Looking at these extraordinary handcrafted pieces by Dutch master engraver Kees Engelbarts, the first person you might imagine on one of these works of art is Daenerys Targaryen from 'Game of Thrones,' riding her fire-breathing dragons. And I'm sure Engelbarts would appreciate our choice, given his vivid imagination, passion for mythical creatures, and skill in the Vulcan forge for performing the ancient Japanese metalworking craft of Mokume Gane. The latest fantasy to emerge from his workshop is a trilogy of watches inspired by the legend of the Chinese Dragon Gate.
Each unique piece represents a separate stage of the legend and is executed in various artistic techniques, all handcrafted. Interestingly, Engelbarts invited other artists to collaborate in creating this unique trilogy, which describes the journey of a golden carp in its quest to conquer the Dragon Gate.
Kees Engelbarts is one of those secrets you want to keep to yourself after discovering! A master engraver who turned to watchmaking in the late 1990s, Engelbarts can be described as a performance artist in the horological cosmos. Capable of creating miniature scenes of breathtaking beauty and performing daring feats of skeletonization, Engelbarts is an artist through and through. Trained as an engraver in Schoonhoven (known as the 'Silver City') in the Netherlands, Kees settled in Geneva in the 1990s. Turning to the lilliputian sizes of watch dials, Engelbarts received numerous orders from elite Swiss brands. In 1997, he decided to make his own watches, and like any self-respecting artist or sculptor, he signs his works. Engelbarts produces a limited edition of watches - only six to eight pieces a year - and is passionate about dragons, Mokume Gane, and skeletonization. Engelbarts' handcrafted works of art are as unique as they are captivating.
The cases of all three watches in the Chinese Dragon Gate Legend series are made of 925 Argentium (a silver-germanium alloy) with a matte grainy finish; they measure 39.5 mm in diameter and 10 mm in thickness. The crown is made of 18-carat yellow gold, and the sapphire glass back reveals the Peseux 330 new old stock movement from the 1960s. The dials, as you will see, differ radically from each other and use various artistic techniques to illustrate the three main phases of the Chinese Dragon Gate legend, culminating in the transformation of a carp into a dragon. Even the Dauphine hands, made of white gold and silver, underwent Mokume Gane treatment to recreate the texture of wood.
CHINESE DRAGON GATE LEGEND
This Chinese legend tells of how thousands of koi fish (golden carp) swam against the strong current of the Yellow River but encountered a formidable waterfall that blocked their path. The waterfall, built to combat floods, was known as the Dragon Gate. Most of the carp were discouraged by the roar of the waterfall and abandoned their journey. However, a few determined carp managed to leap over the Dragon Gate. In gratitude for their perseverance and courage, the golden carp transformed into mighty dragons. The image of a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate is a persistent symbol in Chinese culture, symbolizing courage and persistence: those who work hard and strive for a goal will be rewarded.
CARP
The first watch in the trilogy depicts a carp struggling against the strong current. Hand-engraved by Dutch master engraver Kees Engelbarts in bas-relief technique, the dynamic 3D image of the carp battling the swirling currents is mesmerizing. Made of silver and white gold, Engelbarts uses the Japanese technique of Mokume Gane to bring the landscape to life and expose various layers of metal, creating an almost wood-like pattern in the metal. The meticulous attention to detail can be appreciated on the rainbow-colored scales of the carp (etched and then chemically colored), on its open fins and tail battling the current. The wood grain effect achieved using Mokume Gane is evident in the golden-colored waters.
TRANSFORMATION
The second watch, half engraved and half enameled, represents the gradual transformation of the carp into a dragon. While it retains some carp elements, such as fins and tail, other dragon traits begin to manifest. You can see claws starting to replace fins, and the head acquiring fierce dragon features, with exposed teeth and sharp whiskers. The sinuous body of the carp/dragon is entirely hand-engraved by Engelbarts from pure silver. To represent the metamorphosis of the fish into a dragon, Engelbarts invited enamel expert Gael Colon to adorn the background landscape. A French artist who worked at Lalique and Roger Dubuis, Colon honed his enameling and miniature glass painting skills. The colorful enamel background with foamy green and blue waters and a more ominous ochre sky symbolizes the transformation of the harmless carp into a formidable dragon.
DRAGON
Perseverance pays off, and the transformation of the carp into an immortal dragon is complete. For these third and final watches in the trilogy, Engelbarts unleashed Colon's craftsmanship in depicting the dragon. Like the famous blue and white porcelain from China, Colon chose a deep blue ceramic base for the background and painted the dragon by hand in white. The effect creates an almost ghostly dragon, frozen in time against the cosmic blue dial.
BOX
Engelbarts' unique trilogy is presented, as you might have guessed, in a unique box made by Carré d’Ébène, a French company specializing in luxury showcases and jewelry boxes. The box was then lacquered with landscapes inspired by the Dragon Gate legend, done by Catherine Nicolas. Known for her outstanding lacquer work, it took her more than 140 hours to lacquer the box.
MOVEMENT
As mentioned, all three watches are equipped with the Peseux 330 new old stock movement from the 1960s, running at 18,000 vibrations per hour and having a 43-hour power reserve. In true Engelbarts style, the movement of each watch is adorned with hand engraving, complementing the dial design with chemically colored motifs in a psychedelic palette. The first watch features an Asian wave pattern, the second - dynamic waves and clouds, and the third is decorated with clouds.
Complementing the dynamic dials, each watch comes with a hand-stitched strap. The Carp model comes with a colorful Nile perch strap, the Transformation watch - with a green shark strap, and the Dragon - with a blue crocodile strap, all featuring a 925 Argentium clasp.
For more information, visit Kees Engelbarts' website. Photos by Guy Lucas de Peslouan Studio.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – KEES ENGELBARTS DRAGON GATE TRILOGY
Case: diameter 39.5 mm x height 10 mm - 925 Argentium (silver-germanium alloy) - sapphire glass front and back - 18-carat yellow gold crown
Dial: The Carp: silver and white gold with hand-engraved bas-relief, etching, chemical coloring, and Mokume Gane applied to the water
Transformation: carp/dragon in pure silver with hand engraving, painted enamel background
Dragon: hand-painted blue enamel with white dragon. The hands of all three watches are in Dauphine style made of white gold and silver, etched and treated with Mokume Gane.
Movement: Peseux 330 hand-wound 1960s - 18,000 vibrations per hour - 43-hour power reserve - hand engraving and chemical coloring by Engelbarts
Straps: hand-stitched Nile perch strap for Carp watch - hand-stitched green shark strap for Transformation watch - hand-stitched blue crocodile leather strap for Dragon watch - all with 925 Argentium clasp
Presentation: unique trilogy presented in a hand-lacquered wooden box.
Price: upon request, approximately around $250,000.