S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 gold and wood inlay lighter marked MODELE

S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 — Gold and Wood Inlay, Marked MODÈLE

A vintage S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 in gold plate, inlaid on every face with panels of dark hardwood, and carrying one unusual detail: where the serial number is normally struck, the base is engraved MODÈLE.

S.T. Dupont produced its first luxury lighter in 1941, and the Ligne 2 that followed in 1977 became the model the maison is known for. Almost all of them left Paris with a serial number on the base, alongside the S.T. Dupont — Paris — Made in France engraving. A lighter marked MODÈLE instead did not go through that step. In French industrial practice the word denotes a model or sample piece: something made to be shown, assessed or demonstrated rather than sold across a counter. Collectors usually describe these as factory demonstration models or prototypes.

The inlay is what makes it worth looking at twice. Wood is rare on the Ligne 2 and it behaves differently from the engine-turned metal finishes Dupont normally used — the grain runs its own way across each panel, so no two faces read alike, and the gold frame around each panel gives the case its structure. The wood has darkened with age to a deep brown and shows the fine open grain of the original surface.

We can tell you what is engraved on it and what is visible in the photographs. The seller reported the lighter came from a French family with relatives who had worked at the factory as engineers; that account is offered as it was given to us, and we cannot independently verify it. What can be checked is on the base, and it is photographed here in detail.

The lighter is in good vintage condition, with the wood panels intact and the gold plate showing the light wear of age. It is photographed lit: it lights and holds a flame. It is offered as the lighter alone, without box or papers.