Grand Seiko: Looking at What Makes the Brand so Special – And Grand Seiko is Definitely Special!

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The first association for many on hearing the word “Seiko” is likely to be affordable quartz watches or automatic divers. However, Seiko offers much more, particularly in terms of luxury timepieces. Grand Seiko, which became its own brand under the Seiko Group in 2017, produces some of the most competitive luxury watches on the market, rivaling the best Swiss brands at prices that are still (somewhat) attainable.

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Meet GPHG Academy member Joshua Munchow (short video)

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Joshua Munchow kicks off the first short videos highlighting GPHG Academy members. Joshua is Quill & Pad’s resident ‘nerd writer’ and in this short video clip he explains what he does and being in the GPHG Academy.

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How a Mechanical Watch Works with Simple to Understand Animations

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In theory, a mechanical watch is very simple: it’s ‘simply’ a spring (the mainspring) unwinding at a constant rate with hands attached to gears that rotate as the spring unwinds. Easy! Ian Skellern highly recommends anyone at all interested in mechanical watches to watch this video as it clearly highlights how a mechanical watch works.

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The Case for Quartz Luxury Watches: Featuring F.P. Journe, Grand Seiko and Accutron

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When starting out on a watch journey, one of the first questions to consider is the choice between quartz and automatic watches, with the perception that mechanical watches are “better” and more expensive, while quartz watches are entry-level and lower quality. While this may hold some truth, luxury brands also produce high-end quartz pieces that are equally impressive from a technological standpoint. 

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10 Affordable Alternatives to Iconic Watches like the Rolex Submariner and Omega Moonwatch: The Lightweight Heavyweights!

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A few brands and watches stand high above the rest. They are known to almost everyone and have become icons. Watches of this stature are not cheap, however, there are alternatives out there that are as compelling in their own right for a fraction of the price. 

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The caliber 3500 movement visible through the display back of the Vacheron Constantin Harmony Ultra-Thin Grande Complication Chronograph

Automatic Watches Are For Watch Enthusiasts: A Counterpoint Here’s Why – Reprise

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Watch connoisseurs, as Joshua Munchow has written previously, want to connect with their watches, desiring an object to behold and cherish for its beauty, rarity, or complexity. Enthusiasts, on the other hand, like to wear their watches, use their watches, and maybe even abuse their watches when they use them as the tools they are. Here’s why.

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Fitting Rolex balance wheel and Parachrom hairspring

Hairsprings: Origins, Progress, And (Dare I Say) Exciting Future – Reprise

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The tiny, delicate, nearly impossible-to-create hairspring is the one of the biggest advances for modern scientific technology there is. Here Joshua Munchow takes a dive into the muscle of the beating heart of most mechanical watches: the hairspring.

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Watch Market Trends and Predictions: 2023 and Beyond

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Throughout 2022, there has been an economic shift globally. Thankfully, we have moved forward from the pandemic, however, we are now entering a period of higher interest rates in response to inflation. With this, consumer patterns will change and the watch industry will be affected. So Raman Kalra thought it might be interesting to look at historical watch trends and give his predictions on what shifts we will see on our wrists over the next 5-10 years.

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Blasting off: composite photo posted online by a Harry Winston Opus 3 owner

Sex Sells – But What, For Whom, And To Whom? – Reprise

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When someone says “I’m no prude,” it is pretty easy to imagine what typically comes next: a prudish commentary on some aspect of modern society or youth culture. GaryG likes sex. There we go! To the point and leaves no doubt as to intent. That said, he typically tries to keep his interests in sex and watches somewhat distinct. But has the watch industry at large done that, now and in the past?

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Rolex Case Study: How Many Watches and How Much Money Does Rolex Make?

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Rolex is one of the largest, most prominent brands in the world. Unlike many other brands of this size, Rolex is a private company and so it is somewhat opaque when it comes to hard facts about what goes on behind closed doors. But some numbers can be found online, and are used to determine roughly how many watches Rolex makes a year and how much revenue is made per model.

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