESTIMATED AGE: circa 1905
GENERAL CONDITION: very good general condition, showing normal wear from use, especially to the case lateral itself (please, refer to the pictures)
ADDITIONAL INFO
GOLD FROM TOLEDO" artwork or "Damasquino" (DAMASCENE) RAMOLAYÉ PUNCED ORNAMENT is a kind of ancient ornament made with gold thread orplate on hardenedsteel or iron; it was used specially for decoring military weapons like swords, daggers and firearms. In addition to its swords, Toledo is renowned for its damasquinados, or damascene handicrafts and costume jewelry. Damascening is the Moorish art of inlaying gold or silver threads into black steel in a decorative pattern. The skill was used to decorate plates, jewels and weapons. The damascene procedure requires creativity and the steady hand of a surgeon on small pieces. Artisans first use sharp tools to scratch the pattern into the black steel. They then push the gold or silver threads into the grooves and use a hammer to make sure the threads stay in place. The art of damascening has been around for centuries. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans are known to have practiced it.
Around the15th century, it grew in popularity in Europe and came to prominence in Toledo. It is remarkable the exquisite work of FELIPA GUISASOLA who mastered the technique.
An old master artisan from Toledo told me several years ago:
“The gold is gold. But the work is more important than the gold.”