When it comes to a brand like Breguet, one expects nothing but the very best in every aspect of its representation. So I figured its pens, like its recent jewelry collections, would be solid and elegant expressions of the company’s overriding sense of quality and innovation. I was right.
Brothers John and Stephen McGonigle from Athlone, Ireland are fine examples of the independent spirit, and this is evident in their unique Tuscar timepiece, which features a highly distinctive in-house movement with subtle details reflecting their Irish heritage.
Piaget added to its line of Altiplano rose-themed timepieces at the 2014 SIHH in spectacular fashion. Independent embroidery artist Sylvie Deschamps stitched a unique silk rose to form the dial of a white gold timepiece set with 78 brilliant-cut diamonds in the shape of the Yves Piaget Rose.
If you are in Geneva during the SIHH week, you may want to consider going to one of the other horological exhibitions taking place in town at the same time as the main show: WAG (Watch Art Gallery) and SIWP (Swiss Independent Watchmaking Pavilion). Both exhibitions provide visitors with the chance to get to know independent creators and boutique luxury brands.
The Sauterelle à Lune Perpétuelle by independent watchmaker and A.H.C.I. member Andreas Strehler has been entered into the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ as the world’s most precise moonphase indicating wristwatch with a deviation of only one full day in 2,060,757 years.
Released in 2010, the RGM Pennsylvania Tourbillon made a pretty big splash among those who have educated themselves about such things. It is, after all, the only serially produced tourbillon made in America and is simply an increditastic watch from any perspective. Design, function, and finishing: it is at the head of its class.
It seems like only yesterday, but it was all the way back in January of 2014 that I had the opportunity to sit down for the first time with Elizabeth and Ian and hear their plans for Quill & Pad. Before the year completely gets away, here are a few of my observations and reflections on the industry, my first year at Quill & Pad, and my year in watches.
The modern history of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner (UJS) began with Peter Baumberger, who resuscitated the brand in 1981 along with a little help from some of his friends, such as Dr. Helmut Crott, Kari Voutilainen and Derek Pratt. The boutique brand has now returned to Danish hands.
You may be familiar with the old Christmas diddy “The Twelve Days Of Christmas.” Let me sing you the final verse of this song, including what my true love gave to me on the twelfth and final day, in horological terms…
In this age of digital information, watch companies try to get ahead of the competition by releasing news on their new timepieces ahead of the big watch fairs. This year is no different, and in honor of the upcoming 25th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), we present you with an overview of some of the new models that have already been revealed.