A Texas Metal Engraver Uses A Swiss Army Maverick Watch as His Canvas

Intricate engraving has always fascinated me ever since I visited a history museum containing fancy armor and guns from hundreds of years ago. A perfectly normal firearm could be transformed into a work-of-art using chisels, a hammer, and nerves of steel. It is amazing that much of this artwork appeared on items with such destructive potential. A gun really does not need to have hundreds of hours worth of scrolls, flowers, and hunting scenes engraved on it in order to work. The same goes for other tools so engraved artwork was used to make them beautiful, rare, exclusive, and ungodly expensive.

This article won’t dig much deeper into engraving except to say that the process is applied to metal by craftsmen or craftswomen who are highly trained and very talented. Imagine drawing perfect shapes on paper. Now imagine you only got one chance to get it right and could not use an eraser. Then imagine that instead of a pencil, you would be using a very sharp chisel to etch into the side of an expensive item like a gun or watch. If that did not make you nervous then you might have the aptitude to be a metal engraver.

A few years ago, I started seeing photos and articles about applying traditional metal engraving techniques to the exteriors of modern wristwatches. This is not the same as engraving that might appear on the watch movement. The movement has long been a popular canvas for watchmakers to create fantastic beauty using scrolls, Geneve stripes, guilloche, pearling and other techniques to visually transform the surfaces (even if you might never see them). Instead, I am referring to applying a different type of engraving to the case and bracelet for extreme customization and personalization.

Custom engraved Swiss Army Maverick Automatic. Photo: eBay

I came across a good example of this when I saw a Victorinox Swiss Army watch that had fancy engraving applied to the watchband. Many of the previous watches that I had seen engraved were very high-end brands. The watches alone would have cost thousands of dollars before the engraver even made his first cut. It was a surprise for me to see a Swiss Army watch with this special treatment. No slight to Victorinox, but it is not a top-tier luxury brand that is usually used for engraving, but then again… there are no real rules for customizing watches. Anything goes really because it is your money. This watch is a Swiss made automatic, self-winder made by Victorinox Swiss Army. The model name is a Maverick Automatic.

The engraving style is what might most accurately be called Western gun engraving. Certain decorative motifs, patterns, and symbols have appeared on pistols from as far back as the Old West like the image of the gun at the beginning of the article. The name of the engraving artist is David Wade Harris, and he seems versatile and willing to tackle almost any item made of metal. You can see more of his mind-blowing creations on his Texas Gun Engraver website.

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, which the seller gave me permission to use. There is a variety of styles from geometric grids with dots to leafy patterns and scrolls. Mr. Harris was trained in this particular style by another well-known master engraver, and he promised his teacher that he would carry on the tradition to keep it alive, over 30 years ago.

Much of the engraving work is accomplished on small individual links. Metal engraving is often enhanced by darkening the metal in the etched area making it easier to see. Still, the engraving looks different in different lighting conditions. I think you would have to see the item in person to fully appreciate the work that went into it.

If you have interest in buying this particular watch, it is for sale on eBay as of the week of January 15, 2018. If this type of one-of-a-kind watch gets you excited, it could be yours by visiting the David Wade Harris engraved watch eBay auction. Good luck!