Slim d’Hermès watch on the wrist of Laurent Dordet, CEO La Montre Hermès

Laurent Dordet, CEO La Montre Hermès, Talks Watches, Authenticity, And Iconic Leather Handbags

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When I entered the office of Laurent Dordet, the new CEO of La Montre Hermès, I was singularly impressed by the down-to-earth attitude of a man who has worked within Hermès structure for two decades – his most recent position had been in leather, Hermès’ stock-in-trade. Dordet seems genuinely happy to be active in this new field, which he had taken over just weeks before Baselworld 2015 started. My impression was that he was also perhaps a tad surprised by what he’s found there.

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Bulgari Clarillon Tourbillon

Bulgari Daniel Roth Carillon Tourbillon: Passion Begins Early

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The Bulgari Carillon Tourbillon has three gongs playing a three-note tune. While the dial-side gongs and the tourbillon are the headliners to this show, the real superstar is the repeater movement that you see when you flip over the watch and get a view from the back. With some careful observation one could even understand the entire system simply using one’s own two eyes. Have a look!

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Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer on Hartmut Kraft's wrist

Got A Minute? Hartmut Kraft, CEO Kering North America Luxury Watch Division: Ulysse Nardin, JeanRichard, And Girard-Perregaux

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On May 1, 2015, Hartmut Kraft took over as the brand-new president and CEO of Kering North America, a position that includes leading three very well established brands, Ulysse Nardin, JeanRichard, and Girard-Perregaux in the North American markets. With his unbroken enthusiasm for watches, he is not “just” another executive in the watch industry, but rather a true watch enthusiast with genuine respectful admiration for horology. Read on to hear what he has discovered in his first days at Kering.

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This 1931 Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle from 1931 sold for 143,000 Swiss francs

Phillips’ Inaugural One Auction: So How Did Watches By Patek Philippe, Blancpain, Rolex, And Longines Do?

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The very solid and spacious tent on the grounds of the La Reserve hotel in Geneva on May 10, 2015 turned out to be a very special time and place as the world’s most prestigious watches went under the hammer for the inaugural Phillips Watches auction in association with Bacs & Russo. Let’s have a look at how a few of the most interesteing pieces did at this premier event, which was presided over by auction guru Aurel Bacs.

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Vintage 1950s Vacheron Constantin Reference 6087 chronograph

Vintage Watch Snobbery Or How I Met Your Mother

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Standing before my eyes was the most perfect of God’s creatures, a wonderful mix of Audrey Hepburn and Penelope Cruz. I think my heart skipped a beat, and I heard the chimes of every single minute repeater Patek Philippe had ever created – all chiming at exactly the same time! Six months later the gentle creature and I were married. This extraordinary story reflects the marvelous world of vintage watches: finding the rare bird, linking it to a story, and never letting it go.

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Vianney Halter Goldfeil, that's What Makes Me Tick

The Unbelievable Story Of “What Makes Me Tick”

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It was a sunny but cool autumn day in 1775, yet young Madeleine was sweating profusely and cussing quite colorfully at young Eugene – her husband. “Bloody zut . . . I can’t take this any longer! When is it finally coming out?” she hissed through gritted teeth. Young Madeleine was giving birth, a most unpleasant affair at the beginning. Once the child was born, he became the star in her sky. Later, she gazed at him tenderly as his dashing good looks brought tears to her eyes . . . like that of all the women blessed enough to cross his path. Meet Quill & Pad’s new contributor, a humble man.

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Historic Audemars Piguet minute repeater

Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater Wristwatch Reference 5528 From 1885 Has Feminine Roots

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Geneva was abuzz with activity just days before the first round of 2015 auctions took place in May. Once in a great while, interesting timepieces pop up at auction that would probably receive a lot more attention if the auction world wasn’t currently quite so fixated on Patek Philippe and Rolex. One such beauty is this historic minute repeater wristwatch by Audemars Piguet.

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R60 Diablo by Roland Iten and Claude Sfeir

Can A Man Wear A 60.66-Carat Diamond? The Roland Iten R60 Diablo Belt Buckle Says Yes

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With the advent of the R60 Diablo mechanical belt buckle, Roland Iten now assures the world that you no longer have to be a princess to wear an incredible jewel in an everyday setting. Or even a prince. The highlight of the red gold and titanium chassis of the R60 Diablo mechanical belt buckle is a fairly well camouflaged fancy cognac diamond weighing in at 60.66 carats.

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Breguet 7077 La Tradition Chronograph Indépendant

Breguet La Tradition 7077 Independent Chronograph: Twins Or Not?

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Sometimes watchmakers come up with something that appears to come straight out of a medical textbook. Like a mainspring that’s not a mainspring, even though it’s a mainspring. And this is the kind of incredible thing present inside the Breguet 7077 La Tradition Independent Chronograph, which, as its name implies, has a chronograph gear train independent of the main going train even powered by its own spring. And they are designed to do two very different things.

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Celestial Azure by David Oscarson

David Oscarson’s New Alexander Fleming Pen Collection

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David Oscarson has been creating luxury fountain pens since 2000 and has won three Robb Report’s annual Best of the Best award – each one a personal tribute to the art of writing. “The biggest challenge today is helping people remember what a signature means: that it is an extension of one’s self,” says Oscarson. The use of hand-rendered guilloche and enamel, traditional art forms also seen in watchmaking, are emblematic of the brand, and Oscarson takes great care in keeping their quality pure. This also true of the new Alexander Fleming collection.

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