Partagás Lusitania cigars

Partagás Lusitania Cigars: Reliably Top Notch

When it comes to Partagás Lusitania cigars, Ken Gargett stresses that size matters. As does checking the box before buying. One caveat, however: he warns that if you are not prepared to devote two to two and a half hours to the cigar, read no further. This is a very fine cigar – a double corona – to enjoy over time.

Vacheron Constantin Tourbillon with blue dial

SIHH 2019 Round Table: What We Liked, What We Didn’t Like, And What We Would Buy For Ourselves. Warning: Heavy Photo Fest And Sexually Graphic Images

Join our Quill & Pad round table discussion where we reveal what we did and didn’t like at the 2019 SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie). Erotic “hot horologie” and bonbons included along with the most honest opinions you’re bound to find.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán Performante

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán Performante: Serious High-Performance Synergy With Lamborghini

Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini have a special relationship: the watches that have so far come from this still relatively young collaboration have not only been impressive but also suck you into the world of Lamborghini without a car even being in sight. It is almost like the watchmakers at Roger Dubuis have infused this watch with motor oil and replaced the ticking of the escapement with the growl of an Italian high-performance engine. And the Excalibur Huracán Performante is all the evidence you need!

Cartier Santos-Dumont large wristshot

The Best-Looking Cartier Santos-Dumont Is As Of 2019 The Most Affordable

At SIHH 2019, George Cramer was pleased to see a stunning new historically inspired Santos-Dumont model in stainless steel. And to his eye it looks even better than the model from the now-defunct Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP) line.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with blue Tapisserie dial

Trends: Not All Watches Are Created Equal – Reprise

Trends rule a larger part of our lives than many of us wish to admit. Sometimes we follow trends consciously, but often we are subconsciously influenced in the choices we make. All brands perform a delicate tightrope walk, but they differ in how successful they are. Let’s take a look at how trends affect or don’t affect now-iconic timepieces.

MB&F HM6 Final Edition wristshot

MB&F Horological Machine N°6 Final Edition: The Last HM6, But Not The Best

Martin Green ranks the Horological Machine N°6 Sapphire Vision, which MB&F released in 2016, as one of the most memorable watches ever created. And now with the final edition of Horological Machine N°6 he asks whether MB&F saved the best for last.

Not for beginners: the author’s Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II with bespoke dial and case

Commissioning A Watch: My Journey With The Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II – Reprise

In late February 2010, an informal group of Northern California watch collectors, all owners of at least one Kari Voutilainen watch, met for lunch. One of the members of the group nonchalantly mentioned, “I’ve been talking with Kari about something . . ..” It was a set of bespoke Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II models. GaryG’s response two seconds later: “I’m in!” So how did it go after that?

2019 Monblanc Heritage models

Montblanc 2019 Heritage Line: Minerva More Visible Than Ever. And That Is So, So Good

The new Montblanc Heritage collection is so inspired by Minerva’s illustrious past that you may only be able to tell which decade they were produced in by taking them in your hands and feeling the weight of modern stainless steel or 18-karat gold cases. And I guarantee you will fall in love with them!

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel: Once In A Blue Moon

Enamel dials are not as uncommon as they once were, and brands need to do a little bit more to stand out. Jaeger-LeCoultre has no problem with that as the Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel features eye-catching blue enamel over a hand-guilloche dial. But what else makes this new model introduced at SIHH 2019 stand out?

Bovet Virtuoso IX

Bovet Virtuoso IX: Double-Faced Masterpiece Featuring Tourbillon, Large Date, Second Time Zone, World Time, Plus 10-Day Power Reserve With Spherical Winding

The new Bovet Virtuoso IX combines a (double-face) flying tourbillon with two time zones, large date, an impressive power reserve of ten days, plus the brand’s patented Amadeo convertable case.