2010 National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc. Reproduction prohibited without written permission.

Terms of Art: oeil

de perdrix
*

by Louis S. Flocco (PA)

*Partridge Eye

of decoration used on pottery. The two discrete horological meanings of the phrase both hint to the visual characteristics of the partridges eye. For watches, oeil de perdrix describes a surface decoration on plates and bridges, or it denotes an embellishment of jewel settings or of screw holes.

Defined as a Surface Decoration

According to Caroline Sermier and Giulio Papi, oeil de perdrix defined as a surface decoration refers to perlage: the spotting, dotting, or stippling widely used on bridges, bars, plates, recesses, and dials. It is made up of extremely close or even overlapping concentric circles.2 Ms. Sermier expounds: Quality perlage is regularly spaced perlage. This kind of decoration is difficult to obtain and requires both know-how and a great control of the tools.3 Sermier broadly defines perlage as a category of decorations including perlage (stippling); pointillage (spotting); grentis (beading), or; oeil de perdrix.4, 5 As a surface decoration, oeil de perdrix may quite simply be called perlage. If there is a distinction between oeil de perdix and perlage, it may perhaps be better illustrated in the field of ancient pottery.

Oeil de perdrix

n Antiquorum auction catalog (above) described a Rolex Caliber 3135 as being rhodium-plated with an oeil-de-perdrix [uh-yuh deuh pehr-DREE] decoration.1 There have also been commentaries on wristwatches that use the phrase oeil de perdrix. What is loeil de perdrix? In order to understand the meaning of the term we need to begin with the concept of terms of art. There are certain seemingly simple words that in some fields of study embody complex concepts, definitions, or explanations. These words are a shorthand that facilitates rapid communication of concepts to those in-the-know. This is called jargon, and a more technical name for jargon is terms of art. In most circumstances, terms of art have no meaning or very different meanings outside of a particular discipline. When the discipline is horology, the terms of art are often complicated by words, phrases, and expressions in foreign languages most often French. Loeil de perdrix is such a term and to complicate things, the phrase is used in two discrete contexts in watchmaking. Loeil de perdrix literally translates into English as the partridge eye. Obviously, the phrase literally describes the eye of a specific species of bird, usually with a pinkish hue surrounded by a circle of feathers called an eye-ring (See the Oeil-de-Perdrix wine label at right, which represents a very pale ros wine). Remarkably, even as a term of art, the indication is also the same in both languages. The reason for this stems from the fact that the term refers to a medieval style

Figure 1.

An Illustration from Medieval Pottery

The pottery artifacts of the fifth to the eighth centuries are characterized by shards of hand-worked earthenware of a coarse clay, poorly fired and interspersed with quartz grains varying in color from gray to bright red; they are decorated on the exterior with the imprint of two or more close bands obtained by poking the end of a tube into the soft claythis is what is called the partridgeeye.6 The decoration consists of a more or less symmetrical arrangement of small rounds, generally less than one centimeter in diameter with a central point, which are imprinted before firing, with a reed, hollow bone, or a punch. When the small rounds are arbitrarily grouped, the variation is called la tte de mort (deaths head or skull).7 In certain regions these decorations take on human features. There is also another variation where two rounds are accompanied by a
Figure 2. Domaine Grisoni vintners wine label.

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JOSEPH PARRIS IV.

Rolex
Describing surface finishing can be controversial, as few can agree on descriptions due to a general lack of knowledge.25 There is a misconception that Rolex movements are not finely decorated. Contrary to the popular belief, Rolex movements are decorated. Lets look at the 3135, used in Rolex watches including the DateJust and Submariner since 1988. One technical reviewer commented: ...some types of finishes are more attractive than others. Also, some [decorations] give the appearance of a better finish, when in reality its just a finer decoration finished to the same degree. For example, fine perlage versus heavy stripes.26 Collectors seem to prefer heavy stripes to their decorations. As a result, many overlook the various nuances of the decorations on the Caliber 3135. As the photos of the main plate and dial side demonstrate, both are finished in perlage with blued screws on the dial side. This perlage is, in fact, the rhodium plated oeil de perdrix finish described in the Antiquorum 3135 main plateauction descriptions.27 The bridge train, dial side. side photo further demonstrates the polished countersinks around the jewels and screw holes. This is a distinctive style indicative of fine finishing, also known as oeil de perdrix.28 The oscillating mass and its bridge are decorated in the subtle colimaonne paper (spiraled with abrasive paper).29 The biseau (bevels) and retranches (under cuts) of the main bridges are finished in colimaonne diamante (spiraled with a diamond tipped tool). Independent watchmaker Franck Muller said of the Rolex movements: But have you ever looked at a Rolex movement? These are incredibly high end movements. They are high end in the manner they are made, in the way they are decorated in the way that they are designed, and they are in-house. I look at Rolex objectively I would say they are incredible because you have tremendous value.30

