On January 1, 2019 Quill & Pad celebrates its five-year anniversary. And in honor of this milestone, we take a look at some of the great stories and photos from the last 1,825 days that have helped make this publication a fun, informative, and visually interesting one.
Minute repeaters, sonneries, and chiming watches are among the most difficult horological complications to make. That’s why when a brand introduces a new chiming timepiece, we sit up and take notice. As does the serious collector.
Here are five of the most interesting stories about repeating timepieces posted in the last five years. We hope you enjoy reading them, looking at the photos, and even hearing their chimes for yourself in many cases.
Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie on the wrist of Stephen Forsey
Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie: Confounding Expectations In A Class Of Its Own
Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie
This Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève winner in the 2018 Mechanical Exception category won over Ian Skellern’s heart so much when he heard it chiming away on Stephen Forsey’s wrist ahead of the 2017 SIHH that he wrote this impassioned story.
Ian was particularly impressed by the volume and quality of the chimes, but also by a few other technical details that improve upon the standard sonnerie (if these rare timepieces could ever be called standard).
To read the story, or even just look at the pictures and watch the video, please visit Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie: Confounding Expectations In A Class Of Its Own.
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Incredible Chiming Machines: The Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon And The Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie
In 2009, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced a wristwatch so complicated in its premise and execution that it made Elizabeth Doerr’s jaw drop: the Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie. Then in 2014, the Le Sentier-based brand introduced the Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie
In this story, Elizabeth compares and contrasts the two sonorous masterpieces by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
To view, please visit Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Incredible Chiming Machines: The Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon And The Duomètre à Grande Sonnerie.
Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Minute Repeater With Crystal Power! Plus Video: Listen For Yourself
Chopard L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater
At the 2017 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, Chopard’s exciting L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater won the evening’s big prize: the Aiguille d’Or.
And there were a lot of reasons the jury found this timepiece so special – all of which Joshua Munchow goes through in his thorough, technical review. Including those incredible crystal gongs.
To peruse, please see Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Minute Repeater With Crystal Power! Plus Video: Listen For Yourself.
Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater on the wrist
Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater Chimes ‘Happy To Be Home’
May 12, 2011 was a banner day for Tutima. After an absence of 65 years, Tutima finally returned to its home in Glashütte, celebrating it with the most complicated watch of the brand’s 90-year history: the first minute repeater to be fully conceived, manufactured, and assembled on German soil.
Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater in red gold with classic dial
The Tutima Hommage is all Glashütte in every respect, a surprising masterpiece from this brand usually known for its well-priced pilot’s watches. Get the full story as told by Elizabeth Doerr by in the post Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater Chimes ‘Happy To Be Home.’
A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater: A Decimal Repeater With Attitude!
There are only a handful of decimal repeaters in the watch world: but a rather important one was the example first shown by A. Lange & Söhne at the 2015 SIHH. This timepiece was in no way intended to be a traditional classic, but rather to rock the collector’s world. And it represented the first full chiming wristwatch from this historical brand.
A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater
The appropriately named Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is nothing short of genius, displaying a firework of technical prowess and perfect finishing. In this post, Elizabeth Doerr analyzes this nearly $470,000 masterpiece according to six main criteria: design, innovation, operation, finishing, sound, and overall impression.
Two great decimal repeaters: the Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece 8 (left) and the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater
And we took the story a bit further when GaryG applied the same criteria to his review of the Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece 8 Decimal Repeater, the very first decimal repeating wristwatch in history.
Then Elizabeth, Gary, and Ian put these two outstanding collector’s items under the loupe for a round table discussion of their merits (and demerits). To read that discussion and look at beautiful photos and video, please go to Sounding Off: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater vs. Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece 8.
You may also enjoy:
Jaquet Droz Goes Paradise Lush With The Extraordinary Tropical Bird Repeater (With Video)
The Sonnerie Souveraine By F.P. Journe: A Legend In Its Own Time
The Great Chime-Off: Patek Philippe Minute Repeater References 5074P And 5078P
Give Me Five! 5 Chiming Watches At SIHH 2017
Simply Divine: The Urban Jürgensen Unique Piece Tourbillon Minute Repeater Regulator
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It is easy to get disappointed by a chiming watch because the expectations are very high (in general) for how loud the watch should sound and how rich the “ding” should be. The 2 decimal watches are out of the “small’ pack in my opinion, with a slight preference for the zeitwerk, as the sound is lovely, and the finish of a calibre a voyage on its own.