Blast from the past! This post is a “reprint” of an article by Ian Skellern that was first published on The PuristS in 2005. This article is divided into four parts: Felix Baumgartner and Urwerk, Harry Winston Rare Timepieces and the Opus V, The Urwerk 103.03, and The Urwerk 103.03 user review.
Are there special vintage watch dial variations named after notable women in a vein similar to that of the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona? Nick Gould was wondering just that and researched. Finding a photo of Vanessa Redgrave wearing a Rolex Submariner Reference 5513 with “Explorer” dial in 1966, he ruefully opines that this rare model would sound so much cooler as the Rolex “Vanessa Redgrave” Submariner rather than what collectors call it now: Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer dial.
Twenty-five years – a quarter of a century – is a long time. But it’s not that long for a watch manufacturer. In 1996, Chopard’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele proudly introduced Caliber 1.96 to the world, his brand’s very first in-house movement. Here Martin Green highlights a few of his favorites from the 25-year-old L.U.C collection.
Finnish independent watchmaker Torsti Laine’s timepieces feature strong individualization, bespoke designs, “dream color” dials, movements, colors, guilloché, lovely hands, and applied numerals – especially Breguet style – in any shape or language. Avid Quill & Pad reader Thomas Brechtel visited Laine in his workshop in Le Locle, Switzerland, and shares what he learned there with us right here.
Sotheby’s is currently auctioning off a set of Gérald Genta’s original drawings – including the original sketch of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak – and our pals at The Watches TV took the opportunity to get his widow, Evelyne Genta, on camera to discuss the famed designer’s life and legacy. See it here!
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.
Independent Swiss watchmaker Raul Pagès has released his new Régulateur à Détente RP1. A clean and minimal design with superlative finishing, the Régulateur à Détente RP1 is Pagès’ take on the detent escapement, proving that evolution is still possible.
This Breguet souscription pocket watch number 1836 was created just after the French Revolution in 1796 and was sold in 1807 for £600. A testament to the quality of the movement’s design and the skill of its watchmaker, after more than 200 years it still runs impeccably today, which makes it the perfect role model for Breguet’s modern Tradition line. But what relationship does Ian have to it?
If you are interested in a look behind the curtain of how watch journalism is conducted in both the digital and Coronavirus ages, then this video is for you. Join Tim Mosso, media director of Watchbox, and Elizabeth Doerr as they discuss watch journalism in the digital age and other hot topics and current events. Getting right to the heart of every matter, this fast-paced conversation ranges from shutdowns, conflicts of interest, and whether print is dead to “celebrity collectors” on Instagram and the current status of independent watch brands.
Sometimes perpetual calendars are too complicated but a simple calendar just doesn’t cut it anymore because nearly half the months have less than 31 days, making it five adjustments a year too many for some. But don’t fret, there is a middle ground between the most basic calendar watches and complex perpetual calendars: the annual calendar automatically adjusts for each month with 30 or 31 days, meaning just one adjustment per year for the owner in February. Here’s a brief history of the complication.