5 In-House Calibers From Ulysse Nardin

/3 Comments/in /by

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.

Read more
MB&F Legacy Machine No.2 in platinum

Heartbeat: Legacy Machine No. 2 By MB&F

/2 Comments/in , /by

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.

Read more

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

/11 Comments/in /by

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.

Read more

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

/8 Comments/in /by

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.

Read more

Welcome To Quill & Pad

/8 Comments/in , /by

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.

Read more
Richard Mille RM 59-01 Tourbillon Yohan Blake

Heartbeat: Richard Mille RM 59-01 Tourbillon Yohan Blake

/1 Comment/in /by

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.

Read more

29 Horological Happenings Of 2013

/0 Comments/in /by

Before we get inextricably drawn into the horological maelstrom of 2014, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on a few highlights of the year that was.

As the first big watch show of the year, the SIHH usually sets the mood for the following 12 months, and 2013 was no exception. Though bereft of Girard-Perregaux and partner brand JeanRichard, which were bought by the Kering group and thus exhibited later at Baselworld, it was an excellent show with a great number of interesting new releases

Read more

Why Accuracy Matters To Me, And Why It Should Matter To You Too

/13 Comments/in /by

To mark its 50th anniversary in 2009, the International Museum of Horology in Le Locle, Switzerland launched an international chronometry competition. This effectively broke a long drought of 37 years since the last timing trial, which was held by the Observatory of Neuchâtel back in 1972.

Read more