Yellow HYT Colorblock H1 on the wrist

Give Me Five! 5 Of The Most Colorful Watches Of 2016 From Richard Mille, HYT, Fabergé, GoS, and Kari Voutilainen

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The year 2016 was at times grey and sullen, while at other times it rained purple, red, or blue and a host of other vibrant (and symbolic) colors. There was also a crop of colorful watches to stand out from the masses of new steel and titanium-encased horology, titillating the senses with bursts of fresh color. Here are five-ish colorful watches that caught my eye last year from HYT, Richard Mille, Fabergé, GoS, and Kari Voutilainen.

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The Zenith Heritage Pilot Type 20 Extra Special, a 45 mm bronze-encased heritage-inspired wristwatch

What Would You Do If You Were The New CEO Of Zenith? This Is What We Would Do . . .

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To aid the as-yet nameless incoming CEO of Zenith with a bit of gratuitous advice (whether wanted or not) we offer a classic Quill & Pad round table discussion on what we would do if one of us were named the new CEO of Zenith tomorrow. We hope you enjoy the serious and not-so-serious musings of Ian Skellern, Elizabeth Doerr, Joshua Munchow, GaryG, What Makes Me Tick, Ryan Schmidt, and Martin Green.

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A finished diamond pallet beside a match head for Derek Pratt's John Harrison H4 reconstruction

Making The Diamond Pallets For Derek Pratt’s Reconstruction Of John Harrison‘s H4, The World’s First Precision Marine Chronometer (Part 2 of 3)

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Here we present the second part in a three-part series about the making of Derek Pratt’s reconstruction of John Harrison’s H4. This part was written by Carl Murray of Frodsham. This article was first published in ‘The Horological Journal’ (HJ) in March 2015, who we thank for permission to republish on Quill & Pad.

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Grayson Tighe Zirconium Dong Son fountain pen

Pen Maker Grayson Tighe And Watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin Utilize Creative Dong Son Theme

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It’s not just the Đông Sơn drum theme of these two quite different collector’s items by watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin and pen maker Grayson Tighe that caught my eye: it was more than that, it was the actual pieces themselves inspired by the indigenous people of the Red River Delta of Vietnam.

What a beautiful theme to decorate such rare and interesting objects with.

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Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Minute Repeater Tourbillon in platinum with silver dial

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Minute Repeater Tourbillon: Understated Perfection

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Can a watch with a tourbillon clearly visible on the dial side ever be understated? Common sense says no, but for the Traditionnelle Minute Repeater Tourbillon, Vacheron Constantin says yes! Find out why Martin Green compares this watch new to the Geneva-based brand’s arsenal of classic timepieces to a Tesla P100D with ludicrous mode.

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Jaquet Droz Petite Hour Minute Paillonnée

Personal Style: Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée

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The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée is a fantastic example of the craftsmanship found at Jaquet Droz. The Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée showcases a style rarely found in watches today, proving that style is almost always an individual decision.

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Rarity plus condition: Tiffany-labeled Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona sold through Phillips

Year-End Auctions 2016: I Came, I Saw, I Learned, I Bought

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This is the second year in a row that I’ve had the opportunity to attend the November watch auctions in Geneva. On last year’s trip, a good friend and I had the pleasure of participating in several events organized by Patek Philippe as well as the biennial OnlyWatch auction. This year, we returned for the previews and salesroom action at major houses including Phillips, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s.

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Exercise in coherence: Rolex GMT Master II

The Top 10 Most Popular Posts Of 2016 On Quill & Pad . . . And, No, They Weren’t All About Rolex!

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As read by you,­­ here are the Top 10 most viewed articles on Quill & Pad for 2016. A few may even provide a (pleasant) surprise. So without further ado and in no particular order we present the top 10 most popular posts of 2016.

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Reconstruction of Jhon Harrison's H4 by Derek Pratt, which was finished by Frodshams (image courtesy British Horological Journal)

Derek Pratt’s Reconstruction Of John Harrison’s H4, The World’s First Precision Marine Chronometer (Part 1 of 3)

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Here we present the first part in a three-part series about the making of Derek Pratt’s H4 reconstruction. This part was written by Roger Stevenson, chief watchmaker at Frodsham. This article was first published in the ‘The Horological Journal’ (HJ) in February 2015 and we thank them for the gracious permission to republish it on Quill & Pad.

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The rear view of the Urban Jürgensen oval tourbillon pocket watch from 1991 by Derek Pratt reveals the remontoir tourbillon with spring detent escapement; this movement is wound by key

The Life And Times Of Legendary Independent Watchmaker Derek Pratt

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Derek Pratt (1938 – 2009) was perhaps one of the most “complete” watchmakers of our time along with his friend George Daniels. The Swiss-based Englishman firmly was behind and part of many watches and projects that are today common knowledge, while his own name remains relatively hidden.

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