Breitling’s 2018 Superocean

The Tool Watch Revolution: Utilitarian Goes Upmarket

Tool watches continue their evolution among the watch industry’s most luxurious and coveted brands. Here, Chris Malburg explores where their evolution has gone and might still go.

Eric Clapton’s Rolex Daytona Reference 6263 Oyster Albino (photo courtesy Phillips)

The (Not So) Complete Story Of Rock And Roll And Watches: Ramp The Volume Up To 11!

The mechanical watch works just like a metronome, with its isochronic balance maintaining a steady rhythm and the delicate tick-tock of its pallet jewels providing a rhythmic beat to our oft-frantic lives. If we ramp up the power and swap the metronome for a drum kit and a few electric guitars we have rock and roll! But which watches do rock-and-roll icons wear?

Santos de Cartier Skeleton 2018

Face Off: 2018 Santos De Cartier Skeleton Vs. 2010 Cartier Santos-Dumont Squelette

In this article I compare the new Santos de Cartier Skeleton to the Santos-Dumont Squelette from 2010 as these two models are from the same family, have a lot in common, and share the same high-end caliber.

Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon in red gold with blue dial

Baselworld 2018 Round Table: What We Liked And What We Didn’t Like At The World’s Largest Watch Fair

Please join our traditional Quill & Pad round table discussion on Baselworld 2018, where we discuss what we did and didn’t like at the world’s largest annual watch exhibition.

Yusupov Fabergé Egg

Parmigiani Fleurier And The Yusupov Fabergé Egg Of 1907

When they hear the name Fabergé, most people immediately think of imperial Easter eggs. The egg tradition hatched in 1885 when Tsar Alexander III commissioned his first Easter egg from Fabergé as a gift to his wife, Empress Maria Feodor. This became a yearly tradition, with Fabergé creating 50 eggs in total for the Russian court up to 1916. Here we have the story of the Yusupov Egg of 1907 and how it was restore by Parmigiani.

Parting shot: Boucheron bespoke tiger cufflink and Philippe Dufour Simplicity

GaryG Goes To Paris To Pick Up Custom Boucheron Cufflinks Or How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Archive)

Ah, Paris! City of Lights. For the watch collector, it’s a great place to visit with boutiques aplenty, some owned and operated by the major brands; high-end mega-stores like Bucherer; and smaller independent retailers like Chronopassion and Dubail. Gary took a quick weekend trip to Paris and while there he took the opportunity to pack in as much fun as possible. Come along and bienvenue!

Zenith Defy with blue dial

Blue Vs. Green At Baselworld 2018: Green Isn’t The New Blue (Hint: It’s Green)

Baselworld 2018 began for the Quill & Pad team on Wednesday, March 21, and from our very first meetings it looked obvious that green was back. But is it the new blue?

The follow day further confirmed that view as we saw one fantastic green-themed watch after another. On remarking on the apparent predominance of green this year over the perennial blue to one brand representative, their reply was, “Green is the new blue.” But two days do not a Baselworld make and blue came back in force.

The Fabergé Rosebud Egg from 1895 (photo courtesy The Forbes Collection)

Easter Special: A Brief History Of Fabulous Fabergé Eggs (Archive)

When they hear the name Fabergé, most people immediately think of imperial Easter eggs. This is logical because even today the breathtaking craftsmanship and detailed execution of these objets d’art are the stuff of legends.

Not in GaryG’s collection: the Rolex Daytona 116595RBOW introduced at Baselworld 2018

The Bling and I: Collecting Jeweled And Decorated Timepieces

Watch collecting should be fun! Yes, it’s important to show the proper respect for the designers and makers of the watches we all love, but at the same time I think it’s completely appropriate to go beyond somber and traditional daily watches and give a bit of free rein to one’s desire for more flamboyant timepieces.

Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon in red gold with blue dial

Parting Thoughts (22 Of Them) From Baselworld 2018

As I arrive home exhausted from the extravaganza that was Baselworld 2018, but still running on enough residual adrenaline to get words out, I jot down a few of my thoughts from the fair while they are still fresh.