Te Manaia Watch Engraving

[Andrew Biggs]

A few weeks ago I was approached by Magrette Timepieces in Auckland, New Zealand to design and engrave a limited edition bezel for one of their watches. Here is the link to their web site. http://www.magrette.com/the-timepieces-te-manaia.php

The engraving is called Te Manaia

The Manaia is a bird-like creature that appears regularly in traditional and contemporary Maori wood carving. There are many variations to the design but they all tend to have the overly large beak with a small head. Nobody is exactly sure of where it originated or the original meaning behind it. It can be found on many old pre-European wood carvings.
Manaia are also frequently carved in pounamu (greenstone/jade) and can be seen as quite complex or fairly simple according to the artists interpretation.

There are some Maori who believe that the Manaia is symbolic for a guardian angel which every person has and appears as an unseen light surrounding each individual, similar to the European aura. Its role as a guardian angel is to protect from untimely death by accident.

However, each individual has an appointed time to pass from the mortal world into the spiritual world. The Manaia helps with that passage and also the journey to Cape Reinga where they finally sing farewell to their loved ones.

To give you an idea of scale, the distance between the inside of the borders is 3.25mm.The photographs have been professionally taken by Magrette Timepieces.

As usual your comments are always welcome.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Tira]

Very nice Andrew! The articles on the site about you are great! Congratulations and may there be many more!

 

[Dave London]

Andrew
Excellent work, congratulations on the comission hope more to come

 

[Leonardo]

Andrew! A great work of art and a great article for a talented artist. I am really glad for your success especially with your unique Oceania engraving style.
Cheers! Leonardo.

 

[lesholmes]

Wow!! You make the rest of us dream about being you.

Lester

 

[Christopher Malouf]

Fantastic Andrew!! Watch engraving is a great avenue. (lucrative too)

 

[PoppaMoore]

Hello Andrew. I think your work is truely brilliant. I have a few questions if you would be so kind. How much time on average did you put in your first year of engraving,(10 hrs a week, 20?) Just trying to get a handle as a nooby. How long did you use push gravers before going to power? And finally, what is a sign writer? Thanks in advance.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Thanks for all those kind words. Much appreciated

Chris..........yes indeed they are very nice canvases to work on. The steel was 316L and hard as the hobbs of hell. You have to sharpen a lot and removing the background is hard going. The small flats have to be razor sharp or you plough the steel instead of removing it.

PoppaMore.........A signwriter is a person that paints signs. Or these days uses computer graphics to produce signs. I think in America they are called sign painters. I never really used a push graver to begin with. I started with a hammer and chisel for a few months (not many) with the Meeks book in one hand and a hammer and onglette in the other. Then I moved onto power assist tools once I realised that I enjoyed the work. I would pretty much do a 40 hour week at work, race home and do another 40 hours a week engraving where I could. Sleep wasn't high on the agenda. Drawing then became a really big part of it so all my spare time became drawing, cutting, reading, observing or anything engraving.............I was extremley fortunate to make some life long friends in the forums that gave me excellent advise and encouragement and inspiration. One in particular is John Barraclough who is one of the finest gentleman and engraving teachers you will ever meet. Then I joined FEGA, went to America and became even more inspired and made even more engraving friends. And sleep still isn't high on the agenda!!!

Like anything in life you only get what you put into it, or as the prophets say......you reap what you sew.

As a new person to engraving my best advise to you is this. Practice long, study hard and really listen to what good engravers are telling you and others. Try everything, discount nothing and figure out what best suits you. Never give up....................and above all else, enjoy what you're doing.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Andrew this looks great. Beautiful, clean execution; it certainly makes a very ordinary watch very special indeed. Their website has also done you proud, what a great collaberation. Your sign writing business has certainly given you an excellent grounding in design. One thing intrigues me about your engraving designs though. Are you using traditional designs and making them fit the object you're engraving (e.g bracelet or watch) or are you designing the 'traditional' elements yourself from a brief (e.g. the client gives you the legend and you design something based on the traditional designs)? I hope you don't mind me asking as I just find it fascinating. Also with the watches, are you just given the empty case or the complete watch. I started trying to engrave an old Seiko but stopped for fear of bouncing the hands off the spindle and the steel was bloody hard too. How many hours do you have in engraving a bezel like this?

