For many watch enthusiasts, it is probably not a stretch to say that fine timepieces are often enjoyed with a fine glass of bubbly. And since Quill & Pad acquired an expert writer in this field in 2017 – Ken Gargett from Australia – we can happily recommend some of the best tipples in existence. Here are five very fine champagnes recommended just in time for the new year!
Laurent Ferrier won the award for best Men’s Complication watch at the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève for the Galet Annual Calendar Montre École, an imagining of an annual calendar based on Monsieur Ferrier’s original ‘montre école’ (final exam watch). Joshua Munchow appreciates the watch’s simplicity and legibility and feels that it’s a perfect example of what an annual calendar can be.
GaryG had the pleasure to handle, listen to, photograph, and write about two truly splendid minute repeaters, both property of a good friend: Patek Philippe Reference 5074P and Reference 5078P. They both look great, but you’re probably most interested in how they sound. Well, here’s your chance. Welcome to the great Patek Philippe chime-off!
Drum roll please . . . In no particular order here are the ten all-time most-viewed stories we have posted on Quill & Pad over the last five years.
Seems it wasn’t that long ago that GaryG wrote his first “Objects of Desire” article about the watches of Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, finishing with: given the prices of their watches, he was unlikely to be able to buy any of those he truly lusted after anytime soon. Gary’s observation at the time was “go big or go home.” As you will see, he ended up going big and is now the proud owner of a Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1.
GaryG roughly estimates that he has included around 400 photos in his 2018 articles, in turn culled from thousands of initial shots. He found it both enjoyable and a little difficult to select his favorites for the year, but has managed to squeeze it down to his favorite 24 photos, all first shown on Quill & Pad during 2018.
As read by you, here are the top 10 most viewed articles on Quill & Pad in 2018. There are likely to be a few surprises. And some Rolex stories, of course.
Over these last five years – and indeed since Elizabeth has been writing about watches! – the large fairs and exhibitions have played central roles in seeing any year’s crop of new timepieces. At the moment, the position of the fairs seems to be in some jeopardy, but for now it’s business as usual for the media. Here are a few highlights from five years of Quill & Pad at the SIHH.
Tenuta San Guido’s 2015 Sassicaia was a warm vintage but an exceptional one, and that is reflected in the wine. It is considered to have similarities with the sensational vintage conditions of 1985, which Ken Gargett has tasted twice and has rated 100 points standing on its head both times. Sassicaia is one of the most famous of all wines of Italy, and often one of the country’s very best.
For many watch enthusiasts, writing instruments form a significant secondary fascination to timepieces. In a lot of cases, these two worlds have intersected as this fun post highlighting many pen stories from Quill & Pad’s initial five years shows.