Journal

At Engravers Guild of London, we’re continually adding new product categories to meet our ambition of being the pre-eminent destination for quality personalised gifts in the UK.

In a step in that direction, we are delighted to include Personalised Nurses Watches in our offer.

All of our nurses fob watches deliver beautiful product, exquisite presentation and expert personalisation.

Ranging from classic stainless steel models to diamante set designs, the collection has been put together for graduating nurses to experienced beauticians and everything between.

The Ravel, Henley and Censi options all boast precision Quartz movements for keeping time under trying circumstances, whether in A&E or a busy salon.

A favourite in the collection is the White Ceramic Henley Nurses Watch with diamante stones all set within the rose gold case.

This, and all other nurses watches, are finished with the finest diamond engraving using the latest technology to ensure a deep and lasting impression.

The Engravers Guild gift experience is completed with a luxury gift box, and signature outer packaging.

To mark the launch of our first collection of timepieces, we have assembled our favourite quotes about time:

6. Better three hours too soon, than one minute too late. (William Shakespeare)

5. Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week. (Charles Richards)

4. You’re writing the story of your life one moment at a time. (Doc Childre & Howard Martin)

3. Never let yesterday use up today. (Richard Nelson)

2. The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something. (Carl Sandburg)

1. Money, I can only gain or lose. But time I can only lose. So, I must spend it carefully. (Anonymous)

We hope that some of the new nurses fob watches help our recipients to heed to wise words above. Best wishes to all who wear them.

At Engravers Guild of London, we always like to keep an eye on our city’s famous auction houses. We look not so much to buy, but to learn about the stories behind the items and understand where the value lies.

So often we find that the real value of an item is not in the material worth of its parts, but imbued in the relfection of a previous owner which has made an indelible impression on the piece.

No example could be better of this phenomenon than that of the forthcoming auction for artefacts belonging to the legendary actress and two time Oscar winner, Vivien Leigh.

A number of personal possessions from the ‘Gone With The Wind’ star are going under the hammer at Sotheby’s, with collectors round the world keen to own a piece from a former queen of the silver screen.

Paintings, furniture, couture clothing and other personal items are attracting international attention, which are expecting to attract bids ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds.

However, the prized item of the collection is noted not so much for the piece itself, but for the personal message inscribed on the piece…

Vivien Leigh is, in part, famed for her part in one of Tinsel Town’s great romances. She and Sir Laurence Olivier met in 1935, marrying in 1940 and lasting together for over 20 years.

On their first Christmas, the leading man gifted his betrothed a gold timepiece. On the back was engraved simply: “Vivien / Laurence / Only darling / Xmas 1940”.

Expected to fetch £1,200, it is not the close to being the most expensive piece of the collection, but it is the one that inspires the imagination most and has generated more headlines than any other.

A piece of Hollywood history in the truest sense, it was a keepsake that was forever treasured by Vivien Leigh, even after the marriage broke up and she continued to wear it.

We here at Engravers Guild will be following with interest to see who snaps up this priceless heirloom.

In the meantime, though, we’ll be continuing to help mark special times in other families’ histories. If it is a timepiece you would like, then our custom engraved pocket watches make for a perfect memento, as to our sterling silver bespoke cufflinks for something to wear more every day.

Earlier this year we wrote about one of the world’s finest micro engravers, and how he had customised five new £5 notes.

Graham Short, the engraver who works with the point of a pin to create miniature designs, engraved a series of Jane Austen quotes and her portrait on the notes.

He spent four of the notes in the four countries of the United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – and so let them into general circulation for lucky spenders to discover.

His work is so well regarded that each of the £5 notes is estimated to be worth up to £50,000.

As such, the country was sent in to a frenzy, all looking for the modern day Willy Wonka golden ticket.

Three of the notes have been found and claimed. One lucky person received a fiver in a Christmas card, making it an extra special festive season that year with the unexpected engraved gift.

Meanwhile, another was donated to charity by a generous pensioner, and the third was given to the Jane Austen centre in Bath to be put on display.

The final note that is still in circulation was spent in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and people up and down the country are on the look-out in the hope of bagging a small fortune.

