This year’s Hybris Artistica collection features a set of 12 unique masterpieces created to draw attention to this quasi-lost art. These 12 timepieces combine a high complication that is already unique to Jaeger-LeCoultre with an extreme artistic element . . .
Elizabeth and Ian are live on location in Le Sentier this week, where we are getting a first-hand look at the skills of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s artisans in some of the 180 different trades and crafts that this manufacture founded in 1833 unites under one (admittedly very large) roof.
* Quill & Pad has the honor of introducing Grieb & Benzinger’s latest bespoke creation: the Black Tulip Red Midnight. This masterfully skeletonized watch is the direct result of a customer’s desire: a watch connoisseur looking for a “stealth” watch that nonetheless portrays its value and rare handcrafts in a lower-key way, creating an eye-catching black-and-red look using unusual gemstones.
Thanks to the slew of popular sports watches based on Audemars Piguet’s evergreen Royal Oak that appear on the market every year, it should come as no surprise that the Audemars Piguet Millenary line often gets overlooked. While on an intellectual level, the reasoning is understandable, on an emotional level it remains a bit of a riddle.
Most of Stepan Sarpaneva’s timepieces involve the moon in some way. And of one thing Elizabeth am certain: it is surely Sarpaneva’s stylized rendition of the earth’s satellite that has drawn her to his work in such a powerfully magnetic way.
The moon seems to draw Sarpaneva himself in, but this trademark element came about in a bit of a surprising way, with much less advance planning as one might think. And, surely this is how the best things come about.
Richard Mille announces another new sporting ambassador following quickly on the heels of skier Alexis Pinturault, who won bronze at the Sochi Olympics in giant slalom. The luxury sporting brand now welcomes Romanin Grosjean to the fold. This announcement coincides with the first Formula 1 testing sessions of the E22 Lotus, which makes sense since Grosjean is a Lotus driver and Richard Mille also sponsors the entire Lotus team.
“This is, of course, the most important watch museum in the world,” Ludwig Oechslin says unapologetically as I sit across from him with my steaming cup of espresso during a jovial chat in the museum’s conference room. If there is one thing Oechslin does, he tells it like he sees it.
Angular Momentum may be known to the watch enthusiast as the boutique brand having produced such colorful and unique timepiece lines as the Axis, Time Explosion, Tec & Art, Color-Tec (which featured an innovative and colorful “mosaic” steel), and Eglomisé (“reverse painting” in French).
If you have been around the horological block a few times, you will certainly be aware of GaryG, a frequent poster on prevalent watch fora. His love of the art of luxury watchmaking is unmistakable, and his interest, intelligence and enthusiasm on the subject downright infectious. We are sure you will also love what he brings to the Quill & Pad table.
* We have just completed our very first themed fortnight, which provided you with stories from the Olympics in Sochi and Russian watchmaking and this week we bring news from : Panerai, Thomas Prescher, Vianney Halter, Baselworld, Nomos and more.