Does anyone really care how many jewels their watch has? Watchmaker Ashton Tracy thinks that you’d be surprised how many people do as they’ve been duped by a vintage practice of announcing the amount of movement jewels on watch dials. What is the real story here?
The “unobtanium” phenomenon isn’t limited to watches from the past, there are a variety of references for which supply seems to lag demand. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the current market for select steel sports watches. Here GaryG highlights some interesting dynamics caused by that imbalance, led by a loud chorus of complaints from prospective buyers.
“Dress watches” were initially just “watches.” While their popularity may have dwindled over the years as more casual and sporty watches have taken off, many brands have stayed faithful to the concept of the dress watch as Martin Green highlights here with five beautiful examples from 2021.
Panerai watches are unique. There is no denying that they are beautiful and have that Italian design flair. But Raman Kalra thinks that Panerai needs to move with the timer and he has an idea of how Panerai could do that.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.