MB&F’s Legacy Machine Perpetual took the prize for Best Calendar Watch at the 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and I thought it deserved that accolade and more. LM Perpetual has rewritten the architecture of the perpetual calendar, transforming this oft troublesome complication into a virtual masterpiece.
The Quill & Pad panel reflects on watchmaking’s biggest night: the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, often described as the Oscars of watchmaking. In this segment, we chat about what we liked and what we didn’t like, which watches won and why we think they did.
We also express a bit of dismay at times.
No problem is exceptionally easy to solve. Even the simplest task can sometimes take weeks of redesigns, prototypes, and problem-solving for a seemingly simple solution. The task of creating the perfectly adjustable watch clasp system is the type of problem that was irresistible for Roland Iten. So how did that turn out?
The first timepiece to emerge from the new Ferdinand Berthoud brand is called FB 1. “It has to be something special,” said the man behind the reborn brand, Chopard’s Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. And special it was: so special that the FB 1 took the Aiguille d’Or, the top prize at the 2016 GPHG. Read on to discover why.
The Andreas Strehler Sauterelle à Lune Perpétuelle contains a moon phase mechanism that will only need adjustment by one full day every 14,189.538 years. And not only does the Lune Perpétuelle have an extremely accurate moon phase, but with the help of the constant force mechanism it is even more accurate for the little intervals as well.
The second edition of Dubai Watch Week runs 15 through 19 November, 2016 and promises to be three times larger than last year’s inaugural exhibition. The five-day event is organized by Seddiqi & Sons retailers and is the Gulf area’s largest dedicated watch event. Quill & Pad will be actively joining the fun!
Our panel members are nearly unanimous in their predictions for the winner of the top prize in the 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève: the Aiguille d’Or. While two members of the panel could not settle on just one winner, calling a tie between two and even three watches, for Ian the winner is crystal clear. Let us know which timepieces you think will be crowned with the Aiguille d’Or in 2016.
In the world of modern-interpretation-of-an-old-classic, the difference between hit and miss isn’t a knife edge, it’s a razor blade. And the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox Boutique Edition manages to walk this fine line just right. In fact so right that try as I might I couldn’t find a flaw. I think it is absolutely perfect.
In an insightful move Montblanc chose this year, the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare death (or what the company delicately calls the “anniversary of his life’s achievements”), to honor him with an annual Writers Edition limited edition pen full of symbolism.
Welcome to the 2016 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites and explains why. The contenders are: Hermès Slim d’Hermès, Seiko Presage Automatic Chronograph Enamel Dial, Tiffany & Co. East West Automatic, Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze, Zenith Pilot Ton-Up, and Vulcain 50s Presidents’ Watch Tradition.