Parting shot: G.N. Papi No.1 pocket watch

Exclusive: The Giulio Papi No. 1 Pocket Watch

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Sometimes persistence pays off. After a few well-placed questions, the shopkeeper brought out a relatively innocent looking skeletonized pocket watch. With a wry smile, he suggested that the buyer take a look at the tiny lug, leaving my friend flabbergasted. “G.N. Papi No.1” is a clear reference to Giulio Papi. The legendary watch industry figure who leads Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi and now my friend has stumbled across what could be his very first timepiece from 1984.

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Guy Martin in the Isle of Man TT race

Here’s Why A Watch Is More Like A Motorcycle Than A Car

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This is the first installment in a new series of articles focusing on a single concept. I’m calling it “Here’s Why.” Here I explain here’s why a watch is more like a motorcycle (and an iPod) than a car. To help me find the answers, I spoke to a few serious motorbike riders who also love mechanical watches, such as Bremont ambassador Charley Boorman and motorcycle enthusiast and watch journalist Keith Strandberg. The answers will surprise you.

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Titanium cased Romain Gauthier Logical One Black

Back In Black: Romain Gauthier’s Logical One Black

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Romain Gauthier’s Logical One is a masterpiece of complicated mechanics, boasting − as with all of the models in his collection − a level of finishing rivaled only by the likes of Philippe Dufour, Greubel Forsey, and Kari Voutlainen. That’s high praise, indeed. With its four patents, Logical One delivers what it promises: a re-imagined complication laid out very logically. And the most recent edition of the timepiece taking home the 2013 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève prize for best men’s complication is a surprising all-black version.

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Krone limited edition pen commemorating Vincent Van Gogh

The Thick Swirling Brush Strokes Of Krone’s Vincent Van Gogh Pen

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Krone, founded in the United States in 1997, has made its name by producing commemorative limited edition pens as a tribute to people, events, and things that helped shape history. Editions have included such topics as Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Duke Ellington. The most recent honors Vincent Van Gogh, featuring a beautiful hand-painted representation of his famous work Starry Night in miniature on the barrel.

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The Ulysse Nardin Stranger for Only Watch 2015

Music Boxes And Heartfelt Causes: Ulysse Nardin Stranger

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Ulysse Nardin’s Stranger burst onto the scene in 2013, the first wristwatch with a visible music box mechanism. It plays 16 seconds of Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night.” The latest is a Stranger for the 2015 Only Watch auction, which is a one-of-one unique example that plays “We are the Champions” by Queen.

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Breguet Rêve de Plume

Breguet’s Rêve De Plume Haute Joaillerie: A Quill By Any Other Name

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As the resident pen writer at this publication, and since ‘plume’ is the French word for both quill and pen, I thought I’d share my thoughts about Breguet’s Rêve de Plume. This haute joaillerie timepiece is part of the Breguet Plumes collection, and it is a tribute to Queen Marie Antoinette.

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Mens watches entered in the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Full List Of Watches Competing In The 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

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It’s that time of year again when the list of watches competing in the next edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is published. The list represents all of the watches competing in the first round of the competition from which the jury will preselect six in each category for a total of 72. Check out all of the competing watches as well as those we have written about here.

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Cartier Tank with custom Camille Fournet strap

My Wife, The Watch Collector

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For Quill & Pad’s themed “Ladies’ Week” in my role as resident collector, my thoughts turned immediately to that other collector in my life: my charming wife. MrsG is perhaps most enthusiastic about her collection of Southwestern Native American arts and jewelry, but let’s get started with a look at her interesting watches, which include excellent examples from Jaeger-LeCoultre, Blancpain, Alain Silberstein, Audemars Piguet, and more.

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Ball Engineer Master II Skindiver II on the wrist of Kiss drummer Eric Singer

Ball Watch SpringLock Shock Protection Tested By Kiss Drummer Eric Singer

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In the relatively short amount of time since Ball Watch re-entered the watch world, the brand has managed to create a few interesting technical details to enhance its interesting, affordable watch range. The brand’s arsenal of technical improvements includes the patented SpringLock shock protection system, which was tested under real conditions on the wrist of Kiss drummer Eric Singer before being implemented into regular collection watches.

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Eric Singer's Anonimo San Marco on the wrist

Eric Singer, Kiss Drummer And Watch Collector

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Talking to Eric Singer about watches is like cramming four months’ worth of casual shop talk into one hour: Singer is really, really into watches. One of rock’s hardest working drummers, he has played with acts like Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Lita Ford, and Gary Moore as well as Kiss. In addition to a love of music, Singer inherited a love of timepieces from his father; his extensive collection illustrates his passion for the subject.

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