The Quill & Pad SIHH 2015 “Awards” highlights a few of the watches and ancillary eye-candy that attracted our attention and made us cry out with awe, amazement, and, at times, even laughter.  However, please bear in mind that these “awards” are based on what we saw and photographed so we may have missed out on some brands, watches or moments – to those we apologize.

Oh, and please don’t take these “awards” seriously, they are presented in the spirit of fun and are, at times, quite tongue-in-cheek.

So without further ado, here’s what caught our eyes at SIHH 2015 in no particular order.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar with meteorite dial beside a real meteor fragment

Best use of material from space: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar with meteorite dial.

Van Cleef & Arpels Charms Extraordinaire Espérance

Most colorful ladies’ watch: Van Cleef & Arpels Charms Extraordinaire Espérance from the Charms Extraordinaire Langage des Fleurs collection in a 25 mm yellow gold case.

Audemars Piguet Acoustic Research Concept Watch

Best-sounding repeater (ever, for that matter): Audemars Piguet Acoustic Research prototype, though admittedly this is unfair as it’s not a production watch – but, hey, who says we have to be fair?

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication

Repeater special mention: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication because it still sounded very good even after listening to the Audemars Piguet Acoustic Research prototype. You can see and hear it in action in video at SIHH 2015 Photo Essay: Jaeger-LeCoultre.

A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater

Best-looking repeater: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, which is absolutely gorgeous but still in late-prototype stage and the chimes need improving, which is sure to happen before the production pieces are delivered.

Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision by Greubel Forsey

Dome housing the 24-second tourbillon on the back of the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision

Most surprising tourbillon: the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision for the sapphire crystal bubble on the back, which keeps the watch’s height down, but is also surprisingly comfortable on the wrist.

The Richard Mille RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur

Best ladies’ tourbillon: the Richard Mille RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur.

IWC Portofino Midsize Automatic Moon

Most surprising new line: the IWC Midsize Portofino Ladies collection, and this from a brand whose tagline “engineered for men” is not the most macho tagline it has ever published. Will we see “engineered for women” next?

Not every interesting complication was in the display cases at Montblanc; the massive tourbillon on the ceiling is also well worth a few minutes’ appreciation

Largest tourbillon: the 250 kg (550 lb) model of the Tourbillon Cylindrique from the Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama on the ceiling of the Montblanc stand.

Springtime at Richard Mille’s SIHH stand: Elizabeth Doerr, Richard Mille and Joshua Munchow stand with the florally-attired stand attendants (whose flowers and look changed with each new day)

Best dressed: the haute couture, flower-infused dresses of the Richard Mille booth attendants; their attire, and indeed their whole look, changed with each passing day.

Incredibly detailed koi fish bracelet-cum-watch from Van Cleef & Arpels; naturally, the mouth opens to reveal the time

Best non-wristwatch that still tells the time: this ornate fish by Van Cleef & Arpels called Carpe Koï, which boasts 8,000 colored gemstones needing 3,450 hours of work. The fish’s mouth delicately opens, revealing a full-set dial upon which the time can be read if one looks quite closely. Don’t worry: it doesn’t bite!

Panerai Luminor 1950 Carbotech on the wrist

Best carbon fiber case: the Panerai Luminor 1950 Carbotech.

Movement of the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater

Best photo of an incredible watch movement: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater.

Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon Skeleton

Trendiest dial in high watchmaking at the SIHH: no dial at all as exemplified by Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon Skeleton.

IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar on Santoni strap

The newest “in”: high-quality leather straps from non-traditional strap makers, like the Santoni strap on this IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar.

Two-tone Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 33 mm in pink gold and stainless steel

Best unexpected use of two-tone (and simultaneously a quartz watch we would wear): the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 33 mm in stainless steel and pink gold.

The subtly updated Lange 1 by A. Lange & Söhne

Best re-edition of an existing watch, in fact so good that hardly anyone would have noticed the changes if they weren’t told: the new and improved Lange 1 by A. Lange & Söhne.

The Harmony Chronograph Caliber 3300, a re-edition of a 1928 Vacheron Constantin monopusher chronograph

Best revival watch: the amazing new Vacheron Constantin Harmony line, which includes three new chronographs in 1920s-style cushion-shaped cases, including the Chronograph Caliber 3300, a re-edition of an original 1928 monopusher chronograph.

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Gravées 14-Day Tourbillon

Best engraved tourbillon: Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Gravées 14-Day Tourbillon.

Montblanc Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama

Best miniature rendition of planet(s) earth: Montblanc’s Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama.

The first working prototype from the Le Garde Temps project

Best fully handmade watch: Naissance d’une montre Le Garde Temps.

Quill & Pad team lunch at SIHH 2015; pictured left to right: Nina Fiolka from German partner website WatchLounge.com, GaryG, Joshua Munchow, Ian Skellern, Elizabeth Doerr, and Nancy Olson

Best lunch at SIHH: the Quill & Pad lunch, of course!

Models wearing the new watches at the Ralph Lauren press conference

The most stylish way to present the new watches on the wrist: Ralph Lauren, who brightened up the press conference with live models.

Parmigiani Ovale Tourbillon with lapis lazuli dial

Nicest blue dial: the lapis lazuli on this Parmigiani Tourbillon Ovale.

You might also enjoy the Quill & Pad Baselworld 2014 Awards.