There was an era within living memory, when being the owner of a timepiece, artfully engraved with a personalised message, was a mark of distinction.
Indeed, presidents were often gifted inscribed watches as markers of significant moments.
After the moon landing, president Richard Nixon received a beautiful gold Omega Speedmaster engraved with: “Richard M. Nixon / President of the United States / to mark man’s conquest of space with a time, through time, on time”.
Controversy surrounds another famous timepiece, allegedly gifted to JFK by Marilyn Monroe on the very same birthday she famously sang a rather risqué birthday message. The message reads: “Jack / With Love as always / from MARILYN / May 29th 1962”.
And in 2009, a hidden message was sensationally found inside President Abraham Lincoln’s pocket watch, the inscription marking the moment the first gunfire heralded the beginning of the American Civil War.
Cheap knock-offs, an increasingly throwaway society, and the smart phone revolution have chipped away at this well-worn tradition.
Likewise, automation of a time-honoured art form has meant hand engravers have largely gone the way of the dodo.
But local artisan Marie Parker believes there is still a special place for the scant few people left who, like her, possess the penmanship to turn a trinket into an heirloom.
Marie is often entrusted with engraving invaluable family keepsakes; alongside wedding rings and 18th birthday champagne flutes or whiskey glasses, she also hand engraves urns and a variety of other oddly-shaped mementos that computers cannot fathom.
“I’ve engraved a ship’s bell, a fire extinguisher from the 1900s, a bowling ball, bike frames – machines just can’t do what I do,” she said.
She’s engraved the famous bell the Dockers chime before each game and, unbeknownst to her, she also once added embellishments to the hog of a local bikie gang personality.
And Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas wears her handiwork whenever he steps out in his mayoral regalia.
“They’re made of real gold and they’re kept under lock and key,” she said.
Marie has been honing her craft for 35 years, since she left the printing industry and took up an apprenticeship with Mister Minit.
“Back then Mister Minit had a really tough training regime – we had to learn everything by heart,” she said.
Marie was a natural from the very beginning – her years working with printing presses gave her a confidence operating machinery, and she had a penchant for perfection.
“I was obviously meant to do this because I’m very passionate about writing. I remember getting my hand smacked in Grade 3 when we were learning to write. I would always try to make my writing so perfect that I would get in trouble for going too slowly,” she said.
She once tried to operate a computerised laser engraver and said it just felt ‘wrong’.
“You can tell when someone has used their own hands to make something,” she said.
“What I do for my customers is such a personal thing. And their reactions and feedback are what drives me and keeps me going.”
Around a decade ago, Marie ventured out alone with her own small business – Creative Hand Engraving.
As one of only a handful of skilled artisans left in the industry in WA, Marie quickly carved out a name for herself, and started receiving requests from far and wide.
“I’ve had people send things over from Sydney and lots of country towns,” she said.
“I often hear from people who say ‘we’re so glad we found you – we thought there were no engravers left’.”
Her talent was noticed by event organisers at Myer, and she was booked for exclusive events.
“I worked with Dior, Guerlain, all the perfume places. They hired me to sit there and personalise perfume bottles on the spot,” she said.
That led to more VIP gigs and events, including at the airport where she personalised bottles at the departure lounge.
While it’s not a particularly lucrative career, Marie said engraving certainly has its rewards, and she’s proud to carry on the trade from her home in Seville Grove.
“I love this – it’s a passion. I get to use my art skills and make people happy,” she said.
“I love being here for people who are struggling to find anyone to engrave for them.
“I don’t think I could imagine myself doing anything else.”
