Vintage 1950s Vacheron Constantin Reference 6087 chronograph

Vintage Watch Snobbery Or How I Met Your Mother

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Standing before my eyes was the most perfect of God’s creatures, a wonderful mix of Audrey Hepburn and Penelope Cruz. I think my heart skipped a beat, and I heard the chimes of every single minute repeater Patek Philippe had ever created – all chiming at exactly the same time! Six months later the gentle creature and I were married. This extraordinary story reflects the marvelous world of vintage watches: finding the rare bird, linking it to a story, and never letting it go.

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Vianney Halter Goldfeil, that's What Makes Me Tick

The Unbelievable Story Of “What Makes Me Tick”

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It was a sunny but cool autumn day in 1775, yet young Madeleine was sweating profusely and cussing quite colorfully at young Eugene – her husband. “Bloody zut . . . I can’t take this any longer! When is it finally coming out?” she hissed through gritted teeth. Young Madeleine was giving birth, a most unpleasant affair at the beginning. Once the child was born, he became the star in her sky. Later, she gazed at him tenderly as his dashing good looks brought tears to her eyes . . . like that of all the women blessed enough to cross his path. Meet Quill & Pad’s new contributor, a humble man.

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Historic Audemars Piguet minute repeater

Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater Wristwatch Reference 5528 From 1885 Has Feminine Roots

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Geneva was abuzz with activity just days before the first round of 2015 auctions took place in May. Once in a great while, interesting timepieces pop up at auction that would probably receive a lot more attention if the auction world wasn’t currently quite so fixated on Patek Philippe and Rolex. One such beauty is this historic minute repeater wristwatch by Audemars Piguet.

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R60 Diablo by Roland Iten and Claude Sfeir

Can A Man Wear A 60.66-Carat Diamond? The Roland Iten R60 Diablo Belt Buckle Says Yes

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With the advent of the R60 Diablo mechanical belt buckle, Roland Iten now assures the world that you no longer have to be a princess to wear an incredible jewel in an everyday setting. Or even a prince. The highlight of the red gold and titanium chassis of the R60 Diablo mechanical belt buckle is a fairly well camouflaged fancy cognac diamond weighing in at 60.66 carats.

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Breguet 7077 La Tradition Chronograph Indépendant

Breguet La Tradition 7077 Independent Chronograph: Twins Or Not?

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Sometimes watchmakers come up with something that appears to come straight out of a medical textbook. Like a mainspring that’s not a mainspring, even though it’s a mainspring. And this is the kind of incredible thing present inside the Breguet 7077 La Tradition Independent Chronograph, which, as its name implies, has a chronograph gear train independent of the main going train even powered by its own spring. And they are designed to do two very different things.

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Kennin-ji-Temple Masters Project by Speake-Marin

Speake-Marin Kennin-ji Temple Masters Project

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If you know Peter Speake-Marin, then you know why he is so popular with collectors: as a creator, he goes the extra mile to conceive something absolutely stunning and unique. He has also made one of the most breathtaking timepieces I had the pleasure to see at Baselworld 2015: the spectacular Kennin-ji Temple Masters Project, which was realized with the help of two engravers and a leather maker.

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Beautiful vintage Longines at the 2015 Phillips Auction One preview

Phillips’ Inaugural One Auction Preview Featuring Rolex, Patek Philippe, Blancpain, Longines And More

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Phillips’ inaugural watch auctions were held on May 9 and May 10, 2015. A relative newcomer to the world of highly collectible timepieces, its partnership with the highly experienced Bacs & Russo team has led to an amazing array of watches on offer. However, I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I was asked to preview a selection of the stunning timepieces featuring in The Geneva Watch Auction: One. What I found took my breath away.

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Simon Cudd taking a selfie

Introducing Resident Visual Enchanter Simon Cudd

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If you are a regular user of social media in the watch world, then you are likely to have crossed paths with some of Simon Cudd’s work over the last few years. I certainly have, and his artistic images never fail to capture my attention. Simon is a visually creative guy who, by his own admission, usually chooses to express his passion for things horological through images rather than the written word. We welcome him to Quill & Pad as our newest contributor.

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Vacheron Constantin Harmony Ultra-Thin Grande Complication Chronograph: Conquering Childhood Fears

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The Ultra-Thin Grande Complication Chronograph is part of the new Harmony line that Vacheron Constantin launched at the 2015 SIHH in Geneva in honor of its 260th anniversary. As the crown jewel of the collection, the Grande Complication Chronograph shows some serious style, mad mechanics, and a feature that brings back oh-so-many memories of standing in fear while friends have a blast at the carnival. And that has made this a new favorite for me.

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Scent flask with singing bird by Pierre Jaquet-Droz circa 1785

Jaquet Droz Leads Sotheby’s Swiss Mechanical Marvel Automata Auction (Updated After Sale)

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Auction house Sotheby’s will stage an auction in New York on June 11, 2015 featuring items from a private collection of musical automata within its sale of important watches. The auction pieces, mainly made for export to royalty throughout Europe, Turkey, India, and China, are headed up by a singing bird scent flask made by Pierre Jaquet-Droz in 1785.

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