Ashton likes vintage watches so much that his prized possession is a 1978 Rolex Submariner Reference 1680. Why does he love this watch so much? Not because it looks like it’s from 1978, but because it is from 1978. So, he asks, is the current vintage trend something we should be wholeheartedly embracing?
When someone says “I’m no prude,” it is pretty easy to imagine what typically comes next: a prudish commentary on some aspect of modern society or youth culture. GaryG likes sex. There we go! To the point and leaves no doubt as to intent. That said, he typically tries to keep his interests in sex and watches somewhat distinct. But does the watch industry at large?
After reading article after article discussing the virtues of Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, it became clear to watch enthusiast and Quill & Pad reader Perry Heim that none stated a self-evident truth that appears obvious to him. In this “letter to the editor” Perry explains in detail what he finds so appealing about the Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711. And he stacks the Nautilus up against some serious contemporary contenders.
For Martin Green, the MB&F L’Épée 1839 Massena Lab T-Rex Bronze seems more raw and animalistic than its predecessors, as though you can smell the scent of this top predator moving through dense vegetation. He thinks that the true T-Rex variation has landed, and here he explains why.
In 2019 we ran an interesting four-part series by Tim Mosso of Watchbox fame detailing the history, present, and future of Rolex movements. Tim put hours and hours’ worth of research into this oeuvre, and now, as we settle into a slow, post-lockdown summer, we thought it well worth drawing your attention to this series in case you missed it first time round. Enjoy!
The Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 6007A marks a physical and spiritual shift for the brand, and may be one of the most un-Calatrava Calatravas of recent memory. Joshua Munchow takes a look at what makes this model an outlier and also why it simultaneously doesn’t come from left field.
GaryG was sitting at his breakfast table on the morning of January 18, 2013 when during his morning scan of news he saw a photo of something breathtaking. It was Logical One by Romain Gauthier – a watch he immediately knew that he would own someday. He was captivated by the white gold version with frosted gold movement: this was “the one” for him.
Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977. This was a day of soulful heartbreak for Elizabeth Doerr, who knew she would sorely miss his voice. What she didn’t know back then was that Elvis owned a number of wristwatches, good ones. Here Elizabeth takes a peek at some of the watches he’s owned as well as a special watch he helped make famous: the Hamilton Ventura.
As these things go, Parmigiani Fleurier and GaryG go back a pretty long way. So it was with significant interest that he took up the opportunity to handle, photograph, and evaluate Parmigiani’s latest introduction, the Tondagraph GT. It’s a relatively rare combination of two useful complications in what the brand calls “all-occasion” packaging, and it is offered at a quite reasonable price relative to other pieces of its kind.
The short documentary film ‘Time Piece’ features two of the world’s best living watchmakers, Philippe Dufour and Vianney Halter, and provides excellent insight into what makes the watches by these masters so special.