The serial code on the note will start with AM32, and the number be between 885551 and 885554.

With the commemorative £5 notes being such hot property, there has been high anticipation if the micro engraver will do something similar to mark the launch of the new £10 notes.

While he is maintaining that there will be no special tenners going in to circulation from his workshop, some people are still examining their new notes in case of finding a secret engraving.

While at Engravers Guild we don’t offer micro engraving, we are proud to offer some of the best engraved silver cufflinks and personalised hip flasks.

Should you be looking for engraving you can actually see this coming Christmas, then do make sure to browse our online shop.

Here at Engravers Guild of London, we’re delighted to announce the launch of our latest collection – personalised pocket watches.

As they are special gifts engraved to mark a special moment in time, we thought it appropriate to celebrate the new selection of timepieces with a run down of the best quotes which recognise the need to value precious moments:

10. “Life is all about having a good time” (Miley Cyrus)

9. “All we have to decide is what we do with the time that is given to us” (Gandalf)

8. “Time is precious. Waste it wisely” (anonymous)

7. “The best gift you can ever give someone is your time, because you’re giving something that you’ll never get back” (anonymous)

6. “Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters” (anonymous)

5. “Three things you cannot recover in life: the WORD after it is said, the MOMENT after it is missed, and the TIME after it is gone” (anonymous)

4. “There’s only one thing more precious than our time, and that’s who we choose to spend it on” (Leo Christopher)

3. “Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters” (anonymous

2. “Time is not measured by clocks, but by moments” (anonymous)

1. “Time flies. But memories last forever” (anonymous)

To mark those special times with a special gift, there are a selection of timepieces to choose.

You cannot go wrong with our Classic Silver Pocket Watch from Ravel, with white face and simple Arabic numerals. One of the best-selling pocket watches in the country, it is the default choice for anyone wishing to give an engraved gift which they hope will always hit the mark.

Alongside this model, there are also some simple options from Alpine in both a silver and gold finish, which speak of a timeless quality in their style.

Should, though, the giver be a little more adventurous, then we are proud to boast of a comprehensive selection of mechanical, date and moonphase pocket watches, which complement our engraved cufflinks.

At Engravers Guild of London, we are proud to be British. We like to celebrate those things that set us apart from the rest of the world and – we like to think – give us that edge of distinction.

In this blog we have covered Wimbledon, the Proms, James Bond, Lord’s cricket, the Queen, Prime Minister, and many more quintessentially English things besides.

So we are particularly pleased to announce our next collection of personalised gifts… something that unquestionably hails from this small isle of ours – Marmite.

The strong smelling, sticky black substance inspires as many haters as lovers. But whether or not you are partial to the famous foodstuff, you cannot deny its iconic place in our nation’s culinary offer.

So what better way to pay homage to a national treasure, than to create a range of sterling silver engraved lids for every size of Marmite jar, including 70g, 125g, 250g and 500g.

Each personalised Marmite lid is made in England using the finest 925 sterling silver, and worked by the finest silversmiths, LJ Millington.

LJ Millington is a family company that has been involved in Birmingham’s silver industry for over 50 years, making exquisite pieces for some of the most prestigious fashion houses in the country.

The silver Marmite jar lids are created using a traditional process of “metal spinning”, which is moving silver discs over metal formers to produce hollow shapes.

Each lid is then polished by hand, and finished with expert engraving using a diamond tipped machine cutter to create a lasting impression.

So if you are looking for a showpiece for the kitchen and dining room tables, then the silver Marmite lids make for an ideal gift for the person who has everything.

However, if it is something a little more standard you are in search for, there is always our engraved silver cufflinks collection and personalised pewter hip flasks from the English Pewter Company in Sheffield.

Wimbledon may now be over, but that does not mean we cannot reflect on the occasion and call out some of the stars of the tournament.

As ever at Engravers Guild, it is not just the stars in the limelight that we like to credit, but also the unsung heroes behind the scenes.

And there is no one we like to pay homage to more than the person who etches memories in metal – the engraver.

