For this special article, GaryG has the pleasure of covering the wonderful Grönefeld One Hertz. For a watch fanatic, and especially for lovers of independent watch brands, it’s a dream come true to meet the makers of the watches that we admire. With the Grönefeld brothers, it’s that pleasure multiplied by two.
Around the halfway point of Baselworld 2019, Quill & Pad editor-in-chief Elizabeth Doerr got together with Marc André Deschoux of The Watches TV to chat about what they saw at this highly significant edition of the fair: they discussed things they liked – gorgeous, unique horology for the female wrist included – and watches seemingly important in the larger scheme of haute horlogerie. Sit back and enjoy the discussion illustrated by The Watches TV’s beautiful footage.
The Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1L features an age-of-the-moon indication tied to an ultra-precise moon phase display. It also discerns the direction of phase (waxing or waning) to signify where in the lunar cycle the moon is. And all presented using some cool mechanics and very clever design.
If John Keil was to recommend a brand-new functional diver’s watch to a friend who was looking to spend within a certain price range, these would be his suggestions. Or, more specifically, here is what he would purchase himself in a variety of price categories.
It is no secret that Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran is watch collector with a collection that features many heavy-hitting modern timepieces from Patek Philippe and Richard Mille. Nick Gould recently spotted Sheeran wearing a vintage Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph on the Instagram page of his head security guard, Kevin Myers.
A question often asked is whether a wine three or four times the price of another can be three or four times as good. In reality, people pay high prices for special wines for all manner of reason, so that is very rarely the case. And for Ken Gargett, in the case of the Henschke Hill of Grace 2014 & Henschke Mount Edelstone 2015 definitely not.
The Seiko Credor GXBE998 pocket watch’s “secret” is an engraving that celebrates life. The brand’s artists honor Credor’s 45th anniversary with something truly unique: a three-dimensional hand-engraving of the tree of life, which is a significant concept in both the Shinto and Buddhist religions.
Kari Voutilainen listened to his fans and created a watch that fulfills the oft-repeated desire “I almost want to wear the watch backwards because that movement is so beautiful!” The inverted 28ti does just that.
Here at Quill & Pad we are quite smitten by Romain Gauthier’s award-winning Logical One. But one thing that often gets glossed over somewhat is the subject of one of this watch’s four patents: the incredible high-precision chain made of synthetic ruby links. Combined with the snail cam, it is this element that provides the ingenious movement with constant force.
As humanity barrels toward the premier of the final season of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ saga and the highly-anticipated showdown with the Night King, various companies begin to roll out associated items to profit from the show’s massive fan base. But Elizabeth Doerr has yet to see anything equaling the chilling look and high quality of Montegrappa’s latest limited edition pen set recreating some of the show’s most gothic-looking characters.