As read by you,­­ here are the top 10 most viewed articles on Quill & Pad for 2017. There are likely to be a few surprises.

Drum roll, please: in no particular order, our top ten most viewed articles of 2017 were . . .

Why I Bought It: Patek Philippe Reference 5370P

GaryG, our resident enthusiast collector, explains why he bought one of the world’s best chronographs, the Reference 5370P, in Why I Bought It: Patek Philippe Reference 5370P.

Patek Philippe Reference 5370P

Gary explains what he likes about the Patek Philippe Reference 5370P and also why this might not be the right watch for you. All this at Why I Bought It: Patek Philippe Reference 5370P.

Breaking News: Baselworld 2018 Will Be Up To 50% Smaller! Up To Half The Exhibitors Gone And 3+ Halls Closed

This post contains the news that Baselworld 2018 might shrink to only 600-700 exhibitors, which would represent a decrease of around half of the last known exhibitor numbers. Elizabeth Doerr’s analysis of what has happened and why makes compelling reading in Breaking News: Baselworld 2018 Will Be Up To 50% Smaller! Up To Half The Exhibitors Gone And 3+ Halls Closed.

Entrance to Hall 1 at Baselworld

Baselworld has been the world’s leading watch fair for 100 years (see 1917-2017: A Brief Retrospective Of 100 Years Of Baselworld), and in that century it has played witness to the many phases that watchmaking has gone through. How long will its reign last, though? Learn more in Breaking News: Baselworld 2018 Will Be Up To 50% Smaller! Up To Half The Exhibitors Gone And 3+ Halls Closed.

5 Reasons I’ve Never Owned A Rolex, But . . . There’s A “But”

John Keil has has never owned a Rolex – despite the fact that he is  a big watch nut – and in this article he explains why. And he begins 5 Reasons I’ve Never Owned A Rolex, But . . . There’s A “But” by stating upfront that he hasn’t got anything at all against Rolex.

Rolex Sea-Dweller 43mm

In fact, John has always admired just how important Rolex is and that it is one of the most recognizable brand names in history. So why has he never owned a Rolex? Learn the answers at at 5 Reasons I’ve Never Owned A Rolex, But . . . There’s A “But.”

Warning, Watchporn Inside: X-Rated Timepieces By Blancpain (Video)

Elizabeth Doerr summed up traditional erotic watches as “classic on the front, party in the back” in this introduction to the TheWatches.TV video about Blancpain’s erotic timepieces in Warning, Watchporn Inside: X-Rated Timepieces By Blancpain (Video).

Restricted area: Blancpain erotic watch

Erotic watches are complex to make as their manufacture requires managing minuscule, detailed automata that move, often with the chiming mechanism of minute repeaters. Discover more about this usually veiled world at Warning, Watchporn Inside: X-Rated Timepieces By Blancpain (Video).

The AgenGraphe By Agenhor: The Most Significant Chronograph Since . . . Since The Invention Of The Chronograph (With Videos)

Earlier this year we broke the news of the new chronograph movement by Agenhor in The AgenGraphe By Agenhor: The Most Significant Chronograph Since . . . Since The Invention Of The Chronograph (With Videos).

AgenGraphe movement in the Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph for Only Watch 2017

I was so impressed by the AgenGraphe that I wrote, “By all means keep your Datographs, El Primeros, Valjoux 7750s, Ref 5370Ps (sorry, Gary! See Why I Bought It: Patek Philippe Reference 5370P), Daytonas, and Speedmasters if your taste lies in now-outdated, near-future museum pieces.” Discover what makes this chronograph so revolutionary at The AgenGraphe By Agenhor: The Most Significant Chronograph Since . . . Since The Invention Of The Chronograph (With Videos)

5 Tool Watches I’d Buy If I Didn’t Want to Spring For A Rolex Submariner

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Reference 79230B on a fabric strap

You can learn what brand-new (not pre-owned) functional dive watch John would recommend a to a friend who was looking to spend within a certain price range or he would buy himself at 5 Tool Watches I’d Buy If I Didn’t Want to Spring For A Rolex Submariner.

Kiss Drummer And Watch Collector Eric Singer’s Baselworld 2017 Top 10

If you’ve attended Baselworld over the last few years, you’ve likely heard tell of an “Eric Singer sighting” – catching a quick glimpse of the watch-crazy rock drummer as he hurries from booth to booth checking out the new watch offerings. At the 2017 edition of the fair, these included the examples he cited in Kiss Drummer And Watch Collector Eric Singer’s Baselworld 2017 Top 10.

Kiss drummer Eric Singer (right) with Rob Caplan of Topper checking out watches at the Omega booth at Baselworld 2017 (photo courtesy Rob Caplan)

Elizabeth Doerr had a chance to catch up with the horophile musician after Baselworld 2017, and you can discover his favorite watches from the fair at Kiss Drummer And Watch Collector Eric Singer’s Baselworld 2017 Top 10.

Navigating The Grey Market: A Retail Expert Explains The Whys And Wherefores

In Navigating The Grey Market: A Retail Expert Explains The Whys And Wherefores, John Keil offers a broad description of the grey market, how and why it exists, and what (if anything) could be done for a brand to eliminate – or at least minimize – its presence.

And John makes clear from the start that this is not a rebuke of online stores, grey market dealers, or the many people working on that side of the industry. Many are highly reputable; some are not. Learn how to distinguish between them at Navigating The Grey Market: A Retail Expert Explains The Whys And Wherefores.

Give Me Five! 5 Watches That Have Stood The Test Of Time Starring Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, And Cartier

In this article, Elizabeth Doerr asks why is it that watch brands celebrate model anniversaries so enthusiastically. She finds the answers using five classic timepieces celebrating anniversaries in 2017 as examples in Give Me Five! 5 Watches That Have Stood The Test Of Time Starring Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, And Cartier.

Omega Speedmaster 1957 Chronograph

Learn about five timeless models celebrating significant anniversaries in 2017 at Give Me Five! 5 Watches That Have Stood The Test Of Time Starring Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, And Cartier.

Here’s Why: Manual Winding Watches Are For Horological Connoisseurs

Watches come in a wide variety of levels of complexity, finishing, and rarity. Depending on what an individual collector’s goals are, collections may vary wildly from each other. But when discerning horological connoisseurs compare notes, there are always similarities. Joshua Munchow explains why he feels that manual winding is one of these commonalities in Here’s Why: Manual Winding Watches Are For Horological Connoisseurs.

Patek Philippe Caliber CHR 29-535 PS movement

Joshua thinks that the most beautiful movements are manually wound, discover why at Here’s Why: Manual Winding Watches Are For Horological Connoisseurs.

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