Featured Belgian Pocket Watch Case and Glass Brooch

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by Barn Owl, Sep 29, 2018.

  1. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    Picked up these two at a flea market today. The woman running the stand said the case was silver, but it has some veridigris on it. It's pretty worn, but I liked the engraving enough to justify purchasing, even if it wasn't silver.

    It is engraved with the coat of arms and names of different cities. I can only make out Antverp, Haunaui, namur, Luxembourg, and a name that looks like Brabant. The lions are standing over a banner with letters that look like L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE

    On the side of the watch appear to be the letters LÉGA, possibly with a L at the end. The inside of the case has some illegible markings and the numbers 193478.

    The brooch looks like it has some art glass. I'm trying to figure out how old it is and where it came from. Any ideas?
    20180929_122022.jpg 20180929_122027.jpg 20180929_122050.jpg 20180929_122056.jpg 20180929_122115.jpg 20180929_122121.jpg 20180929_122135.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2018
  2. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    Brabant is in the Netherlands, I`m wondering if this watch is representing the Benelux Union countries as Luxembourg is not in Belgium.
     
  3. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    Thank you. I'm illiterate when it comes to geography, haha.
    I wish I could make out the remaining cities.
     
    Christmasjoy and i need help like this.
  4. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE means Unity Makes Strength, I wonder if Lega is Liege
     
  5. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    I don't think so. There isn't enough room between the L and the E for there to be a third letter, and the letters are in uppercase. Might be LECA.
     
    Christmasjoy and i need help like this.
  6. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    Liège ?
    @Any Jewelry should know, its in her neck of the woods and just a ferry journey from me.
     
  7. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    "l'union fait la force" and the remnants show the crest of Belgium. nonetheless earlier (15th to 17th c.) the three countries were known as the pays bas (low countries). if it was used as a rememberance of strength, then rather during WWI. since WWII the Dutch are called "five day heroes" by the Belgian.
     
    Barn Owl likes this.
  8. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    Sorry, I should have clarified: It isn't near one of the emblems. It's on the side of the watch case. It might be LEGAU, with or without additional letters after that.
     
  9. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    Assuming it does date to WWI, do you think I did all right for 12 euros?
     
  10. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    only thing to do is to open that we can have a glance at the work and call the one and only @af to have a look if it's Swiss or English. I'd go for the first, of course...;)
     
    Barn Owl likes this.
  11. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    It's empty, unfortunately. :( Just the case.
     
  12. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    then I doubt it was a good investment. you could still try and list it on the belgium oyboy and look wha's happening. where are you ?
     
    Barn Owl likes this.
  13. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

    Germany.
    I'll probably just hold onto it. I found a couple other pieces of jewelry today that will offset its cost, I figure.
     
  14. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    That would be Hainault. These are all Belgian provinces. Lega could be Légia, the name of a brook that flows into the river Meuse in the city of Liège. It was at one time thought the city was called after the brook, so Legia could be used for Liège. Liège is also the name of the province of which Liège is the capital.
    The central lion is the ancient Brabant lion, which became the symbol of the Belgian kings. It still is to this day.
    Brabant is split between the Netherlands and Belgium (my Brabant heart weeps over this:bigtears:), Luxembourg is split between Luxembourg and Belgium.
    The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were one country at one time, the way it was divided had to do with the politics of the time, not with the cultural identity.:(
    Always an issue in Belgium, unification. They are still together.

    I don't think this watch case has anything to do with WWI, but rather with the Belgian coherence, and Walloon dominance under the guise of 'unity'.
    The Walloons, the French-speaking Belgians, were dominant for a very long time. French was the official language, even though the majority of the population spoke Flemish (Dutch). The Flemish (including other Dutch-speaking Belgians), wanted equal rights, and many wanted independence. That is still the case.
    The independence movement became very strong ca 1870, and reached its peak just after WWI.
    All this time the Walloons were desperately trying to hold on to their power. The Flemish language was only given (relative) equal rights in 1932.

    The verdigris could be a result of the relatively low silver fineness.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2018
    Bronwen and i need help like this.
  15. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    then you can easily list it on ebaeee Deutschland, because many Belgians do list and look around there as well. the advantage of being the biggest online-market on the continent.:happy:
     
    Barn Owl likes this.
  16. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

  17. Barn Owl

    Barn Owl Well-Known Member

  18. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

  19. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    Christmasjoy and i need help like this.
  20. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

    Thank you! :happy:
     
    Christmasjoy likes this.
Draft saved Draft deleted
Similar Threads: Belgian Pocket
Forum Title Date
Jewelry Silver Pocket watch ID Aug 24, 2023
Jewelry Need help identifying pocket watches Aug 24, 2023
Jewelry MASSIVE Victorian gold find! Pocket watch chain! Aug 16, 2023
Jewelry Is this a rare pocket alarm clock? Apr 23, 2022
Jewelry ANTIQUE AMERICAN WALTHAM ?1890's Pocket watch Mar 6, 2022

Share This Page