This is the second year in a row that I’ve had the opportunity to attend the November watch auctions in Geneva. On last year’s trip, a good friend and I had the pleasure of participating in several events organized by Patek Philippe as well as the biennial OnlyWatch auction. This year, we returned for the previews and salesroom action at major houses including Phillips, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s.
As read by you, here are the Top 10 most viewed articles on Quill & Pad for 2016. A few may even provide a (pleasant) surprise. So without further ado and in no particular order we present the top 10 most popular posts of 2016.
Here we present the first part in a three-part series about the making of Derek Pratt’s H4 reconstruction. This part was written by Roger Stevenson, chief watchmaker at Frodsham. This article was first published in the ‘The Horological Journal’ (HJ) in February 2015 and we thank them for the gracious permission to republish it on Quill & Pad.
Derek Pratt (1938 – 2009) was perhaps one of the most “complete” watchmakers of our time along with his friend George Daniels. The Swiss-based Englishman firmly was behind and part of many watches and projects that are today common knowledge, while his own name remains relatively hidden.
Over the past quarter-century the Hermès Cape Cod collection has experienced the arrival of a number of unique models and variations. Come with us on a journey to see and understand them before joyously wanting to shout, “Happy 25th birthday, Cape Cod!”
Many watches hold a special significance for their owners. The watch I am chronicling here didn’t just change someone’s life, it changed MY life: the Jean Daniel Nicolas Two-Minute Tourbillon by Daniel Roth.
The Atmos 568 is Marc Newson’s third design for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s iconic range of perpetual clocks, but this one is different. Here Joshua Munchow explains what makes it different and the predicament he’s in when it comes to choosing a favorite.
After just two editions, Dubai Watch Week has already worked its way high onto my list of horologically inclined events. The reason is simple: the organizers of this show, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, have set out to make Dubai Watch Week more of a cultural exchange on the topic of watches than a hard sales event.
The DB11 is a true old-school Gran Turismo, a car to travel with from London or Paris to the Cote d’Azur in comfort, luxury, and most certainly style. And there is something magical about a V12 engine: its distinct sound and the knowledge that there is a mythical beast under the hood.
I know of only three watchmakers making watches by hand today: one is Michel Boulanger for Naissance d’une Montre. The other two are Dominique Buser and Cyrano Devanthey, who are hand-making watches they call l’Instant de Vérité under the umbrella of their own micro brand Oscillon. And what a watch this is!