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In Memoriam: People Who Left Us In 2021
Every year people working in the watch industry pass away, and brands come and go. Here Elizabeth Doerr highlights a special few of the people we lost in 2021.
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Sabine’s Top 5 Watches Of 2021: A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, Breitling, Omega, And Tudor
It was not an easy task for Sabine Zwettler to narrow down her favorite new launches from the last 12 months to just five models. With the plethora of truly well done and surprising watches, it would have been no problem for her to choose ten times as many! What did she end up with? Find out here!
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Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc De Blancs 2006: The Quintessence Of Chardonnay With The Brilliance Of A Yellow Diamond
Hervé Deschamps has described the Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs as “the quintessence of Chardonnay with the brilliance and rarity of a yellow diamond.” Ken Gargett thinks it's hard to argue with that. Here he explains why and shares his experience with the 2006 vintage.
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Zeitgeist Unique Piece By Armin Strom: Pure Resonance, Sensational Synchronicity
Zeitgeist marks the five-year anniversary of the launch of Armin Strom’s patented resonance technology and focuses on the brand’s ideals and commitment to innovation in watchmaking by going back to the roots of watchmaking while remaining entirely cutting edge.
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Top 10 Most Popular Articles Of 2021 On Quill & Pad As Read by You: Yes, There’s Rolex But Also Much More
As read by you, here are the top ten most viewed articles on Quill & Pad this past year. There are definitely a few surprises. Drum roll, please: in no particular order, our top ten most viewed articles of 2021 were . . .
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Philippe Dufour’s Reaction To The CHF 11,494,000 Auction Results Of His Grande Et Petite Sonneries, Duality, And Simplicity Plus A Hint Of Something New (Video)
In this video, Philippe Dufour and Claude Sfeir discuss the results of the November 2021 Phillips auction featuring the Grande et Petite Sonnerie No. 1 pocket watch (1989), the Grande et Petite Sonnerie wristwatch (1992), the Duality (1996), and the Simplicity (2004). And they drop a hint that something new might well be in the works.
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Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet 2018: Beautifully Refined, Elegant, And Powerful
Ken Gargett describes the Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet 2018 as beautifully refined, elegant, and powerful with the structure and fruit to last and improve for another 10, 20, or 30 years. An exquisite Cabernet, one of Australia’s best, and his score reflects it. Here Ken also gives us more than ample background on Wynns, the premier producer in Coonawarra, South Australia.
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‘The Kingsmen,’ ‘The King’s Man,’ And Three Spy-Worthy Timepieces From Bremont, TAG Heuer, And Jaeger-LeCoultre
In honor of 'The King’s Man,' the next instalment of the entertaining Kingsman film series, which is finally getting released, Elizabeth Doerr takes a look at the watches that starred in each of the three films – three watches that are as diverse as if they had come from Marvel's multiverse!
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Louis Moinet Astronef: It’s Space, Jim, But Not As We Know It
With twin orbiting tourbillons and a highly mechanical display, the Louis Moinet Astronef builds on stylistic spacecraft origins and creates something entirely fascinating. Joshua Munchow heads into space to take a closer look.
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Wristshots And Online Watch Photography: The Saga Continues, And, Yes, There’s Instagram Too
How time flies! It seems like only yesterday that GaryG penned an article about wristshots. But that was back in 2015. And in 2017 that he posted thoughts and images on how to – and how not to – take watch photographs for sharing. It seemed to Gary that it's about time for an update on both – as while some things remain the same, much has changed.
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Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon: The Goldilocks Tourbillon? It’s Definitely Not Your Average Blue-Dialed Stainless Steel Sports Watch – Reprise
Launch yet another me-too blue-dialed steel sports watch today and you can expect flack. The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon is, you guessed it, a blue-dialed steel sporty watch. But as Joshua Munchow explains, it's much more than that. And you'll probably really like it.
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Behind The Lens: Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts Ref. 5089G-018 Geneva Harbor Wood Marquetry Watch
What does Patek Philippe mean to you? For GaryG, Patek Philippe is a firm both mindful of the traditions of horology and clearly focused on its own legacy. This is exemplified by the brand's Rare Handcrafts: watches and clocks displaying traditional arts, including engraving, enameling, micro mosaics, and a favorite of his: wood marquetry. Here Gary gets behind the lens to shoot Reference 5089G-018, a 175th anniversary limited edition with wood marquetry dial.
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History Of Ferrari Watches: Hublot, A High-Speed Partnership
Ferrari had already teamed up with quite a few different watch brands to feature the Prancing Horse logo on the wrist: Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, and Panerai are forces to be reckoned with, yet it was Hublot who enjoyed the greatest success in partnering with the famed car brand from Maranello. And Martin Green thinks that this might be the most successful car/watch partnership that the industry has seen so far. What do you think?
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Easter Egg: Benedict Cumberbatch Wears A Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual At The Premiere Of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
At the recent premiere of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ in Los Angeles, Benedict Cumberbatch, aka Doctor Strange, had a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual on his wrist. Elizabeth Doerr explains the WIS-worthy significance of him wearing this particular model, which calls back to an earlier film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Book Review: ‘The Worlds Of Jaquet Droz’
To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Jaquet Droz commissioned a big, beautiful book written by Swiss historian Dr. Sandrine Girardier. Elizabeth Doerr reviews 'The Worlds of Jaquet Droz' here.
