The Unintentional Watch Collector: An Unplanned Watch Collection Spanning Eight Decades

/5 Comments/in , , , , /by

Colin Alexander Smith never set out to collect watches; in fact, he suspects that deep down he aspires to being a one-watch guy. He has only bought himself a new watch on two occasions in his life. Nevertheless, through a combination of new and used purchases, gifts, hand-me-downs, and inherited pieces, Colin has managed to accumulate a selection of watches that rather neatly spans eight consecutive decades of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Find out what is behind each of these watches remaining in Colin’s collection right here.

Read more

6 Steel Sports Watch Options That Are Both (Relatively) Affordable And Definitely Obtainable

/11 Comments/in , , , /by

Unless you have been residing under a large rock in recent years, you are most probably (and perhaps quite painfully) aware that the classic steel sports watches designed by Gérald Genta for Audemars Piguet (Royal Oak) and Patek Philippe (Nautilus) are both beyond the financial reach of most people and in many cases simply not available even if you can afford them. Here Colin Alexander Smith shares six more affordable and more available sports watches that have caught his eye over the last few years.

Read more

Oris Aquis Sun Wukong Artist Edition: Creating An Uproar (In Heaven)

/3 Comments/in , , /by

Fantasy, high artistry, and solid watchmaking whimsically coalesce in Oris’s limited edition Sun Wukong Artist Edition, the just-introduced timepiece inspired by the Chinese animated film ‘The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven.’ And in a novel twist for this usually affordably priced brand, the dial presents hand-rendered cloisonné enamel, an art form used by Oris for the first time.

Read more

The Grail Of Attic Finds: Reunited With The First Watch I Ever Owned, A West End Watch Co Sowar Prima – Reprise

/16 Comments/in , , /by

Colin Alexander Smith is reunited with his first watch and discovers an intriguing watch manufacturer that has been producing mechanical watches in Switzerland continuously since 1886.

Read more
Omega Speedmaster Professional at the Chrono24 GTG in Karlsruhe (photo courtesy Alex Stiebritz/AMX Studio)

Tool Watch Revolution: Utilitarian Goes Upmarket; There’s More Than Rolex! – Reprise

/7 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Tool watches continue their evolution among the watch industry’s most luxurious and coveted brands. Here Chris Malburg explores where their evolution has gone and might still go.

Read more

Patria Brigadier Flyback Chrono: Run, Don’t Walk, It’s The Best Value Swiss Made Automatic Chronograph Of The Year

/17 Comments/in , /by

Every time Ian Skellern writes the words “relatively affordable” here on Quill & Pad, he braces himself for the stream of comments reminding him that he must live in an alternative reality to most of the world. So he doesn’t describe the Patria Brigadier Flyback Chrono as relatively affordable (though compared to most of the watches we review on Quill & Pad he thinks it well merits that description), but he does think that it’s fantastic value and the bargain of the year. And here he explains why.

Read more

Actively Black x Teleport ‘Obama’ Watch: Hands On!

/5 Comments/in , /by

On January 1, 2022, watch spotters were flummoxed by a photograph of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in their New Year’s Eve party dress. The former POTUS appeared to be wearing a black Royal Oak-style chronograph on a rubber strap. The watch in question turned out to be a collaboration between Teleport, a little-known U.S.-based fashion watch producer, and Actively Black, a U.S.-owned leisurewear company. Colin Alexander Smith managed to get his hands on one for a closer look, which he shares here.

Read more

Have A Perfectly Fitting Watch Strap With This Tactile, Adjustable Strap Buckle By Roland Iten: It’s Both Useful And Relatively Affordable – That’s Win/Win!

/26 Comments/in , , /by

Watch straps and buckles (both pin and folding) are the nearly ideal way to fit your watch to your wrist, but they have an inherent drawback: the standard holes in the strap are 8 mm apart, so unless you are very lucky you have to select a hole that either makes the strap too tight or too loose. The perfect answer is either paying for a custom strap and hoping that your wrist size doesn’t change or a Roland Iten RWC09 adjustable buckle.

Read more

Diving With The Ball Watch Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer

/8 Comments/in , /by

When Ball Watch asked Dietmar Fuchs to test dive one of the company’s newest watches, the Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer, he hesitated at first. Ball didn’t jingle a diving bell for him, but something else from its history jangled: a brand’s “history” section is always the first thing he checks before testing a watch and he discovered Ball Watch has the credentials. So he dove in and now shares his experience and thoughts on the watch here.

Read more

Ian’s Top 10 Watches Of 2021 Plus 2 Honorable Mentions (Spoiler Alert: No Rolexes, But A Couple Of Fun Watches)

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Never let it be said that there was a bandwagon that Ian Skellern didn’t jump on. It looks like it’s the season for everyone to be sharing their favorite watches of 2021 so here are his top ten horological highlights of the last 12 months.

Read more