Despite the virus restrictions, GaryG has managed to venture out from time to time for brief, top-secret rendezvous in parking lots and on park benches to receive and return the generous loans of friends’ watches to photograph. Recently, he had the chance to shoot a true classic: a second-series Reference 3450J perpetual calendar made by Patek Philippe, which he shares with us here.

Geneva’s second round of pandemic-era May auctions brought some fascinating offerings out of the woodwork. And people are buying watches at auction like there is no tomorrow. While Rolex and Patek Philippe models brought in most of the high-roller results, the three main houses with auctions running over the second weekend in May 2021 – Phillips, Christie’s, and Antiquorum – also generated fantastic results for watches by many other brands, including the independents.

Throughout history, hundreds of talented watchmakers have left their mark on the science and industry of timekeeping. For the inaugural edition of WOHS (Watchmakers of Historical Significance), Joshua Munchow highlights an engineer that has used technology to push forward since his beginnings, creating a company that is not only a leading brand among independents, but also a supplier to many established brands: the incredible yet humble Romain Gauthier.

The main focus of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL is the technology behind the shock absorber, so the watch itself is a simple, three-hand, time-only piece with an ultra-clean dial and generally restrained aesthetic minimizing unnecessary distraction. Joshua Munchow dives in to take a closer look at the progressive compliant technology.