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Marcus

Thanks for that

In this particular case the brief was "anything you like that has a NZ uniqueness about it. Preferably Polynesian/Maori" I was given the empty case, bezel and back as 3 separate bits so I could see how it all worked together (just like a gun really) I wouldn't even think of engraving it with the guts still in it. Dion McAsey from Magette Timepieces has been excellent to deal with and has given me several bits to play with.

I'm designing my own artistic interpretations from traditional Maori design elements and making them fit the allotted space using, or incorporating, European structures and elements.............if that makes any sense

The variations are as endless as your imagination if you stick to certain design principles (just like scroll work I guess) The story is an integral part of the design as well.

But in saying that, I'm also trying to stay true to the original designs and cultural/spiritual aspects of them as much as my own understanding and knowledge allows. I personally think that it's really important to retain the integrity and spiritual aspects of the culture. The artistic and spiritual nature of Maori design elements are very intertwined because pre European it was their way of explaining the world around them and affected every aspect of their lives. To do this I'm researching material all the time and reading and doodling as much as possible to try and capture the essence and rhythm of the engraving. The reality is I'm just a student myself in many ways and will probably always be. It’s all quite exciting really!!

Sorry that sounds a bit airy fairy but I really can't explain it any better.

To be honest I probably am at my creative best if I'm left alone to do what I want (within reason, budget and direction of course) Or a very minimal brief like above. I had a really interesting chat with Winston Churchill about this very thing last year and I really enjoyed his approach to the brief. Basically it’s "please engrave this with a lion on it" and he chooses the lion and everything else otherwise he won't do the work. My own personal experience with my signwriting business is that the more the client gets involved in the design, the more pear shaped it will go!!!

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Martin Strolz]

Excellent job in every respect- I like it very much, Andrew! And what a great opportunity such a collaboration is for an engraver! I am absolutely sure you will do more engraving in this field in the future...

 

[vanknife]

Andrew that is fantastic, well done.

Cheers

"VAN"

 

[Sam]

The high-end watch industry is a big one, and with engraving like this, these no doubt will bring in the connoisseurs and collectors. Not only that, but it will help open doors for other engravers.

Beautiful job, Andrew! Perfect execution in some very tough metal. / ~Sam

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Great precision work Andrew. Very nice lettering also. I'm sure the collectors scarfed up these already. Andrew I second your comment toward John he is an outstanding person.

One thing that has my curiosity is why the oscillator on the watch you posted is different from the one on the Companies website and but both have the same number?

 

[Ron Smith]

Andrew, you do your country proud!!........................And likewise ours. America is proud too!!

Very stimulating and unique!!

Ron S

 

[John B.]

Andrew, I second what you all the others have said (except for mention of me.)
But thank you anyway. What another wonderful example of your engraving and art.
I was frustrated in joining in the bravos by my present Internet connection problems.
Is it just me or others using Yahoo sbc.global network on a PC having this trouble too?
Sure hope the total edition of 10 watches sell well Andrew, and brings you and the watchmaker some
well deserved pay days.

Best, John B.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Thanks again everyone. Really appreciate the comments.

Mike............those are the proof photos I used that were done to get all the elements togeather to see what looked right. The photos on the web site are the correct ones.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Christopher Malouf]

Andrew,

I had great success removing background in hardened 315 stainless (very similar to 316) using some very fine needle point carbide rotary burs. Those high speed steel flats just seem to bend right over in the really hard stuff.

I haven't been able to find these anywhere except a dental catalog or at this site:


http://www.turbocarver.com/burtypes/body_burtypes.html

They are 1/16" shaft and fit the GRS 850 and similar high speed rotary tools. .... Just hold on with both hands and don't slip

Chris

 

[gail.m]

What a wonderful commision Andrew! A new canvas for your talents, and exposure on a grand scale. I wish you continued success, as your talents so rightly deserve.
The watch co. has a beautiful website as well, and it was very interesting to read about the Kauri Tree. So much to learn, so little time!
gailm