The twelfth edition of Poland’s Watch of the Year by CH24.PL included all timepieces introduced in 2021 competing across six regular categories. Brands did not have to enter their watches; the shortlists were made by the jury. And the wonderful winners are . . .
Ken Gargett recently had the good fortune to partake in a wine-tasting lunch with well-heeled friends and judge who brought the best wines. The best (though there was some controversy) was a 1989 Krug champagne. But there was no debate over the best red: a 2010 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany. Here he shares some of the fascinating history of Biondi-Santi and its wines.
In no particular order, Elizabeth Doerr shares eight random facts that she found interesting, entertaining, and/or educational that are mined from Quill & Pad articles published in 2021. Enjoy!
Every year people working in the watch industry pass away, and brands come and go. Here Elizabeth Doerr highlights a special few of the people we lost in 2021.
It was not an easy task for Sabine Zwettler to narrow down her favorite new launches from the last 12 months to just five models. With the plethora of truly well done and surprising watches, it would have been no problem for her to choose ten times as many! What did she end up with? Find out here!
Hervé Deschamps has described the Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs as “the quintessence of Chardonnay with the brilliance and rarity of a yellow diamond.” Ken Gargett thinks it’s hard to argue with that. Here he explains why and shares his experience with the 2006 vintage.
As Joshua Munchow swiped through posts on Instagram one day last year, he was stopped in his tracks, toothbrush dangling from his gaping mouth, eyes wide, and one singular thought running through his head as he stared at his phone: Grand Seiko doesn’t make movements like this. This is an avant-garde tourbillon movement with a constant force escapement and incredible, exposed mechanics! What in the world . . .?! Meet the T0.
While his friends’ paths into serious collecting have been fairly diverse, GaryG started with Jaeger-LeCoultre, which opened his eyes to the world of fine watchmaking and served as the foundation for his ongoing fascination with horology. Take a look here at Gary’s history collecting fascinating timepieces by this revered Swiss brand.
In this video, Philippe Dufour and Claude Sfeir discuss the results of the November 2021 Phillips auction featuring the Grande et Petite Sonnerie No. 1 pocket watch (1989), the Grande et Petite Sonnerie wristwatch (1992), the Duality (1996), and the Simplicity (2004). And they drop a hint that something new might well be in the works.
Ken Gargett describes the Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet 2018 as beautifully refined, elegant, and powerful with the structure and fruit to last and improve for another 10, 20, or 30 years. An exquisite Cabernet, one of Australia’s best, and his score reflects it. Here Ken also gives us more than ample background on Wynns, the premier producer in Coonawarra, South Australia.