I’ve been trying, but have not managed, to come up with a more diplomatic way of saying this, so I’ll just come out with it: up to now, I have not generally been a fan of Bovet 1822. So I was surprised by just how much I was impressed with the Ottantasei by Pininfarina and would be very happy to wear one daily. But there is one niggle that I just can’t shake off.
When Piaget introduced the manual wind Caliber 9P at the 1957 Basel Fair, at only 2 mm in height, it was considered an impossibility. Three years later, in 1960, Piaget stunned the watch world once again with Caliber 12P, an automatic movement that broke world records for its svelteness.
The incredible UR-105 T-Rex is an extinct-reptile-inspired bronze creation using forced oxidation to create a dramatic patina on the surface, while the insides and the rear of the case remains crisp, black, and new as one would expect from Urwerk. My initial response was ‘whoa,’ but among observers there was no middle ground: the Urwerk UR-105 T-Rex is polarizing.
Date: late February 2010. Place: a small San Francisco restaurant. Players: an informal group of Northern California watch collectors, all owners of at least one Kari Voutilainen watch. One of the members of the group nonchalantly mentioned, “I’ve been talking with Kari about something . . ..” It was a set of bespoke Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II models. Time: two seconds later. Response: “I’m in!”
In 2010 I had the pleasure of visiting a Swiss artist, whose talents spread across a broad spectrum of artistic domains. However, he would be much better known to anyone reading Quill & Pad as the designer of some of the most revolutionary wristwatches of the last century. Can you guess who he is and the watches he has designed from the clues provided?
Michel Parmigiani does not dwell in the past. Instead, he has utilized his considerable expertise to create a brand that is more focused on the future of watchmaking. The partnership between Bugatti and Parmigiani has led to some extraordinary timepieces, which not only embody the essence of Parmigiani but that of Bugatti as well.
Seriously, let’s face it, criminals are flippin’ stupid! Here are 6 reasons why stealing watches is a really bad idea (aside from the obvious) and those who try probably won’t get away with it anyway.
Carl F. Bucherer proved once again at Baselworld 2016 that the brand certainly knows how to pack a punch. One of those punches was delivered by the Manero Peripheral, which looks like the manifestation of a classic dress watch . . . until you turn it over and realize you don’t immediately see a rotor winding the automatic movement.
Too little is usually written about the few great watchmakers located in the United States. And, admittedly, they are few and far between. Here is a glimpse into the work of Roland Murphy of RGM by way of my own watch, the RGM Reference 151BE, shot against the backdrops of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park.
The Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire, introduced at Baselworld 2016, is the next step in the ongoing evolution of the Grönefeld brothers’ burgeoning dynasty. The watch’s concept revolves around a key feature, the remontoire, which also references the church clock. Read on to find out why.