In Ken Gargett’s opinion, the Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 2006 champagne is still quite exuberant and has a chalky/minerally backing with a little grip on the finish, entwined with a hint of bitter almonds. Ken would happily drink this any time he could as it is undoubtedly one of the best champagnes from the 2006 vintage.
Thrill of the chase. Intellectual satisfaction. Investment. There are nearly as many reasons for collecting things as there are things to collect. But when it comes to watches and writing instruments, a variety of shared motivations, perhaps catalyzed by the obvious common characteristics of the objects themselves, make them conspicuous crossovers for collectors.
One streaming series Elizabeth Doerr was really looking forward to was ‘And Just Like That,’ the much-anticipated sequel to ‘Sex and the City.’ She has always loved the taboo-laden adventures of the quartet of New York City fashionista heroines of this story and their diverse love lives – escapism at its best with lots of funky fashion to ogle and girl talk to laugh along with. It was the perfect show for Cartier to fill with product placement, too, even if reviews haven’t been the greatest. Here’s why.
Ken Gargett has tasted several Louis Roederer Cristal vintages over recent years, but how did the recently disgorged wine fare in 2014? Could it match the 2012 or 2013? Read on to discover what Ken thinks of the Cristal 2014 and whether it can stand up to the hype.
Women have played a significant role in Breguet’s history, acting as inspiration or catalyst for some of the company’s most memorable timepieces – a phenomenon that continues today. So in 2018, when Breguet launched a timepiece in honor of St. Valentine’s Day, it was the start of an annual ode to love that has become as highly anticipated for watch lovers as the holiday itself. Here are all five of these limited edition timepieces.
Elizabeth Doerr is the last of the Quill & Pad team to pick her top ten watches of 2021. And even though she has been thinking about such a list for most of the year – seeing as a relatively significant portion of it was spent in lockdown – she still had a hard time narrowing it down to just ten pieces. Do you agree with what she chose?
Greubel Forsey’s Art Pieces are among the world’s most notable art-related timepieces and not just because they tackle the subject of art for art’s sake but also because the Art Pieces highlight the relationship horology has with art. Elizabeth Doerr doesn’t think that there is any denying that the modern art of watchmaking has a synergy with art as a whole. And that is abundantly visible in these watches.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hidden Treasures collection consists of three Reverso watches featuring dials with exquisite miniature reproductions of lost paintings by three master painters: Gustave Courbet (1876), Vincent Van Gogh (1888), and Gustav Klimt (1917). Each piece’s painting has its own interesting story highlighting why it was considered a “hidden treasure.” Joshua Munchow shares those stories with us here.
Japanese whisky distillery Mars Shinshu is still working to establish its house style. “Searching for its soul,” distillery manager Koki Takehira calls it, and he is off to a wonderful start. At this stage, the whiskies appear to be from the elegant and complex end of the spectrum, and there is a gentle sweetness, more so than found in most Japanese whiskies. Ken Gargett takes us through the history of Mars Shinshu and shares tasting notes of a few of the whiskies.
London, one day in the not-too-distant future, the final board meeting of the Lux Timepieces III Fund had been a stormy one. Principal investor Igor Abramovich had flounced out after throwing his Roger W Smith Series 1 on the boardroom table, where it shattered into dozens of meticulously handmade pieces . . . hang on to your hats because this is a wild and laugh-out-loud ride!