There is something intrinsically ornate about annual calendars like the Patek Philippe 5396, an undeniable X factor that seems well-suited to a dressy watch with an old-school charm. Maybe the annual calendar has less to prove than a perpetual calendar, having enough chill to just let February be itself.
It’s Speedy Tuesday! Just recently, we were able to lay our hands on an OMEGA Speedmaster Reduced reference 3510.50 timepiece. This discontinued model Speedmaster is often mistaken for the popular Speedmaster Professional ‘Moonwatch’. If you are not that deeply into Speedmasters and just like the look of the black face tri-compax lay-out Speedmaster, it is easily to fall into the trap that a lot of sellers of these watches (f.i. on eBay) will try to use on you. They will advertise with these watches as ‘Moonwatch’ as well. Although the OMEGA Speedmaster Reduced is a very nice watch, it is not a Moonwatch. Keep on reading if you want to learn about the differences.
This was quite an astonishing press release to get. Vacheron Constantin has announced a total of ten new models in the Harmony collection, which is practically an SIHH’s worth of new wristwatches. Now, before you get too excited, it is also true that the majority of these watches are incremental changes in existing models, but there is one in particular which is a completely new model (new new, you might say) and which looks, on the basis of the first round of images from Vacheron, extremely promising and interesting.
Put up in collaboration with retailer The Hour Glass, the Rolex Daytona exhibition is the first of its kind in Singapore, outlining the history of the Cosmograph Daytona with panels and interactive displays. Introduced in 1963 and now regarded as one of the most important chronograph wristwatches ever, the Rolex Daytona was named after Daytona […]
40 Years Ago Just last week, we published an updated version of our Patek Philippe Nautilus versus Audemars Piguet Royal Oak comparison article. When talking haute horlogerie, I have to admit that these two watches are definitely my favorite pieces. How much I like other high-end watches like a Patek Philippe 3940 or 5140, A. […]
When Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series Two earlier this month, it was the first hardware update to the Watch, excluding new colors and bands. This included updates across the range, the removal of the “Sport” moniker from the aluminum models, the complete disappearance of the solid gold models, a new collaboration with Nike, and, of course, the white ceramic Apple Watch Edition. There’s no question this is the stand-out Apple Watch from the Series 2 collection, and so I got my hands on one as quickly as possible (does launch day count as quick anymore?).
Welcome to the 2016 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites. Our panel is divided due to the impressive number of sensational watches on offer. Find out why!
Welcome to the 2016 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites. Our panel is divided due to the impressive number of sensational watches on offer. Find out why!
One of the nicest things that can happen to you if you’re into the history of watches and watch design (and aren’t we all) is getting to not just see, but actually handle, things that physically represent that history (one of the reasons vintage watches can be so attractive). Doing really strong designs for functional objects like watches is pretty tough though, and often you see decisions made that make it clear the designer or designers decided to prioritize either aesthetics or functionality, rather than combining the two. We were lucky enough recently to have two Cartier pocket watches in the office – separated in manufacturing dates by over six decades – that are not only pieces of history, but also objects that speak in a very interesting way to the problem of making beautiful, functional objects, and to the enduring nature of good design ideas. They also offer great perspective on when and how not just design, but also luxury itself, does and doesn’t work – and on the corny-sounding notion of chic, with which much of Cartier design can be associated.
Vintage, throwback, heritage. These are all words that we have thrown at us regularly, and it can mean a variety of things. Most of it is simply marketing fluff, used to denote a particular look or design that may have no actual ties to history, and is simple make to look old (such as a forced patina on a case or vintage – aka browned – lume). Then again, you do have brands coming to the table that really do have some real history under their belts, and can reference something from their own past rather than making up stuff. Fortunately, this is the better example that we have in the just-announced Longines Heritage Military.