GlashĂĽtte Original Sixties Iconic Blue

Sixties Iconic: Glashütte Original’s Richly Multicolored Homage To Vintage East German Style

in 2007, something a little lighter entered the GlashĂĽtte Original collection: a watch called the Senator Sixties, which could be even classified as fun. Building on that, the look of the new GlashĂĽtte Original Sixties Iconic collection features historic visuals created using the actual stamps of dial supplier Th. MĂĽller utilized in the 1960s. But what will really take you by surprise is the range of funky colors.

Good enough to eat – literally

You Are There: Breguet’s Art And Innovation In Watchmaking Exhibition

I had the privilege of being invited to the recent pre-opening gala for the San Francisco exhibition of the works of Abraham-Louis Breguet.

Since the foundation of my collecting passion has a lot to do with gaining access to the behind the scenes world of watches, I made a point of shuffling my “day job” schedule to attend. And now you can come along.

Striking watches pre-selected for the 2015 GPHG. Clockwise from top left: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, Akrivia Tourbillon Chiming Jump Hour, Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges, Hublot Big Bang Alarm Repeater, Franc Vila Inaccessible Tourbillon Minute Repeater and Christophe Claret Allegro

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Striking Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six pre-selected finalists in the Striking category are the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, Akrivia Tourbillon Chiming Jump Hour, Christophe Claret Allegro, Franc Vila Inaccessible Tourbillon Minute Repeater, Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges, and the Hublot Big Bang Alarm Repeater.

HYT H3

An Odyssey To Number 3: HYT H3

The HYT H3 is an increditastic piece of horology, and my favorite HYT to date. Just in case you don’t know what makes it so fantastic I’ll go through some of the main points that make me drool inside. The movement architecture is entirely new for the H3, and this allows for a remarkably different layout and new options for showing hours and minutes – and for presenting the mechanism to the wearer.

Anita Porchet at the 175 anniversary of Patek Philippe in 2014

The 2015 GaĂŻa Awards: Giulio Papi, Anita Porchet, And Jonathan Betts Honored

In 1993, the Musée International d’Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds (MIH) created the Gaïa Award to honor the memory of one of the earliest partrons of the museum, Maurice Ditisheim. In sharp contrast to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, which can be seen more as the Academy Awards or Oscars, the Gaïa has often been called the Nobel Prize of the watch industry. Anita Porchet is not the only deserving laureate this year. Giulio Papi and Jonathan Betts have also been honored.

L. Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon

Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon: A Proverbial Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

Now, I know you are thinking, the Leroy Chronomètre à Tourbillon seems like a nice enough watch.

And at first glance it is.

If you have gotten close enough to gaze at the beautiful enamel and understand the secrets hidden within the dial, then there is a good chance you will see and understand the real goods – those that make you wonder what is going to be inside the case.

Flipping over the Chronomètre à Tourbillon you find an unassuming hunter case back, but getting it open, again, precludes a secret: a hidden button underneath the crown. Pressing that button throws you back and rocks your world.

Calendar watches pre-selected for the 2015 GPHG. Clockwise from top left: Hermès Slim d'Hermès QP, Blancpain Villeret, Quantième Complet, Claude Meylan Full Calendar, Ulysse Nardin FreakLab, Tiffany & Co CT60 Annual Calendar, and Hublot Classic Fusion Aeromoon

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Calendar Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six pre-selected finalists in the Calendar category are: Blancpain’s Villeret Quantième Complet, the Claude Meylan Full Calendar, Hermès’ soon-to-be-iconic Slim d’Hermès QP, Hublot’s Classic Fusion Aeromoon, the Tiffany & Co CT60 Annual Calendar, and Ulysse Nardin’s FreakLab.

Tourbillon watches pre-selected for the 2015 GPHG. Clockwise from top left: Antoine Preziuso Tourbillon of Tourbillons, Blancpain L-evolution C, Tourbillon Carrousel, Bovet 1822 Braveheart, MB&F Horological Machine N°6, Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon and Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Tourbillon Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

The six pre-selected finalists in the Tourbillon category of the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève are: the Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon, Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision, MB&F HM6 Space Pirate, Antoine Preziuso Tourbillon of Tourbillons, and the Bovet 1822 Braveheart. Here are our picks and why.

Aurora borealis in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Time-Lapse Of Aurora Borealis In Jackson Hole, Wyoming

While on holiday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming I thought that I would take advantage of the moonless, clear sky and try my hand at shooting a time-lapse series of photos of the stars rotating. I set up my Canon 5D Mk III on a tripod pointing roughly north with the following settings: Lens: 35 -70 mm set to 35 mm; F: 4.0; ISO: 1600 and shutter: 30 seconds. This is the big surprise that I got!

Men's watches pre-selected for the 2015 GPHG shown clockwise from top left: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Small Seconds, Laurent Ferrier Galet Square, Louis Vuitton Escale Time Zone, Voutilainen GMR, MB&F HMX, and Piaget Altiplano 900P

Quill & Pad’s Predictions For The Men’s Category Of The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Welcome to the 2015 edition of Quill & Pad’s early Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) predictions in which we pick our favorites and explain why. The six pre-selected finalists in the Men’s category are: MB&F’s anniversary HMX, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Square, Kari Voutilainen’s beautifully finished Voutilainen GMR, the Louis Vuitton Escale Time Zone, and Piaget’s Altiplano 900P, currently the thinnest mechanical watch in the world.