* We have just completed our very first themed fortnight, which provided you with stories from the Olympics in Sochi and Russian watchmaking. In case you missed these, let me recap them for you:

– Joshua’s fanciful look at the ingenuity of the Russian culture in terms of watches, space travel and Olympic sports.

– Elizabeth’s short history of Omega’s involvement in Olympic timing.

– A look at the equipment Omega brought to Sochi to time these Games, including a unique explanatory interactive animation.

– A rundown of the history of Russian watches and their contemporary status by guest author Craig Hester, an authority in Russian and Eastern European watches

– Joshua’s review of the Vostok-Europe Radio Room, a rugged timepiece outfitted with a Russian movement, whose historical inspiration is surely something you have never heard before.

– Joshua’s look at a timepiece called the Cinema, made by Konstantin Chaykin, Russia’s premier independent watchmaker.

– Elizabeth and Ian’s recap of Sochi as seen through the social media eyes of our friends and colleagues: an Instagram picture is worth a thousand words!

Register for Quill & Pad’s big prize giveaway!

* And in case you missed the big announcement, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to have a chance to win one of our big giveaway prizes celebrating the launch of Quill & Pad! All you need to do to enter is sign up at the right side of this screen.

Thomas Prescher Nemo SUB 1

* Independent watchmaker Thomas Prescher has just soft-launched a unique new piece of art called the Nemo SUB I. While in principle this Jules Verne-inspired piece includes the same functions and accuracy as one of the creative watchmaker’s timepieces, the idea of this piece is more to represent inspired kinetic art.

It comprises a bi-axial tourbillon housed within a sapphire crystal “case” comprising three “tubes” secured with 18-karat red gold and palladium metal strips. Thomas is producing only 5 of these, one of which is planned for completion in 2014.

Quill & Pad will naturally report on it as the story unfolds and the piece becomes available to five owners, who must pre-order in vintage souscription manner. Each piece of this modern art is manufactured by Thomas Prescher’s own two hands. www.prescher.ch

Vianney Halter’s 2014 Asia Tour

* Vianney Halter is taking his remarkable Deep Space Tourbillon on a tour of Asia, with the first stop Hong Kong on March 13-16. If you are interested in seeing it, please e-mail janvier@vianney-halter.com to arrange an appointment. www.vianney-halter.com

Panerai Eilean-inspired navigation instruments

* Officine Panerai debuts a new wall clock inspired by Eilean, the 1936 Bermudan ketch that represents Officine Panerai in classic yachting regattas. Since its restoration in 2007, Eilean has been equipped with a range of instruments specifically created by Officine Panerai.

The Richemont-owned brand now introduces the wall clock, barometer, thermometer and hygrometer instruments fitted with Officine Panerai’s characteristic black dial for regular purchase. www.panerai.com

A look into the Baselworld halls before construction on the fair begins

* Baselworld 2014 began setup for this year’s fair on February 10. One of Switzerland’s largest and most complex logistics events, the fair expects to see 7,000 truckloads of material arriving over the next five weeks. Shipments are received and distributed throughout the fair buildings via a network of underground streets.

As the trucks arrive in the city of Basel, they are called to the fair area –which is quite close to the inner city – by radio as it would never be able to accommodate so much traffic all at once. Nearly 20,000 total workers will be involved in the set-up of the fair to create the multi-storey booths and state-of-the art decoration that make up Messe Basel’s prime annual event. www.baselworld.com

Nomos Tetra Berlin set: a whiff of spring!

* Nomos introduces four new Tetra models in contemporary dial colors, perfect for spring. The quartet is christened Berlin and will be available for viewing at Baselworld. But for now, please enjoy this colorful photo in anticipation of warmer times ahead! www.nomos-glashuette.com

Presidential seal on a LeCoultre watch belonging to Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th president of the United States (photo courtesy Hodinkee)

* Looking around the web this week, one of the best stories we came across was by Eric Wind of Hodinkee, who presents a massive research piece depicting the personal timepieces of most U.S. presidents. Do have a look; it’s awe-inspiring: http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/personal-timepieces-every-united-states-president-ever