Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision

Our Predictions In The Mechanical Exception Category Of The 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

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Welcome to the 2018 edition of Quill & Pad’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites and explains why. The GPHG foundation describes the Mechanical Exception category for watches entered as: “men’s or ladies’ watches with a special mechanism such as an innovative or sophisticated display, an automaton, a belt-driven movement, a striking or other acoustic function, or any other original and/or exceptional horological concept.”

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MoonMachine 2 in titanium by MB&F with Stepan Sarpaneva

MB&F MoonMachine 2 And The Proverbial Wolf Moon

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Joshua Munchow thinks of the new MB&F MoonMachine 2 as the “wolf MoonMachine.” Built on the HM8 platform, it contains only the third moon phase complication in MB&F’s history. But there has never been one quite like this!

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Philippe Dufour Simplicity

The Independent Watchmakers’ Struggle: Why It’s So Hard And What They Can Do To Better Survive (Archive)

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GaryG loves independent watchmaking and independent watchmakers; one of his great joys as a collector is having the feeling that, in a small way, he is supporting their efforts. So he put some thought into why independent watchmakers struggle in a business sense and how they can remain relevant in changing market situations.

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De Bethune DB28 with silicon/platinum annular balance

The Schmidt List: 5 Extraordinary Balance Wheels (Archive)

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The balance wheel is the regulatory organ of a mechanical watch, which is expected to deliver a consistent frequency with a tolerance of as little as 0.001 percent. With so much at stake, why complicate things by altering a pure and simple geometric shape? Why reinvent the wheel? Here Ryan Schmidt presents five balances that reinvented the wheel.

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Montegrappa Privilege

Montegrappa Privilege Pen: Forget Something Old, Something New; Here’s Something Discontinued

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One of the first times that Martin Green walked into high-end pen store P.W. Akkerman in The Hague – one of the few shops of its kind to survive – there was a Montegrappa Privilege on display that made a lasting impression on him. Fast forward a few years and here we are . . .

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Mornington Peninsula vineyards

Mornington Peninsula Wines Of Australia: Majestic Victorian Burgundies With Equally Majestic Views

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Most good wine regions in Australia are delightfully scenic. But few are quite as picturesque as the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. Located just to the south of Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, it is easy to visit for a day trip, but Ken Gargett thinks it’s much more fun to stay a few days.

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De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Chronomètre Tourbillon

Our Predictions In The Chronometry Category Of The 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie De Genève: A Clear Favorite Emerges

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Welcome to the 2018 edition of Quill & Pad’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites and explains why. Here we take on the Chronometry category for watches entered as: “mechanical watches that contain at least one tourbillon and/or a special escapement and/or another development improving precision timekeeping. Additional indications and/or complications are admissible.”

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Konstantin Chaykin And Svend Andersen Joker Automaton dial side

Konstantin Chaykin And Svend Andersen Joker Automaton: Haute Horlogerie Irreverence (On Video)

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Svend Andersen and Konstantin Chaykin are a couple of watchmakers that don’t tend to follow the norms; two men that in some ways couldn’t be more different, but in other ways are like two peas in a pod. The pair recently collaborated on a watch bringing the most irreverent side of each watchmaker together with the Automaton Joker. It certainly brought a smile to Joshua’s face and will likely do the same for you.

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Which one for you? Invention Pieces 2 and 1 by Greubel Forsey

Mothers Of Invention: Behind The Lens With Invention Pieces 1 And 2 By Greubel Forsey

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GaryG was delighted to take possession of an Invention Piece 1 with its inclined double tourbillon, while a good friend of his replied in kind with a purchase of the quadruple-tourbillon Invention Piece 2. Ever since, he has been dying to get these two gorgeous monsters side by side in the light tent. And the time has finally come!

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Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanium

Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanium With DMLS 3D-Printed Titanium Case: Prediction Comes True (Archive)

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Imagine my surprise when, in one of my rare predictions about the future of 3D printing in watchmaking, I got one right: the Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanium says it all. It is (as far as I know) the first production watch to utilize 3D direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) printing for the case construction. The case is made of titanium for extra lightness, but that’s not the only, or even the main, reason for using DMLS titanium.

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