Watchepedia offers an informal look at the entire spectrum of fine timepieces, watches and accessories.

I like belt Buckles. I like engraved objects, especially small objects like Watches, guns, rings, belt buckles and even cuff links.

Tiffany has always done a fine job with engraving silver and other precious metals. Purdey a well known gun manufacturer is also known for its beautifully engraved guns. Lantuch in Connecticut, a master engraver, has done some of the most intricate, engravings on guns and fine jewelry, I have ever seen.

There have always been engravers and every now and then you see the work a certain engraver, you have to pick it up and look at it.

What you see in the image above is not just an engraving. It is a patented buckle. It is made from the same material that Double Barrel Guns are made of and crafted by dedicated Gunsmiths. The patented buckle is the brilliant idea of Mr. Albert Mardaga the inventor, creator, artist or how ever you call him the concept is super, the look is perfect, the material and the decorations done are master works.

When the idea, the concept the medium and the man all come together, you get ART.

In his own words:

"I am  proud to tell you that the very first L'A. Mardaga belt on the market and sold via Bonhams London was purchased by the " Royal Armouries Museum " !

 I have been in the sporting gun business since 1974 and have always been fascinated by the technical and artistic prowess of those involved in this noble art. My thirty years of experience has taught me what it is that both amateurs and collectors in this field find most interesting. It is not just the actual firing of the guns; it is also the quality of the gunsmithing which can be as fine as watch and other clock making skills.

With the wearing of the L'A Mardaga belt buckle, the firearms enthusiast can now have a constant reminder of this art. The building of these belt buckles is carried on in the Belgian gun-making tradition and overseen by a Master Gunsmith at the famous Ecole d'Armurerie de Liege. The fine engraved work is also carried out by Belgian Master Engravers who have world reputations and who work for famous gun-makers such as Holland & Holland and Purdey's."

NEXT:

Each piece communicates a different message or feeling. These buckles are alive and attract more attention than any other buckle I have seen.

When I saw the work of Mardaga-Mosarm I was taken back by the style and detail. The patented invention is genius and a great idea.

It was the engravings that first caught my attention but when I took a good look at what I thought were shotguns, I found that they are in fact Belt Buckles that look like the break-action of a double barrel shotgun.

Double Barrel shotguns break at a hinge just at the point were you load the gun. There is a lever that is moved left or right to unlock the hinge to reload.

This mechanism or part of the gun was taken, redesigned, patented and hand decorated with the most beautiful engravings to make one of the most unique Belt Buckles I have ever seen.

I would love to have an engraved or decorated gun but I would rather have one of these belt buckles.

These buckles are just something I want. No reason to have one, I don't shoot shot guns and I have never been hunting, but I do have a thing for belt buckles.

They are just simple, unique and in my book, ART.

Go to his website and get the whole story.

Thanks for watching

URICH