Manaia
Manaia
Manaia
Manaia
Manaia
Manaia
Manaia
Manaia

This is all packaged together in our new signature case.

Manaia

Archived
1875

The Manaia is a bird like creature that appears regularly in traditional and contemporary Maori wood carving. There are many variations to the design but they all tend to have the overly large beak with a small head. Nobody is exactly sure of where it originated or the original meaning behind it. It can be found on many old pre-European wood carvings.

Manaia are also frequently carved in pounamu (greenstone/jade) and can be seen also according to the artists interpretation..

There are some Maori that believe that The Manaia is a symbolic guardian angel which every person has, and is an unseen light surrounding each individual similar to the European aura. Its role as a guardian angel is to protect from untimely death by accident.

However each individual has an appointed time to pass from the mortal world into the spiritual and the Manaia helps with their passage into the spirit world and their journey to Cape Reinga where they finally sing farewell to their loved ones.

The design features two manaia facing in opposite directions above and below each other. They are supported by a tiki at the shoulder representing mans connection with the spiritual world around us.

Movement: 9015 Miyota with hacking seconds
Case diameter: 44mm excluding the crown
Case finish: Stainless Steel, PVD
Bezel: Hand engraved
Crown: Screw down crown.
Crystal: Sapphire (double domed), AR coating.
Dial and hands: Super Luminova C3
Pressure valve: functional pressure escape valve, protecting the watch against pressure differences that can occur below 300 meters of depth
Water-resistance: 500m/1650ft Water resistance
Strap: All new black PU rubber strap with logo, name and customized deployment buckle Plus Black leather strap
 
Movement:
Please note that this will be the first time we will use the new Miyota 9015 movement.
This movement is positioned between the well known ETA 2824 and more luxurious 2892 movements. We have returned to the Miyota company as we have great experiences with the 8215 movement.

Features:

  • Automatic winding and hand winding
  • 28.800 BPH
  • 24 Jewels
  • Hour, minute and sweeping second hands
  • Date function
  • Second stop mode (hacking function) when setting time
  • Shock absorber for balance staff
  • Running time of more than 42 hours when fully wound

Limited Edition: 25 pieces

Engraved Timepieces

Like all artistic endeavours, the subject matter is open to artistic interpretation by the artist creating the design. This was true of ancient cultures as it is today.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that today we have far more research material and a wider sphere of influence to call upon than the ancients did. But both share the same common theme that has been carried on for a millennia of artisans of all cultures, and that is to create objects of outstanding beauty that can have practical and/or spiritual meaning to the society they live in.

Hand engraving is a highly refined and skilled art that has changed little in the last few centuries. The artisan cuts lines in the metal using small, sharp, steel hand tools called 'gravers' that are forced along by hand or a slight hammering action. To do this the engraver must develop an affinity with the metal they are working on whether it be steel, copper, brass or precious metals like silver and gold.

Today's engravers have the benefit of better magnification like microscopes so the work can be incredibly fine. They also have better steel gravers as some of the metals to be engraved like stainless steel are extremely tough to cut through.

Andrew Biggs - Metal Engraver for Magrette

Andrew Biggs at work.

First the design is roughly drawn out with pencil and paper and increasingly refined until the final design is reached. After that it can be drawn straight to the metal or transferred by various means to the item to be engraved. The main lines are then cut into the surface.

For more high end and sophisticated work, the background is then relived which involves the cutting away of the background to below the surface level. The background is then textured in some way to make a contrast between the surface design and the background. This texturing is an integral part of the overall design of the engraving and has to be balanced in harmony with the overall design. Too much background dominates and too little will overcrowd the work.

Finally the shading, or detail cuts are made. These tend to be lighter than the main cuts and add shadows and contrast to the overall design. It is at this stage that the personality of the work shines through. Quite often the engraver will just make it up as they go along and it is only then that they get to see the real beauty of the metal and design that lies within the engraver's imagination.

Read about our engraver, Andrew Biggs.

See more in Engraved Timepieces

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