Introducing Resident “Nerdwriter” Joshua Munchow

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If you are an astute follower of all things horology, you may have already heard of our standing contributor and resident “nerdwriter,” Joshua Munchow: he won third prize in a design contest run by Eberhard & Co. last year, which saw him attend Baselworld 2013. As a result of that trip, he began seriously writing articles for Watchuseek. These articles were so informative and filled with intelligent commentary that they attracted our attention too.

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Heartbeat: Urban Jürgensen Montre Observatoire Enamel

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Introduced at Baselworld 2013, the stunning Urban Jürgensen ‘Montre Observatoire Enamel’ features the in-house UJS P8 caliber with pivoted detent escapement and an oven-fired enamel dial that will keep its pristine look for many generations. Creating the dial requires no less than 15 separate layers of enamel, each individually oven-fired, on a gold base dial.

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Patek Philippe Reference 5160: An Overlooked Mechanical Delicacy?

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When most people think of Patek Philippe, they think of the evergreen models that roll off the lips of enthusiasts all over the world: Nautilus, Gondolo, Calatrava and, perhaps even, that delectable worldtimer that appeared in 2013’s new Patek Philippe offerings as Reference 5130. But one of the many elements that I personally adore about Patek Philippe is its love of the handcrafted arts and the perpetuation of them in highly aesthetic ways.

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Why The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication Is Disruptive

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The year 2013 was a stellar moment for the rare grand complication, as the SIHH quickly demonstrated. Not only did A. Lange & Söhne present its oeuvre, but to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the sporty, contemporary Royal Oak Offshore, Audemars Piguet also introduced one of these complex masterpieces.

This automatic timepiece includes three of the traditional complications that a watch earning the right to this title should include: minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and (split-seconds) chronograph. The latter, in fact, has most unusually been included as a rattrapante in all of the brand’s grand complications since 1882. Though throughout its long history Audemars Piguet has focused on the traditional side of horology; the advent of the evergreen Royal Oak – the first luxury sports watch – in 1972 added a distinctly sporty side to this manufacture’s classic offerings.

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5 In-House Calibers From Ulysse Nardin

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It seemed like one of the best-kept secrets of Baselworld 2013. Perhaps the newness of the refurbished fair itself overshadowed the news of Ulysse Nardin’s five new in-house calibers; perhaps it was simply the overwhelming novelty of the Stranger timepiece that stole the show. Either way, this brand continued its quiet climb into the circle of major players with a whopping 11 new watches at the world’s largest watch fair, about half of which boast in-house movements outfitted with the brand’s pioneering silicon escapement technology.

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MB&F Legacy Machine No.2 in platinum

Heartbeat: Legacy Machine No. 2 By MB&F

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When MB&F launched its Legacy Machine collection in 2011 with LM1, it was with no small amount of trepidation. The young brand had quickly developed an excellent reputation and passionate following by creating avant-garde Horological Machines, and it certainly wasn’t a given that round watches featuring a reinterpretation of traditional complications would be as well accepted.

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The Difference Between Urwerk’s EMC And A Toyota Prius (Not As Obvious As You May Think)

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Retrospective: One of the most significant watches of 2013 was Urwerk’s EMC. And it’s no wonder why, as it features an integrated optical timing sensor, on-board generator, fold-out winding handle (to power the optical timing sensor), precision delta indication, and on the back a user-friendly timing adjustment screw. As if that’s not enough, EMC also happens to have Urwerk’s first in-house movement.

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A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication’s Secret Ingredients (Live Images + Pricing)

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Traditionally, the right to be called a grand complication is reserved for timepieces containing at least three of horology’s most difficult complications: a chronograph or split-seconds chronograph; an astronomical complication such as a perpetual calendar; and a striking complication, e.g repeater or sonnerie. Naturally, these rules are unwritten and therefore subject to interpretation.

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Welcome To Quill & Pad

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Welcome to Quill & Pad, a professional and welcoming online destination aimed at all levels of horological enthusiasts. If this is your first visit or you are new to the art of watchmaking, you may want to read this before going on to peruse the rest of the site.

Quill & Pad focuses on high end watchmaking − aka haute horlogerie − where we feel the most interesting developments are taking place.

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Richard Mille RM 59-01 Tourbillon Yohan Blake

Heartbeat: Richard Mille RM 59-01 Tourbillon Yohan Blake

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we just love the wild Richard Mille RM 59-01 Tourbillon Yohan Blake. Its asymmetrical case is made of a translucent composite injected with carbon nanotubes, resulting in the unusual shade somewhat resembling Paleolithic amber. The use of anticorodal PB109 aluminum (an alloy comprising aluminum, magnesium, silicon and lead) make the watch – which includes a tourbillon – very light and shock-resistant.

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