Like all notable competitions, Wimbledon culminates in the presentation of an engraved trophy. But, perhaps unlike other championships, there are very special measures made at SW19 to ensure the engraving is just right.

The man responsible at Wimbledon for engraving the trophy has been Roman Zoltowski.

Since 1979 he has been inscribing the victor in history, and he has been going to very great lengths to do so.

Mr Zoltowski is not your local key cutter. He lives 850 miles away from the hallowed turf in South London, hailing from near Poznan, Poland.

Every year, at the mid point of Wimbledon, he sets off from his home in his 52 year old MG convertible. Unable to fly with his tools for fear of them being considered hazardous, he makes the 18 hour journey over two days.

Once at the tournament, he sits in a special room underneath Centre Court, busily engraving the names on each trophy before they are presented on the final weekend.

Each trophy takes about 18 minutes to engrave. With the 48 trophies, that comes to 14.5 hours of work. By way of comparison, Petra Kvitova (the 2013 ladies Champion) spent a total of nine hours, 24 minutes on court during her seven Wimbledon matches.

Roman, however, has now put away his engraving tools for good, and the mantle of Wimbledon Engraver has passed to another.

But his story will live on as part of the heritage of the world’s most famous tennis tournament.

We hope he has some special souvenirs from his time there. If not, we would be happy to give him a pair of personalised Clewley sterling silver cufflinks from our own store.

As part of our Wimbledon season on all things personalised, we couldn’t help but notice an engraved necklace that came up on our screens.

From the hallowed turf of Centre Court, Kim Clijsters (Belgian tennis player and former Ladies Number 1) was giving commentary wearing a gold name bar necklace.

Although unclear from the image above, the necklace was notably engraved with a special message – but it was difficult on screen to read the inscription.

Perhaps it was personalised with the date she won her own Wimbledon Doubles title in 2003, being the perfect memento of a truly remarkable triumph.

Whatever it is, it is the personal and unique nature of what is engraved that makes it special.

Indeed, Kim seems to be following the latest trend of name bar necklaces.

A favourite accessory of Kendal Jenner and Hailey Baldwin, the pendant is being used for discreet touches and also bold statements.

Earlier this year, Bella Hadid was spotted wearing a name bar necklace with the word ‘Abel’ engraved.

It was thought to be a nod to the given name of her boyfriend from the Weekend. However, when rumours surfaced of a split, the necklace was replaced by one with simply read ‘Bella’ – confirmation to the media that the break-up is true, but she’s doing just fine.

At Engravers Guild of London, we’re delighted to soon be launching a new line of personalised jewellery, complete with name bar necklace.

Whether you want to give an engraved necklace for a discreet and personal touch, or whether you want to make a bold statement, do visit our store and we’ll be happy to help.

The strawberries are picked, the Pimm’s is poured and the sun is even (occasionally) out… which can only mean one thing – Wimbledon.

Engravers Guild’s favourite sporting event of the year, the Championships is often a feast of all things personalised and engraved.

Close on the heels of Andy Murray in the stakes to be our favourite tennis player, Roger Federer is a showcase of executing a personalised style, the men’s and women’s trophies are exquisite examples of fine engraving, and the tournament in SW19 epitomises London at its very best.

As such, over the coming week, we’ll be delighting and revelling in all that Wimbledon has to offer, and publishing a series of posts about the home of the Lawn Tennis Association.

And so, to kick us off, we thought we would turn to the most obvious example of engraving excellence – the Ladies’ Trophy.

Called the Venus Rosewater Dish, the plate is a ceremonial platter or basin used after eating to catch rosewater poured from warm or cold ewers over the hands to wash them, which was a daily ceremony in England in the 1600s.

The origins of this particular piece are to be found in France where, around 1585, the French engraver François Briot designed a rosewater dish that has since become known as the Temperantia dish or basin.

These became the most fashionable items for wealthy households to display at the time, and a number of studios across Europe specialised in replicating similar items.

Among the most accomplished of those developing their own versions was the German, Caspar Enderlein, and his work was exhibited at the Louvre.