Figure 3.

vertical feature appearing as the beak of a bird and called loeil de chouette (the owls eye). See Figure 3. If a distinction exists, it seems to be that perlage uses overlapping concentric circles, whereas oeil de perdrix uses perhaps a less regular arrangement of the swirls. In twentyfirst-century horology the distinction is, however, lost. As noted, in the context of a surface decoration, the phrase finds application in the descriptions of some watch movements in Antiquorum auction catalogs.8 The term is used in the catalogs frequently, but not exclusively, with reference to the Rolex 3135 movement (See Rolex sidebar at right). In an ostensibly similar fashion the term is found in An Adventure in Vintage Rolex: My 1984 Rolex Datejust 16013.9 In that online review we find the comment: Note the rhodium plated oeil de perdrix decoration visible in the second photovery distinctive. These several bald references to a rhodium plated oeil-de-perdrix decoration are confusing for three reasons. First, neither the cataloger Figure 4. Rolex move- nor the reviewer defines the decoment without rotor. ration. Second, neither the cataloger nor the reviewer specify what part of the movement (e.g., main plate, cadrature, automatic winding block bridge, or oscillating mass) are finished in the oeil de perdrix decoration. Finally, despite the application of a perlage finish on the main plate and cadrature of the Rolex 3135, and notwithstanding the comment by Sermier that good perlage is hard to achieve, such a decoration is notvery distinctive.10 Indeed, setting aside the issue of the quality of execution, perlage is quite ubiquitous.

3135 Main platetrain, wheel side.

Defined as a Manner of Beveling Bore Holes

As we have seen, as a movement decoration, the term oeil de perdrix is a perhaps haughty synonym for perlage.

Oeil de perdrix

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However, the term is also discreetly used in watchmaking to describe a manner of beveling for bored holes. Berner gives it a definition of a concave hollow or convex chamfer on a screwhead; a molding; a countersink. And a countersink is a chamfer around the edge of a hole.11 Sermier wrote extensively12 on the techniques for finishing the edges of bored holes. She distinguished between the finishing of screw holes and jewel holes: The countersink: designates an area milled into a bridge or plate. Intended to receive a screw, pinion, or stud, depending upon the surface quality desired, it may be hand polished.13 The chamfer: also known as a sink, countersink, or jewel molding: this is a deep concave bevel around a jewel which is generally polished in order to set off and accentuate the jewel. Beyond its considerable aesthetic value, the polished surface prevents oil from migrating or being spread out.14 These countersinks and chamfers can be polished with a diamond cutting tool to a mirror black high polish finish. See Blancpain sidebar at right. a) Oeil de perdrix jewel settings Of jewel settings the phrase is used in Intense Simplicity, an essay by Jeff Kingston, in Blancpains connoisseurs magazine: Blancpain remained entirely devoted to modern precision but captured the aesthetics of a century ago by mating double chamfering with the historic finishing look known as oeil de perdrix (partridge eye) for the setting of the jewels.15 With due deference, reading Kingston in a vacuum can be somewhat confusing especially if his comment is the reader's first encounter with the term, because it is unclear whether oeil de perdrix is (i) a double chamfering; (ii) an historic finishing for the setting of the jewels; or (iii) as is the case for Blancpain, a special hand finishing using both embellishments. Notwithstanding, Kingston yields a working definition: some variation in the setting of the jewels is known as oeil de perdrix.16

Blancpain
The Blancpain Caliber 13RO illustrates the oeil de perdrix as both surface finish and jewel setting. In October 2006 Blanc-pain introduced this manufacture movement. The movement embodies a blend of avant-garde concepts and a respect for tradition. The 13RO is adorned with extremely refined finishing details and decorative features. In their recently renovated and expanded Le Blancpain Caliber 13RO Brassus workshops, the artisans of the Manufacture keep no track of the patient hours and meticulous effort expended upon decorating each part in the spirit of Haute Horlogerie. This hand craftsmanship makes each movement an authentic work of art in its own right. The bridges feature elegant cutouts as well as beveling that is more pronounced than usual; they are adorned with a Ctes de Genve motif. All the steel parts are hand-beveled and drawn out with file strokes. The plates are stippled, whereas the wheels are circular grained and beveled. The ratchet and the transmission wheel boss are decorated with a sunray pattern. Ones gaze is immediately caught and held by the large jewels delicately rimmed in gold. Blancpain decided not to use chatons settings for the jewels. Their use was once justified in an era when hole drilling and jewel production techniques were insufficiently precise to ensure perfect assembly. However, technical progress now makes it possible to drive the jewels directly into the bridges and plates to within infinitely small tolerances. To maintain the visual magic of the jewels sparkling among the gold, Blancpain has revived the time honored molding or oeil de perdrix technique. The recess around the hole destined to hold the jewel is meticulously mirror-polished and then gilded; the double chamfer adds an original and exclusive touch.31

Figure 5. Detail of Blancpain Caliber 13R0 jewel settings.

