Scroll through enough vintage S.T. Dupont listings and you'll start seeing the same handful of pattern names over and over — Prince of Wales, Grain d'Orge, Pointe de Diamant. This is a quick reference for what they actually mean, so you know what you're looking at.
Laque de Chine (Chinese Lacquer)
Not an engraving but a hand-applied lacquer finish, built up in twenty to thirty layers over several weeks. Colours and patterns vary widely — black, red, blue, and tortoise/Windsor variants are among the most common — and no two pieces are ever perfectly identical. Read our dedicated guide to laque de chine for more on how it's made.
Named & Limited Editions
Beyond the standard engraved and lacquered finishes, Dupont has released numerous named limited editions over the decades — Andalusia, Montparnasse, the ‘Coral’ pattern (informally nicknamed the ‘Picasso Abstract’ by collectors), and tie-ins like the Cohiba 55th Anniversary edition. These tend to be produced in smaller runs and are usually the most sought-after pieces within a given model line.