Custom made bull terier pendant of watch parts

This is Benek. Or, more precisely, his miniature likeness handmade by me from watch parts and then framed in a pocket watch case. Unique! This piece was made in one and only copy for individual order and will not be duplicated. This art pendant has quite an interesting story, because one day I was contacted by a client - a huge lover of bulterier dogs. She asked me to make for her a neck pendant commemorating all those bulteriers with whom she was united by fate, but have already passed away. Unfortunately, no matter how much we would like to keep our four-legged friends with us, dogs live much shorter lives than humans.

The client's wish was for me to make a likeness of a bulterrier, but no particular one, as she had already farewell to several dogs in her life. She wanted this portrait to memorialize all of them. How, then, did the work come to be dominated by Benek? An unruly bully with a sense of humor. This is what an interesting story involves, in which everything can be accidental, or everything can be non-accidental...

The client wanted the commissioned portrait to be en face. And also that it would be framed in a watch case made of silver. And to include an element made of titanium into the sculpture. In addition to this, I enjoyed the confidence of my client, so I could make this portrait according to my taste and imagination. But she also sent me Benek's ashes, to integrate them into the work, because she kept it after the cremation. Fortunately, resin allows for excellent preservation of such substances, which are dry and loose, so it was clear from the beginning that the ashes could find their place into this pendant, as we have the right materials and working techniques to incorporate them effectively and permanently into the jewellery piece. I decided that since I was going to memorialize friends, I could make this portrait of a dog exactly as I see bulteriers, that is: smiling quadrupeds with spunk, a sense of a humor and a twinkle in the eye. What I decided, I executed, but not without obstacles! All the time I was sculpting, there was also a container with Benek's ashes on the countertop. And he - prankster - was hiding the parts for me! Believe it or not, but when I am preparing the parts, I really know where I put them away. Especially all the smallest parts, once I've cut them up where they need to be, polished them.... I always put them away in one place prepared for this purpose. Precisely so that they don't accidentally get lost before I use them. And here once I see there was missing one of the parts I already had ready. Then... a second one. I'm thinking to myself "what the heck! What's going on here?". Then... it happened again...

And just for your information... it happens that some element during cuting or polishing will spring off somewhere. But anything like that happened never before and never after. Parts disappearing from the place where I put them down? Well, scandal! My gaze fell once and a second time on the box with Benek's ashes, I even told him: "don't do it again!", but still time and again some small part changed its location to one I don't know. In a totally inexplicable way. After the dogs pendant was delivered, I asked the Client if Benek was a mischievous dog with an outstanding sense of humor. It turned out that he was! So the the question is: to believe that he was messing around with me, or to consider it as NOT-ordinary coincidence? ;) That's the story!

I can also add some technical information for those people who are interested in non-metaphysical curiosities. First of all, the pendant is sizable. All the doggie portraits I've made so far are rather large, since they are in the 45-55mm range. The watch case in which I framed the portrait is made of silver and is very unusual with this drawing of chestnut leaves. I liked it a lot since it came to us, but it had to wait for its moment. For its work. When I reached for it, looking for a setting for this sculpture, I knew that it was the right choice. I should add that the Client did not want to consult with me about the various stages of the work. She trusted me and.... wanted to have this original, one-of-a-kind pendant as a surprise for Her birthday. So the choice of the pocket watch case was solely on my side. When the She received her dream pendant with a bullterier, it turned out to be a shot in 10, as Benek loved to play with chestnuts. The Customer knew about my half-joking theories about Benek's mischief while working on the portrait. So She said that Benek simply dominated the work and that in that case it must be Benek on the portrait and that's it. Well, and how to believe in coincidences here... 

I'll also add that there was a titanium element in the work as planned - I made a collar of titanium. And the ashes of the dog are in the background - about halfway up the circle in which the portrait of the bulterrier is inscribed. 

If you like this work, I am very pleased. Nevertheless, as I wrote at the beginning - it is unique and will not be duplicated.

Original custom jewelry is our specialty. So, if you have something in your mind that is important or interesting to you, then please write to us. Even if the theme is the same, there is always possibility to approach it differently and make it in an original way.