Caliber 13RO Calendar Wheel.

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b) Oeil de perdrix screw holes Of screw holes, Walt Odets wrote in: How to Judge The Finish of a Watch Movement: ...the bridges on the best movements have extremely smooth surfaces, beveled edges (anglage), recessed screws with polished surfaces on the recesses (this called moulding or oeil de perdrix).17 And in his essay, The Wheel Train, he writes: The bridge screws are also nicely recessed...and the recesses or moulding (also oeil de perdrix in French, or partridge eye) are extremely well polished.18 Odets is clear: Polished surfaces on the recesses of bored holes are called molding or oeil de perdrix. Odets uses the British spelling variation, one surmises to provide a spelling closer to the original French. Oeil de perdrix is a molding. The French word for molding, moulure, an ornamental strip, is derived from the French verb mouler meaning to mold or to hug. This molding is a concave chamfer around the edge of a hole or, a countersink. When the beveled edge of the countersink is polished, this too is called oeil de perdrix.

2. C. Sermier and G. Papi, High-end Horological Finishing and Decorations (LeLocle, Switzerland: Audemars Piguet (Renaud & Papi) S.A., 2006): pp. 100101, 132. 3. C. Sermier, Une enterprise se prsente: Audemars Piguet (Renaud & Papi) S.A., Bulletin SSC, No 48 (April 2005): p. 4. See also C. Sermier, 20. Beveling and finishes in top-of-the-range watch making (X): Stippling, etc. Paroles dExperts, http://www.watcheslexic.ch/pages/eng/tec/ fs_exp20.htm. Un perlage de qualit est un perlage rgulier. Ce genre de dcoration est difficile obtenir et demande un savoir faire et une grande matrise des outils. 4. C. Sermier and G. Papi, High-end Horological Finishing and Decorations, Audemars Piguet, p. 100. 5. Berner distinguishes among the decorations of perlage (stippling); grenage (graining) and colimaonnage (snailing). G. A. Berner, Dictionnaire professionnelle illustr de lhorlogerie (Bienne, Switzerland: Socit du journal la Suisse horlogre, 1995): pp. 232/3; 320/1; 544/5 and; 836/7. 6. L. Davy, Etudes sur les scories de forges anciennes (Studies of the slag of old forging mills), Bulletin de lIndustrie minrale Paris: Socite de lIndustrie minrale (April 1913): p. 17. See also, A. Angot, La poterie l'il de perdrix (1914): pp. 342-359. 7. The death head did not acquire sinister overtones until in the fifteenth and twentieth centuries when used for military uniforms, e.g., the Schutzstaffe. In the eighteenth century it symbolized pirates. In the Middle Ages skulls were reminders of mortality and were a symbol of rebirth for early Christians. J. C. Cooper, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols (London: Thames & Hudson, 1987). 8. See note 1. 9. J. B. Holbrook II, An Adventure in Vintage Rolex: My 1984 Rolex Datejust 16013 (April 27, 2006). 10. Holbrook depicts a Caliber 3035. Nonetheless, this begs the question: Are the screw holes and/or the jewel holes on the current 3135 countersunk and polished? See Rolex sidebar. 11. Berner, Dictionnaire professionnelle. 12. Sermiers work appears in three slightly different versions: C. Sermier and G. Papi, High-end Horological Finishing and Decorations, Audemars Piguet; C. Sermier Anglage et finitions de l'horlogerie haut de gamme (VI), Paroles dExperts, http://www.watcheslexic.ch/pages/fr/tec/exp17.htm, and; Textes de Caroline Sermier sur linitiative de Giulo Papi, Finitions & dcorations horlogres haut de gamme, http://www.horlogerie-suisse.com/articles/papi/finitionspercage.html (November 2007). High-end Horological Finishing and Decorations was reviewed by F. Mueller-

Conclusion
Therefore, in horology oeil de perdrix can indicate perlage, a surface finish, and it can also denote a style for the highlighting of jewels or the embellishment of screws holes. In fact, an aesthetic requirement for the award of both the seal of Qualit Fluerier or the Poinon de Genve requires that screw heads must be polished, their slots and rims chamfered, and the countersinks polished;19, 20 the jewels must be olive machined with polished sinks.21, 22 However, we would be remiss, if before we leave you with this definition, we did not point out that this colorful and surprisingly complicated phrase is used in many other fields. In medicine it denotes a corn or callus on the foot. In masonry it denotes a pattern of bright red with white veins in marble.23 To the vintner it denotes a Pinot Noir ros wine.24 To the grandmother knitting it describes a pattern for the heels of socks, and in the silk trade it is a small circular tool used in the handling of silk fabrics. The allusion is always either to the concentric circles of the partridges eye-ring or the pale pink tint of its eyes.

