Eska Cloisonné Enamel Dial, 18k Yellow Gold, Persian Courtship Scene, Circa 1955

Among the more elusive decorative wristwatches of the post-war period, Eska cloisonné enamel examples occupy a distinctive niche. Produced in very small numbers and today encountered only sporadically on the market, they have attracted increasing collector attention not only for their visual charm, but also for the scholarship that now links many of these dials to the celebrated Geneva dial-maker Stern Frères, whose enamel output for select clients remains one of the great chapters in 20th-century watch decoration. Christie’s has described Eska cloisonné watches as “extremely rare” and “scarcely produced,” citing the painstaking technique, high failure rate, and long production time required for such dials.

The present watch, housed in a 35 mm circular 18k gold case with water-resistant screw-down back, is distinguished by a hand-crafted cloisonné enamel dial depicting a traditional Persianate courtship scene: two figures in a stylized floral setting, rendered with the lyrical flatness and ornamental clarity associated with Persian and Indo-Persian miniature traditions. The result is not merely decorative, but atmospheric — a dial that reads as a miniature work of art rather than a simple embellishment. The gilt chapter ring, applied diamond-shaped and dot markers, and centre seconds frame the enamel scene with notable restraint, allowing the richness of the composition to remain central. 

What strengthens the watch further is its place within a documented Eska enamel tradition. Scholarship from Christie’s and Antiquorum has shown that rare Eska cloisonné dials were tied to Stern Frères archive numbering, and in some cases even to named enamel artists such as Marguerite Koch. These records confirm that Eska’s enamel watches were not casual novelties, but products of highly specialized workshop practice. While the present dial is best described by its subject rather than by a securely identified artist’s name, its numbered underside, signed case and movement, and coherent period construction place it firmly within that rare and now increasingly studied body of Eska production.

Powering the watch is the Eska calibre 1361 automatic movement, copper-finished and fitted with 17 jewels. More broadly, the appeal of the present example lies in the unusual convergence it offers: a wearable mid-century gold wristwatch, a highly individual enamel dial, and entry into a category of collecting where horology and decorative arts meet. Scarce enamel-dial Eskas do not appear with any regularity, and when they do, it is increasingly the strength of the dial subject, preservation, and documentary coherence that determine desirability. In that respect, this watch is especially persuasive: elegant in format, uncommon in subject, and memorable in a way few conventional dress watches can match.

Provenance: Gibbs Family Collection, Philadelphia, PA.

Brand: Eska

Year: Circa 1955

Case Material: 18k yellow gold

Case Diameter: 35 mm

Dial: Hand-crafted cloisonné enamel, Persian courtship scene

Movement: Eska calibre 1361, automatic, 17 jewels

Functions: Hours, minutes, centre seconds

Caseback: Water-resistant screw-down back