From this, a copy was made in 1849 by Emil Braun, a German archaeologist, and he sold this plaster model to Elkington and Company in Birmingham.

Twelve years later, in 1864, another electrotype copy was manufactured, which went on to become the famous Venus Rosewater Dish.

The history shows that it is not necessarily the uniqueness of the item that always holds the value. Just as the Wimbledon trophy is heavily based – or even copied – from other designs, it is the history and the engraving which makes all the difference.

At Engravers Guild, we follow the same sentiment. Many of our personalised gifts – whether they are engraved cufflinks or personalised hip flasks, custom necklaces or bespoke Christening gifts – are inspired by favourite designs, which leave the engraving to be the real hero.

Last week we wrote about the purchase of Jackie Kennedy’s vintage Cartier engraved watch at a New York auction by an anonymous bidder.

This week, we can reveal who the anonymous bidder was of the personalised gift – none other than reality TV’s favourite personality, Kim Kardashian.

The classic wristwatch is a departure from Kim K’s more extravagant fashion sensibility, bearing no diamonds, embellishments or other precious stones.

Since being robbed in Paris last year, the social media star has pledged to be more subtle in her attire, and so perhaps this latest addition to her wardrobe fits in with her new sartorial intentions.

Alternatively, some outlets have suggested the purchase hints at future ambitions for the Kardashian-Wests.

Kanye West has never shied from speculation that he may run for the US Presidency one day, and Kim may be taking notes from the legendary former First Lady on her time in the White House.

However, here at Engravers Guild of London we feel that it was the allure of the personalised gift in itself that really prompted the purchase.

Kim Kardashian and her husband have been known before to appreciate the value of a customised present.

When Kanye scored a big deal with Adidas last year, he told his wife he had a little something for her from the famous sportswear brand.

Instead of a pair of trainers or new t shirt, Kanye had a $4 million 20 carat diamond ring engraved with the word ‘Adidas’ on the inside of the platinum band.

Describing the exchange later in an interview, Kim explained that Kanye did it, “cuz he’s funny like that”.

While Engravers Guild of London does not stock $4 million diamond rings, we do offer a range of gifts which can all be personalised with special sentiments and messages.

Seeing orders come through, we note that some engravings are unique, some witty, and some simply with initials or name. Whatever the inscription is, it’s the personal nature of the message that counts between two people.

Do feel free to browse our selection of personalised silver cufflinks and engraved hip flasks and preview your own personal – and special – engraving.

Followers of this blog will be certainly familiar with our regular homages to the potency of an engraving. When an item is personalised, it takes on a new value that is greater than the worth of the item itself and becomes something with so much more meaning.

And so our ears pricked upon hearing that a watch belonging to the former First Lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy, was going up for auction.

The 18 carat gold Cartier wristwatch was given to Jackie Kennedy by her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radziwill to mark their completion of a “50-Mile Hike”.

Their walk was part of a public health initiative of her husband’s to get Americans more active as he feared the country was going ‘soft’.

The engraving states “Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 AM to 9:35 PM”, which refers to their start and stop times in 1963, when they walked on Palm Beach.

From that moment, the watch became a favourite piece of one of the world’s most photographed women, and can be seen in many pictures of her at the time.

Going up for sale at Christie’s this week, the New York auction house estimated a selling price of between $60,000 and $120,000. Originally bought for a few hundred dollars, and similar second hand versions now being picked up for a few thousand dollars, the auctioneers put a premium on the value of the story associated with the engraving.

However, even experienced hands like Christie’s still managed to under appreciate how valuable an engraving can really be.

The winning bid for the item was three times more than the highest forecast estimate, with the engraved gift going for $379,500 after “three minutes of spirited bidding”.

Described as a watch “full of emotion, love and history”, it was secured by an anonymous bidder, with a portion of the funds promised to charity.

While Engravers Guild of London does not sell vintage time pieces owned by former historical figures, we are proud to give people the chance to create vintage gifts for future historical figures.

If you know a future Prime Minister or President, do think about a pair of personalised silver cufflinks or engraved hip flask. And if it’s a future female leader you know, do not forget our personalised necklaces collection.