Have no idea what the inscription is can the experts figure it out ?
Thanks,
Bill

As a non-expert I am going to guess FCL. I wonder how close I will be?

Tom

Tom is real close as far as I can see.

I'm saying it's S E L. The theme of initial work, a derivitive of signature writing, was to join the letters in a decorative way.

I'm waiting to see one show up on eBay with the initials "B I N."

Thanks for being kind Mitch but I wasn't even close, I got one letter. Now that you put what they are I can see them, I got to keep practicing.

Tom

I say it is a large calligraphic "A" and a large calligraphic "L". Having taken calligraphy in design school, I just don't see an "E" in the middle. If there is an E there, it certainly wasn't rendered in the strict formal style I'm seeing with the A and L. Just my 2 cents.

Bruce could very well be correct if it's only 2 letters.

Common practice was to have 3, but there's always exceptions.

Calligraphy and ornamental script are 2 different animals. From what I have seen over time is that the common practice was to follow more of the penman and ornamental letterforms.

For referance, calligraphy tends to refer to all types of scripted letter styles. This includes elaborate italic forms, and Old English text styles. Copperplate script is a style where every letter has a thick and thin part. Spencerian and ornamental script has fancy capitals and a more penmanship like quality to the lower case.

My opinion is that each individual watch case engraving guy had his own style that somewhat follows the rules of Copperplate or Ornamental script.

I'll let Tom vouch for my skills at it.

Hi guys Thanks for all your expertise on ths.
I have had the watch for some time, and had forgotten that I also had some providence on it. The man I bought it from, his last name was Lasso, and he stated that when he was young he thinks he remembers that his uncle Al might have given the watch to his father. If that be the case than it looks like it might be A. L.
Thanks for all the help, and Bruce it appears that you're right on.
Thanks again,
Bill