Hi OF, I'm trying to find some more information about the engraving on this caseback. The watch is circa 1940s. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks heaps Andre
Really not much to go on, but here's a couple of sites to refer to. Any other info about the watch? Country, family name, etc? This shows an eagle displayed, wings expanded/elevated. Usually with the heraldic crests, it's the colour in the detail that allow you to pinpoint the family or origin. (The head, wings, claws, beak, tongue, background will be specifically coloured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_(heraldry) https://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/Jpglosse.htm http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Category:Eagles https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eagles_in_heraldry
Looks like the Besançon eagle. It was used by Lip (which were located at Besançon, France) as a symbol, in particular in their gold watches.
It is pseuo armorial eagle. It almost looks germanic. Hand engraved and well executed. I see this alot on silver.
To me, it really looks like the Besançon "armoiries". See for instance the symbol of the Besançon University. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Armoiries_de_Besançon_005.JPG?uselang=fr Not necessary a Lip of course - there were many brands at Besançon. But the OP's watch may not have anything to do with Besançon! Hard to tell only from the engraving. Dre, could your tell us more about the watch this engraving belongs to? Pics of the dial and the movement would be nice!
Looks like a griffin (gryphon) to me. Half lion, half eagle. A mythological creature from Egypt and Greece.
Unfortunately neither the dial or the movement are much of a help because it has been repainted, the movement is made by Universal. And based on the serial on the caseback, the watch is dated back to 1938. It is very likely however that this watch was marketed to the French market, just like most Jaeger chronographs from the period. So it must be somehow connected to Besançon.
Doesn't look like Lip to me at least. Sorry for thread drift but this great forum crest needs recognition...although I detect a definite Commonwealth bias and am missing a bit of a squirrel somewhere.
YIKES Give us a warning next time, it cannot be unseen once seen Love the movement and case especially for a 1938 example. Blued hands?
Back to the Crest...This is Germanic or Central European ... Not sure it has anything to do with the manufacture.
Jaeger, France, was a manufacture based in Epernay (Champagne!) and not Besançon. Although we are still in France-German culture, it is not Besançon then. Jeager produced watches from the mid 19th c, and continued to produce watches after the association with Lecoultre in 1937. As far as I know, these watches can be found in particular in France and may have been produced for the French market. So this watch could be a Jeager produced by "Jaeger instrumenation" just after the association with Lecoultre. I do not know anything concerning the link with the eagle...
I forgot to add: German-France culture because the founder of Jeager, Edmond Jaeger, was from Alsace.