Entries by Ian Skellern

Photo Essay: Making Of The R822 Predator By Roland Iten, The World’s Most Expensive Belt Buckle

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While $450,000 (give or take a bit of change) isn’t a sum that even the richest among us is likely to scoff at, it’s quite possible that a more expensive belt buckle exists that I don’t know about. However, it’s very unlikely that any buckle exists that comes even close to the high levels of sophistication and engineering found in the Roland Iten R822 Predator. The diamonds really are just the icing on the cake.

The Richard Mille Boutique In Mayfair, London

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It’s no surprise that it took Richard Mille many years to find a suitable location for a flagship London boutique: the brand was not looking for the right space in London, it was looking in the right space in Mayfair.

And in 90 Mount Street, Mayfair, London, Richard Mille found it.

Like many (though certainly not all) of the luxury brands in the area, the Richard Mille boutique is relatively unassuming from the outside. However, two large, frosted images of Richard Mille’s instantly-recognizable, tonneau-shaped case on the front windows provide a fairly substantial clue for those familiar with the brand.

The Urwerk UR-110 Eastwood: A Tailor-Made Farewell Of Timber And Tweed

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The fact is that Urwerk is a small brand, albeit an extremely imaginative and talented small brand, with very limited resources available. That means that if Urwerk wants to use resources to develop and produce a new model, it first has to stop producing one of the older models. So unfortunately it’s soon to be bye-bye to the UR-110. But fortunately it’s hello to the final UR-110 model: the “Eastwood”!

Roundup of SalonQP 2014: London’s Premier Watch Exhibition

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SalonQP, London’s premier watch exhibition, ran from the 6th through the 8th of November 2014 at the prestigious Saatchi Art Gallery in central London. It was bigger and better than ever in terms of both size and visitor numbers.

Read on for more than just a few reasons (and lots of photos) why SalonQP is my favorite watch exhibition.

Heartbeat: Horological Machine No. 6 By MB&F

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I am a big fan of MB&F’s crazy Horological Machines and think that they make world of watchmaking much, much richer. Despite that, I have had a hard time imagining one on my own average-sized, conservative wrist. Whereas previous Horological Machines have been high-tech, miniaturized machines, the curved case and eye-like domes make HM6 feel organic and corporeal. . . a nice, friendly and (despite the titanium case) soft animal begging to be touched.

Aiguille d’Or: Round Table Discussion Of The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2014

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Now we get to the real nitty-gritty at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.: the Aiguille d’Or. There are no ifs, and or buts any more, just a decision on which of the 72 pre-selected watches is the best overall timepiece of the year. It is the most prestigious of the awards given.
Which could be our panel’s favorite to win? The Margot by Christophe Claret? Urwerk EMC? Perhaps the De Bethune DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon? Or will it be something else entirely?

Petite Aiguille Pre-Selected Watches: Round Table Discussion Of The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2014

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The Petite Aiguille category is for watches under 8,000 Swiss francs (approx $8,500). The contenders are Bell & Ross BR03-92 Ceramic Black Matte, Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chrono, Montblanc Meisterstück Heritage Moonphase, Seiko Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36,000 GMT, TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronographe “Racing,” and the Zenith El Primero Synopsis.

Sports Pre-Selected Watches: Round Table Discussion Of The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2014

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The Sports watch category has always been one of the most hotly contested prizes because these are the watches that many people actually wear. Our pre-selected contenders in the Sports category this year are: the Bell & Ross BR126 Vintage Sport Heritage GMT Flyback, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback, the Aerofusion Chronograph Pelé by Hublot, Tissot’s T-Touch Expert Solar, the Tudor Heritage Ranger, and the El Primero Lightweight by Zenith.