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World-Famous Wine Regions: Coonawarra, South Australia
Ken Gargett set out to review a wine that has been called an Australian First Growth, the Wynns Black Label Cabernet, and its flagship, the John Riddoch Cabernet. But it became clear to him that without providing some context and history in relation to Coonawarra that anything on those wonderful wines would be incomplete. And here he does just that.
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Jaw-Dropping Phillips Auction Of The Tiffany & Co Double-Signed Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-018: Some Deep Thoughts And Wider Implications, Plus Auction Video
The Phillips watch auction in New York on December 11, 2021 sold a brand-new Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711/1A-018, double signed “Tiffany & Co”. The hammer fell at a jaw-dropping price of $5.35 million. The buyer’s premium on the sale was an additional $1.153 million. Brendan Cunningham reflects on that auction result and the possible wider implications for the market.
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Seiko Presage: A 2020 Overview – Reprise
Seiko has always made it a point to deliver bang for your buck. And in recent years, the brand has been realigning its different collections with the aim of offering collectors exciting products in every price category. For the Presage, this means that there are now two tiers to the collection: Prestige and Basic. Martin Green takes us through a number of models from 2020.
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Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen / IWC vs. TAG Heuer: The One Formula 1 Race Where Everyone Wins
With the 2021 Formula 1 season's last race taking place this weekend, December 10-12, 2021, in Abu Dhabi, and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) tied for first place, the heat is on like never before. The battle between Hamilton and Verstappen is, in essence, also a competition between the two watch brands who sponsor them: IWC (Hamilton) and TAG Heuer (Verstappen), with both brands benefitting from the battles on the track. Martin Green takes a closer look.
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J.N. Shapiro Infinity Tantalum: Fractals, Infinity, And Mastery Of Technique
J.N. Shapiro is the eponymous brand of Josh Shapiro, an educator turned watchmaker who specializes in guilloche. His latest watch, the Infinity Tantalum, is a classic three-hander with a small seconds dial designed in the spirit of George Daniels, Breguet, and other greats. The palladium dial is completely hand-guilloche and sports tantalum chapter rings. And, oh, that gorgeous style!
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3 Race-Ready Chronographs From The 2021 Bell & Ross Alpine F1 Collection
As we race toward the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 12, 2021, Elizabeth Doerr takes a look at Bell & Ross’s three limited-edition chronographs celebrating Formula 1’s Alpine F1 team, which have also been worn throughout the season by the team’s staff.
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November 2021 Ineichen Auction Sets A New World Record Price For The Sale Of A Vianney Halter Antiqua
Ineichen Zurich held two days' worth of watch auctions in Zurich and online November 20-21, 2021 with 198 ticking specialties that included a bevy of independent timepieces and two new world records for the Vianney Halter Antiqua. Get the results here!
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Bollinger B13 Champagne: Not So Much ‘No Time To Die’ As ‘A Great Wine To Drink’
Ken Gargett takes a look at the new Bollinger Blanc de Noirs one-off, the B13 from the (unusual) 2013 vintage. And decides that this is no shrinking violet and that no one is going to taste this and start thinking how delicate, how elegant. It is a big, bold, full-of-flavor champagne.
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The Schmidt List: 5 Extraordinary Balance Wheels – Reprise
The balance wheel, the critical regulatory organ of a mechanical watch, is expected to deliver a consistent frequency with a tolerance of as little as 0.001 percent. With so much at stake, why complicate things by altering a pure and simple geometric shape? Why reinvent the wheel? Well, here are five balances that definitely did reinvent the wheel.
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Carl F. Bucherer And Caran d’Ache Celebrate Your Signature Moments With Limited Edition Watch And Pen Set
A watch or a pen is often a traditional gift for an important occasion. Signature Moments, the first collaboration authored by Carl F. Bucherer with Caran d’Ache, is all about remembrances of things past as well as hopes for the future. These two companies celebrate this with a collaborative limited edition watch and pen set, only 188 of which are available worldwide, comprising Carl F. Bucherer's Manero Flyback Signature timepiece and Caran d’Ache's Signature rollerball pen.
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Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono White Hawk: Military-Inspired With An Urban Touch
Martin Green is a big fan of the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chronograph and to date the blue-dial model has been his favorite. But that's now been supplanted by the White Hawk, which he thinks gives this military-inspired watch a more urban touch.
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Moët & Chandon: Champagne Sustainability
Moët & Chandon is a champagne house deeply aware that winemaking is intimately linked to the climate and soil. Directly witnessing the impact of global warming on viticulture, Moët & Chandon is dependent on the protection of the environment for its survival, which entails the preservation of its vineyards and the natural ecosystem as well as sustainability in its supply chains. Learning from nature is tantamount. Here's how the largest producer in Champagne is working on it.
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Breitling Super AVI Collection 2021: Come Fly With Me!
Breitling’s new 2021 Super AVI collection highlights its ongoing commitment to a foundational pillar of the brand: aviation-inspired timepieces. Nancy Olson thinks that this collection embodies that sense of nostalgia for the early days of aviation when pilots relied on their watches as onboard tools.
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Wristshots: The Story So Far, What Works And What To Avoid
If you like watches at all, you have certainly seen wristshots and perhaps you have even posted a few of your own. Like the selfie, wristshots seem to be ubiquitous these days. But where did wristshots come from, why do they exist, and what are the pitfalls to look out for? GaryG shares a few tips on what he has learned works and what doesn't.
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A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk: Digital Delight With A Mechanical Heart – Reprise
The Zeitwerk was the watch that encouraged George Cramer to start following A. Lange & Söhne more closely, but it still took years before he finally got to handle one in the metal. And he became instantly addicted.