Damaskeening
Encyclopedia
In horology
, damaskeening is decorative patterning on a watch movement. The term damaskeening is used in America, while in Europe the terms used are Fausses Côtes, Côtes de Genève or Geneva Stripes. Such patterns are made from very fine scratches made by rose engine lathe
using small disks, polishing wheels or ivory laps. These patterns look similar to the results of a spirograph
or Guilloché
engraving.
Damaskeening was first used in America around 1868-1869 by the U.S. Watch Co of Marrion and later spread to most other American watch manufacturers.
Two-tone damaskeening can be created by applying a thin plating of gold and then having the damaskeening scrape through the gold outer layer and into the nickel plate, or simply creating damaskeening on the gold layer. This creates patterns with two colors.
Horology
Horology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
, damaskeening is decorative patterning on a watch movement. The term damaskeening is used in America, while in Europe the terms used are Fausses Côtes, Côtes de Genève or Geneva Stripes. Such patterns are made from very fine scratches made by rose engine lathe
Rose engine lathe
A rose engine lathe is a specialized kind of geometric lathe. The headstock rocks back and forth with a rocking motion or along the spindle axis in a pumping motion, controlled by a rubber moving against a rosette or cam-like pattern mounted on the spindle, while the lathe spindle rotates...
using small disks, polishing wheels or ivory laps. These patterns look similar to the results of a spirograph
Spirograph
Spirograph is a geometric drawing toy that produces mathematical curves of the variety technically known as hypotrochoids and epitrochoids. The term has also been used to describe a variety of software applications that display similar curves, and applied to the class of curves that can be produced...
or Guilloché
Guilloché
Guilloché is a decorative engraving technique in which a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design is mechanically engraved into an underlying material with fine detail...
engraving.
Damaskeening was first used in America around 1868-1869 by the U.S. Watch Co of Marrion and later spread to most other American watch manufacturers.
Two-tone damaskeening can be created by applying a thin plating of gold and then having the damaskeening scrape through the gold outer layer and into the nickel plate, or simply creating damaskeening on the gold layer. This creates patterns with two colors.