Entries by Ian Skellern

50 Unbelievable And Timely Facts About Earth – Reprise

November 24, 2021 /0 Comments/in , , , /by

How much time could one survive in space without a suit? Are there truly 24 hours in a day? Why could dinosaurs not live in the present day (shock: ‘Jurassic Park’ is complete fiction)? Where are most of the volcanos on earth? Is there a river beneath the Amazon? How long has it been since it has rained on the driest place on earth? And what percentage of the world’s species we have discovered? Here are 50 things you should know about the planet we live on.

Complete List And Photos Of All Shortlisted Watches In The 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)

September 11, 2021 /3 Comments/in , /by

The 2021 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) has just published its list of shortlisted (“nominated”) watches in the runup to the eagerly anticipated red-carpet event in Geneva on November 4, 2021. Ian Skellern shares all of the finalist watches in each category here. Let us know your favorites!

Larcum Kendall And K1: The Greatest Watchmaker And Watch You Have (Probably) Never Heard Of – Reprise

September 11, 2021 /4 Comments/in , , /by

You may have heard of a few or more of the following historical people and events: Thomas Mudge, George Graham, John Harrison, the Longitude Prize, Captain James Cook, and the mutiny on the ‘HMS Bounty.’ However, you are less likely to have heard the name of a horologist who played a pivotal role in all of the above: Larcum Kendall (1719–1790). Come with me on a worldwide adventure involving timekeeping and history.

Oscillon l’Instant de Vérité: The Most − If Not The Only − Fully Handmade Watch Available Today – Reprise

September 4, 2021 /1 Comment/in , /by

I know of only three watchmakers making watches completely (no CNC machines) by hand today: Greubel Forsey with its Hand Made 1 and Dominique Buser and Cyrano Devanthey, who are hand-making watches they call l’Instant de Vérité under the umbrella of their own micro brand Oscillon. And what a watch this is!

5 Of The Best De Bethune Models In The Last 12 Months Plus Bonus Video Of The De Bethune x Voutilainen Kind Of Magic For Only Watch 2021

September 3, 2021 /5 Comments/in , , , /by

The second edition of Geneva Watch Days (August 30 through September 3, 2021) is upon the Quill & Pad team, and among the many brands Ian has looked forward to catching up with is one of his all-time favorites: De Bethune. Here are six watches the brand has recently released as seen through Ian’s lens, including the brand’s unique Only Watch 2021 piece.

Why Geneva Watch Days And Dubai Watch Week Are My Favorite Watch Fairs

August 19, 2021 /1 Comment/in , /by

While the last 18 months have wreaked havoc on the big (and not so big) watch fairs – and everything else – there have been two rays of horological sunshine in the last couple of years: in November 2019 (just months before COVID-19 hit) the biannual Dubai Watch Week took place, which was bigger and better than ever. And then in August 2020 the inaugural Geneva Watch Days was held during a lull in the pandemic and it was superb. Here Ian Skellern explains why these two fairs have become his favorites.

In Praise of Anglage: Exceptional Hand-Finished Anglage Is Difficult, Slow, And Expensive So The Big Brands Have Given Up And Few Seem To Have Noticed (Or Seem To Care) – Thank God For The Indies!

August 6, 2021 /12 Comments/in , , , /by

Big brands are now making beautiful, reliable, and relatively accurate “traditional” mechanical watches, but the handcrafted work many of us value is disappearing. Highly skilled watchmakers and artisans are rare and expensive: there just aren’t enough of them available to churn out the large quantity of nice watches now being sold. And why bother when nobody seems to have noticed?