To aid the as-yet nameless incoming CEO of Zenith with a bit of gratuitous advice (whether wanted or not) we offer a classic Quill & Pad round table discussion on what we would do if one of us were named the new CEO of Zenith tomorrow. We hope you enjoy the serious and not-so-serious musings of Ian Skellern, Elizabeth Doerr, Joshua Munchow, GaryG, What Makes Me Tick, Ryan Schmidt, and Martin Green.
Here we present the second part in a three-part series about the making of Derek Pratt’s reconstruction of John Harrison’s H4. This part was written by Carl Murray of Frodsham. This article was first published in ‘The Horological Journal’ (HJ) in March 2015, who we thank for permission to republish on Quill & Pad.
It’s not just the Đông Sơn drum theme of these two quite different collector’s items by watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin and pen maker Grayson Tighe that caught my eye: it was more than that, it was the actual pieces themselves inspired by the indigenous people of the Red River Delta of Vietnam.
What a beautiful theme to decorate such rare and interesting objects with.
Can a watch with a tourbillon clearly visible on the dial side ever be understated? Common sense says no, but for the Traditionnelle Minute Repeater Tourbillon, Vacheron Constantin says yes! Find out why Martin Green compares this watch new to the Geneva-based brand’s arsenal of classic timepieces to a Tesla P100D with ludicrous mode.
The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée is a fantastic example of the craftsmanship found at Jaquet Droz. The Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée showcases a style rarely found in watches today, proving that style is almost always an individual decision.
This is the second year in a row that I’ve had the opportunity to attend the November watch auctions in Geneva. On last year’s trip, a good friend and I had the pleasure of participating in several events organized by Patek Philippe as well as the biennial OnlyWatch auction. This year, we returned for the previews and salesroom action at major houses including Phillips, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s.
As read by you, here are the Top 10 most viewed articles on Quill & Pad for 2016. A few may even provide a (pleasant) surprise. So without further ado and in no particular order we present the top 10 most popular posts of 2016.
Here we present the first part in a three-part series about the making of Derek Pratt’s H4 reconstruction. This part was written by Roger Stevenson, chief watchmaker at Frodsham. This article was first published in the British Horological Journal (BHJ) in February 2015 and we thank them for permission to republish it on Quill & Pad.
Derek Pratt (1938 – 2009) was perhaps one of the most “complete” watchmakers of our time along with his friend George Daniels. The Swiss-based Englishman firmly was behind and part of many watches and projects that are today common knowledge, while his own name remains relatively hidden.
Over the past quarter-century the Hermès Cape Cod collection has experienced the arrival of a number of unique models and variations. Come with us on a journey to see and understand them before joyously wanting to shout, “Happy 25th birthday, Cape Cod!”