One of the great pleasures of being a contributor here at Quill & Pad is that it gives me an excuse to set aside other priorities on a regular basis and immerse myself in the world of macro watch photography. Along the way, I’ve been asked by a number of folks to reveal techniques that I use to create the images you see in my articles, so here are some of my tips.
Our panel of five predicts winners in the Calendar watch category of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève from the six shortlisted finalists. It came down to just two watches at the end, with our odd-numbered jury precisely split down the middle. How? Read on to find out.
Greubel Forsey’s Art Pieces are among the world’s most notable art-related timepieces, and not just because they tackle the subject of art for art’s sake, but because Art Pieces highlight the relationship horology has with art; and I don’t think that there is any denying that the modern art of watchmaking certainly has a synergy with art as a whole.
The click spring is one of the smaller components of a mechanical watch, but it is of enormous importance. Ever wondered why the crown doesn’t retaliate furiously and unwind every time you crank it? Without the click spring, a wound mainspring would immediately – and explosively – uncoil like a raging viper in a hat box.
Welcome to the 2017 edition of Quill & Pad’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites and explains why: here we pick our favorites shortlisted in the Men’s category.
Each year has its own color trend, and while black and white are the “evergreen” classics, it is the myriad elegantly understated dark shades of gray that seem to be setting the tone in 2017.
When viewed from a distance, the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Edition Historique looks like an interesting watch with an interesting dial, ensuring that it grabs attention. But once you get up close, it is clear that the details of the watch combine to create something more than noticed at first glance.
Sotheby’s June 2017 Important Watches sale in New York City took in $7.4 million. That’s not a sum to be sneezing at for 310 lots sold, with a sell-through rate of 84.2 percent. I was pleased to see that the top ten list of performers at this auction included Richard Mille and Greubel Forsey in addition to Patek Philippe.
When you strip away complexity, there is nowhere to hide: everything has to be absolutely perfect because the viewer’s gaze has no distractions. Just as the smallest of scratches on the otherwise unblemished paintwork of a new car appear magnified to our eyes, the design and execution of a relatively simple watch have to be flawless.
It should surprise no one that the Greubel Forsey Balancier has achieved that.
It’s not all that often that you get to see a behind-the-scenes, actors-eye view of the Academy Awards. But that is exactly what Aldis Hodge gifted his Instagram fans on Oscar night. And the ‘Hidden Figures’ actor was rocking the Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire on his wrist!