Bond Roberts Cigar Auctions: Avoid The Plethora Of Fake Cigars With This Trustworthy Source

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Bond Roberts is a joint venture between Rob Fox of James J. Fox and Rob Ayala of Friends of Habanos. They refer to the operation as, “a transparent cigar exchange where technology, oversight, and member participation come together to offer the largest continuous selection of aged, vintage, and rare Cuban cigars to the global market in a secure trading environment.” Ken Gargett weighs in on the trustworthiness of the new operation.

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Hermès Arceau Harnais Français Remix: Colorful Horseplay

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For the Hermès Arceau Harnais Français Remix, Hermès’ watch designers found inspiration in a pair of beautifully harnessed horses that formed the centerpiece of a silk scarf designed by Hugo Grykar, who served as the brand’s in-house designer from the 1940s until 1959. The dial is engraved Limoges porcelain painstakingly decorated with colorful oven-fired enamel. And the result is a wearable work of art!

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Romain Gauthier Insight Micro-Rotor Squelette Carbonium: Adding Lightness

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The time-only Romain Gauthier Micro-Rotor already seemed like it was built around the concept of ‘simplify, then add lightness’ as it was pared back to the essentials while still maintaining the Gauthier flair. Now the Insight Micro-Rotor Squelette doubles down on the concept and continues to add even more lightness everywhere thanks in great part to open architecture that has been skeletonized, laying the inner workings bare. But there’s more to it, and Joshua Munchow explains all of it here.

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Why Do Ultra-High-End Watches Cost So Much? Hand-Finishing At Romain Gauthier Sheds Some Light – Reprise

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Why do high-end watches cost so much? To answer the question, Ian Skellern looked at low production numbers and high complexity, but the cost he focuses on here is hand-finishing, because unlike low production numbers and high complexity, ultra-high-level hand-finishing is not easy to appreciate.

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Fitting Rolex balance wheel and Parachrom hairspring

Is Silicon Here To Stay In (Rolex) Watch Movements? – Reprise

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Hairsprings are miniscule. Generally no more than one centimeter in overall diameter when coiled, they are roughly 50 microns thick and 150 microns wide. Tiny they may be, but insignificant they are not. In fact, they are so significant that Rolex refers to them as “the guardians of time.” But what do silicon hairsprings bring to the table? Watchmaker Ashton Tracy explains why he went from skeptic to fan.

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Open Letter To Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin: I’m Sorry, I Was Wrong. Whether Geneva Watch Days Runs Or Not In Late August 2020, It Was Worth Optimistically Planning For

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Whether Geneva Watch Days takes place or not, and whether it’s deemed successful or not because of all the travel and quarantine restrictions, doesn’t change the fact that there was a good chance that it could have run very successfully. Which means Ian Skellern was wrong in calling Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin delusional for organizing it. And for that he apologizes.

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Parmigiani Hippologia

Equus Forma Mechanica: The Parmigiani Fleurier Hippologia – Reprise

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One viewing of the Parmigiani Fleurier Hippologia in action is enough to confirm that its two horses’ gaits seem completely fluid and natural. The Hippologia displays two horses, a mare, and a foal taking a stroll around a Lalique glassware cabinet enclosing the highly complicated automaton and eight-day clock movement. This is an object that needs to be seen to be believed.

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Swiss Newcomer Norqain Introduces (Relatively) Affordable Independence 20 With Upmarket Movement

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Sabine Zwettler likes the flair of Norqain, a young, innovative brand bringing a fresh impulse by respecting the traditional values of the industry in general and Swiss codes in particular. She finds reading the time on this brand-new watch’s unusual green dial with its charming scratches a real pleasure. What do you think?

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Penfolds 2016 Grange And G4: Superlative Wines, Well Deserving Of 100 Points. Each!

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Ken Gargett thinks that the Penfolds Grange 2016 has a good 50 years ahead of it, for anyone planning their grandkids’ cellar. Giving this wine 100 points is one of the easiest things he has done in ages. And yet, the day after the wine seemed even better. Outstanding. And he rates the G4 as good as it gets. Cheers.

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Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon: Double Triple-Axis Spherical Tourbillons At That!

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Complicated haute horlogerie doesn’t get much better than twin triple-axis spherical tourbillons as found in the Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon. And while in some cases less is more, here more is definitely more. The tourbillons are mesmerizing in part thanks to their high rotation velocity; they make full revolutions in respectively 8, 16, and 30 seconds. What is behind this masterful piece of high watchmaking?

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