A photo of soldiers hoisting the Soviet flag over the Reichstag at the end of WWII, became one of the most iconic images of the century. One of the subjects in the image was wearing two watches, one of which was removed in official reproductions of the photo. The camera used to take that iconic image, a Leica III, is to be auctioned by Bonhams, and it’s expected to fetch more than £300,000 ($500,000).
In Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, the great man introduced the concept of “spacetime: henceforth, space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality.” Which segues nicely into the discovery of a clock by Gustave Sandoz that doesn’t tell the time: it tells distance.
The A.H.C.I. (Academy of Independent Horological Creators) is a group in which diversity is not only accepted, but truly rules.
Nowhere is this better exemplified than the friendship between Russian Konstantin Chaykin and Ukrainian Valerii Danevych, two artists peacefully co-existing in goodwill and appreciation to produce their high expressions of art side-by-side.
Early American historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich titled her 2008 book ‘Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.’ Ulrich would probably be very interested to know about three famous Swiss and French brands whose very first wristwatches were made for – and in a way by – women. Their watches have made history.
With the FIFA World Cup still feverishly underway, I’d like to take a brief look at ten – well, eleven – of the most interesting soccer-related timepieces. Among these are the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Leo Messi and Richard Mille’s RM 11-01 Roberto Mancini. Flip through the list and see which is your favorite.
Arnold & Son, the relatively young brand founded only in 1995 has its roots firmly planted in the tradition of John Arnold and the chronometers he and his son created 250 years ago. The brand’s wristwatches excite and inspire me because they are a mix of classic styling and modern design, with a dash of ingenious mechanism detailing to satiate even the hungriest of watch nerds.
Roger Federer is a long-time Rolex ambassador, and as such naturally owns a few Rolex models, both new and vintage. In this video, Federer explains the personal significance of three of his favorite Rolexes.
The United States of America has a “secret” past in watchmaking that most people don’t know about and it has a lot to do with what Americans are good at: mass manufacturing. And more specifically, American watchmaking.
The short documentary film “Time Piece” features two of the world’s best living watchmakers, Philippe Dufour and Vianney Halter and provides insight into what makes the watches by these masters so special.
As our regular readers know by now, my role here at Quill & Pad is to share my perspectives as an enthusiast collector. Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a lively exchange with a number of friends on just that topic, and as it became very interesting, I’ve decided to share an abridged version of it with you.