Entries by Ian Skellern

Initial Impressions Of Dubai Watch Week

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Quill & Pad is in Dubai for the exciting inaugural event known as Dubai Watch Week. Dubai Watch Week (DWW) targets both local and international watch collectors and aficionados with five different sections of activity. So far, these have been popular and busy. “Dubai Watch Week is a first for the Middle East and an incredible initiative by the Seddiqi Group,” said Maximilian Büsser of MB&F of the event co-organized by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Sports Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

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Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six pre-selected finalists in the Sports category are the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, the Harry Winston Project Z9, Seiko’s Prospex Marinemaster Professional Diver’s 1000m Hi-Beat 36000, the Tudor Pelagos, and the Zenith El Primero Sport.

Video: An In-Depth Look At The Greubel Forsey 24 Secondes Vision

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Greubel Forsey’s timepieces usually have much of the movement on display on the dial side, which is all the better to appreciate the beauty of its design and sublime hand-finishing. But the 24 Secondes Vision is altogether more discreet and it does not fully reveal its magic until it is turned over. That’s where the micro-mechanical ballet beneath the transparent dome takes place.

Why Do Ultra-High-End Watches Cost So Much? Hand-Finishing At Romain Gauthier Sheds Some Light

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In this article I look at why high end watches cost so much by examining one of the most important factors. To answer this question, there are quite a few reasons, including low production numbers (mass manufacture brings prices down) and high complexity, but the one I will focus on here is hand-finishing, because unlike low production numbers and high complexity, ultra-high-level hand-finishing is not usually easy to appreciate.

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Jewellery Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve

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Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six pre-selected finalists in the Jewellery category are the audacious Audemars Piguet Diamond Punk, Bulgari’s MVSA High Jewellery Watch, the Chaumet Joséphine Aigrette Impériale, de Grisogono’s fluid Grappoli, the colorful Fabergé Summer in Provence Multicoloured Sapphire, and the Piaget Extremely Piaget Double Sided Cuff Watch.

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Artistic Crafts Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

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Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six finalists in the Artistic Crafts category are the Blancpain Villeret cadran Shakudo, Girard-Perregaux The Chambers of Wonders – The New World, Harry Winston Premier Precious Butterfly Automatic 36mm, Hermès Slim d’Hermès Koma Kurabe, Piaget Altiplano Scrimshaw, and the Romain Gauthier Logical One Secret Kakau Höfke.

Why I Bought It: The Corum Bubble Vintage

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I have a fairly narrow frame of reference when it comes to buying watches for myself: my taste runs to independents, in-house movements, and superlative hand-finishing. So why on earth am I sitting here typing about the Corum Bubble, which is from a big (for me) brand and outfitted with an ETA 2892 movement with an industrial finish? Well, this is why I bought it.

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Petite Aiguille Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

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Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six pre-selected finalists are the Bulgari Diagono Magnesium, Habring2’s Felix, the Hermès Slim d’Hermès, Montblanc’s Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, the Tudor North Flag, and the Zenith Elite 6150.

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Mechanical Exception Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

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Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six pre-selected finalists in the Mechanical Exception category are the Christophe Claret Maestoso, Dewitt Academia Mathematical, Emmanuel Bouchet Complication One, Hautlence Vortex, HYT H3, and Jaquet Droz’s The Charming Bird.

Stunning New Geophysic Collection From Jaeger-LeCoultre: True Second And Universal Time

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The Geophysic True Second and Geophysic Universal Time are not just great value watches, they are great watches. Period. Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the first Geophysic in 1958 as an instrument for scientists working in the International Geophysical Year. The new collection takes that inspiration much further than could ever have been dreamed of in 1958.