Notes
1. Important Collectors Wristwatches, Pocket Watches & Clocks, December 5, 2007, Antiquorum, lots: 28, 60*, 61*, 65*, 67!, 69, 113, 164-166*, 171, 173, 176, 179, 230, 232-234, 265, 282*, 283*, 286!, 288!, 289!, 291*, 300, 301, 319, 332, 355, 357, 360, 367, 376, 386. N.B.: *Rolex; !Rolex caliber 3035/3035.

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Maerki [NAWCC Bulletin No. 371 (December 2007): p. 719], who as a multilinguist found the translation lacking. Therefore, a synthesis of the available materials and new translations were prepared by this author. 13. C. Sermier, 17. Anglage et finitions de lhorlogerie haut de gamme (VI): Creusures et chamfrein, http://www.watches-lexic.ch/pages/fr/tec/exp17.htm La creusure: Dsigne la partie fraise dans un pont ou une platine destine recevoir une vis, un pignon, un tenon. En fonction de ltat de surface dsire, elle pourra tre polie manuellement.; Compare High-end Horological Finishing and Decorations, pp. 42-43. Compare Berner p. 296. 14. C. Sermier, 17. Anglage et finitions de lhorlogerie haut de gamme (VI): Creusures et chamfrein, http://www.watches-lexic.ch/pages/fr/tec/exp17.htm La dcouverte [sic.]: Appele galement goutte, parabole ou moulure de pierre: Il sagit dun chanfrein profond de forme concave, gnralement polie, faite autour dune pierre pour la dgager et la mettre en valeur. En plus de son but esthtique non ngligeable, le polissage de la surface empche lhuile de remonter et de staler; Compare High-end Horological Finishing and Decorations, pp. 42-43. Compare Berner, p. 322. The proper term for chamfer is dcouverture, as dcouverte means discovered. 15. J. Kingston, Intense Simplicity, Lettres du Brassus, Blancpain, Las Brassus (No. 2, 2007): pp. 12-13. See also Blancpain sidebar. 16. This author read Kingstons work in September 2007, and when the Antiquorum catalog was read in November 2007 with the same term used in decidedly different contexts, this inquiry was sparked. 17. W. Odets, How to Judge the Finish of a Watch Movement, Timezone.com, undated. 18.W. Odets, The Wheel Train, Timezone.com, undated. 19. Art. 3 Exigences techniques, paragraph 1, Rglement sur le contrle facultatif des montres de Genve I, 1 25.08 (May 22, 2007). 20. Conditions doctroi, Qualit Fleurier, (Fluerier June 20, 2005) p. 17. 21. Art. 3 Empierrage, paragraph 2, Rglement sur le contrle facultati.

22. Conditions doctroi, Qualit Fleurier (Fluerier June 20, 2005) p. 9. 23. List of the Worlds Marbles, Through The Ages Magazine, National Association of Marble Dealers. 24. R. Herbst, R. and S. Herbst. The Wine Lover's Companion (Barrons Educational Services, 1995). See also, Oeil-de-perdrix, a painting by Dominique Grisoni used as a wine label for Domaine Grisoni vintners. 25. For a description of traditional movement decorations see the website of Monnier Galvanico, SA. 26. A Watchmaker (a pseudonym of an anonymous author, possibly Hans Zbinden), ETA 2824 - Another Little Engine that Could, chronometrie.com, undated. 27. See note 1. 28. See notes 9 and 10. 29. R. Bucher, Old School, New Rules, Watch Time (December 2003): p. 106. Sidebar, describes this as a sun-pattern which is a actually a different finish, the ctes des soleilles, often found on winding gears. Compare High-end Horological Finishing and Decorations, pp. 102-103. 30. N. T. Jaw and W. Koh, State of the Watchmaking World According to the Original Independent Watchmaker, Franck Muller, Horomundi (November 2006). 31. Creation of Blancpain Calibre 13RO, the Dawn of a New Era, a Blancpain press release.

Acknowledgments
The author acknowledges vintner Christian Jeaneret of Domaine Grisoni for the use of their wine label, a painting by Dominique Grisoni; Bernhard Stoeber and Rolex Watch USA for the use of the photos of the Caliber 3135, as well as additional technical information about the finishing of the caliber; Ned Kane and Blancpain for the use of the high-resolution photos of the Caliber 13RO; and Joseph Parris IV who prepared the line drawing of the pottery shard. Antiquorum also provided information about their auction descriptions.

About the Author

The author is a member of the Bar of PA, NJ, and NY, and is a director of NAWCC Chapter 1Philadelphia (2006-2010). He has previously written a fully annotated essay on Swiss hallmarks on watches (December 2005 BULLETIN). His interests include wristwatches and French horological terms. MMVIII Louis S. Flocco

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