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Perrier-Jouët invited Milan-based designer Andrea Mancuso to conceive a new artistic champagne tasting ritual for its stand at Design Miami 2019, and Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle was on the scene to take a closer look, taste some champagne, and talk to the artist.
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At the 2020 LVMH Watch Week in Dubai, Hublot introduced a second chapter to its Rainbow concept by giving the shaped Spirit of Big Bang model the multicolored treatment. Martin Green thinks it is even better than the previous Big Bang edition as it's all down to the angles.
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To celebrate the new Chinese Year of the Rat, some high-end watchmakers have created special editions depicting some form of the resourceful rodent. Elizabeth Doerr takes a look at eight of them.
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Martin Green thinks that nearly any serious brand can put a truckload of diamonds on a watch and attach a phenomenal price tag to it. But he also believes that very few could create a watch like the Bulgari Octo L'Originale with its more than 50 carats of nearly flawless colorless diamonds. Find out why here.
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Legacy Machine Thunderdome is a wild combination of understated mechanical beauty and extreme horological exploration developed in concert with Eric Coudray and Kari Voutilainen. Here, Joshua Munchow digs into the most interesting aspects of this latest superstar from MB&F;.
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The last third of 2019 was a busy time for GaryG, In addition to professional activities, keeping up with other pastimes, and traveling with his wife, he had the wonderful opportunity to attend a bunch of watch-related events around the globe. Here he shares what he's dome and what he's learned along the way.
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Ken Gargett had never had a Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona that excited him – until he tried one recently and the richness of flavor immediately flooded from the cigar, all finesse and subtlety. Mild, yet magnificent. What changed? Read on to find out.
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A friend and fellow journalist asked Elizabeth Doerr for a subjective listing of her “top” Patek Philippe watches of the twenty-first century. In her article, though, she cited only one of Elizabeth's top five choices. So here Elizabeth shares the full list. You may be surprised at some of her picks.
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De Bethune is one of the most avant-garde watch brands on the planet. Knowing that, did you ever wonder what its factory looks like? Is it much different from other watch factories? What do this brand’s technicians do differently than others? How do they get the watches to look like that? And the most burning question: does the factory look like a spaceship? These questions and more get answered here.
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Nancy Olson was looking forward to seeing what Montblanc had in store for its newest High Artistry collection and found that the 2019 Celebration of the Taj Mahal is lavish and artistic as the three bejeweled one-of-a-kind pieces highlighted here demonstrate.
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The De Bethune DW5 is supposed to be, as its name suggests, a fantasy object, a dream of sci-fi splendor. Out of all the Dream Watch editions, though, the DW5 is by far the most fantasy inspired and has a good claim on being simply perfect.
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Few get to check out Breguet’s factory from the inside, and those who do generally don’t get to take photographs of what they see. This modernized factory in the heart of the remote Vallée de Joux with its many annexed hallways, secretive doors, and interesting manufacturing capabilities has long been a jealously guarded secret. Elizabeth Doerr reveals what's behind the doors at Breguet.
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The very cool thing about Qlocktwo’s timepieces is that they spell out the time every five minutes using a typographic indication with letters: so instead of “7:30,” the time on a Qlocktwo “dial” quite literally reads “it is half past seven.” Sabine Zwettler finds this eminently intriguing! You probably will too.
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Since the Swatch Group took over Harry Winston, a continuation of the Opus series has been somewhat in doubt. But in 2015 the Opus 14 finally arrived. And now it has been quietly said that an Opus 15 is on the way. Which makes this a great time to look back on the groundbreaking series.
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Bronze, an age-old material used since antiquity, has had quite a run as a case material in the world of luxury watches in recent years. Whether its bronze case changes over time or keeps its pristine appearance, these five debutantes from 2019 each have an unmistakable charisma all their own.
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Do you need to know the time in various time zones? What is the real difference between a worldtimer and a GMT watch? How complicated are these watches to use? Chris Malburg answers these questions and more after spending some quality time with two enchanting multi-time zone watches.
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A horological detox means going back to simplicity. Just the basics: time-only, preferably in a stainless steel case and fitted with a strap, not overly thick or large, and dial functional in design. These are not attention-grabbing watches, but the perfect choice to start the new year with.
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Champagne is undoubtedly the pinnacle when it comes to great sparkling wine, but for Ken Gargett an impressive second place goes to Tasmania. He shares a few of his favorites here.
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The mechanical diva on the stage of the Oris Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 115 movement is the big kahuna itself: the extremely large mainspring visible at 12 o’clock, which provides more than 10 days of power reserve. And quite a bit more according to Anders Modig.
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This past year has been a big one, and Joshua Munchow thought it might be good to go back over it and see some of the launches that defined 2019. Here are the watches, an indicative trend, and the biggest highlights that demonstrated what 2019 was all about.
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Loved the world over by collectors and watch brands alike, the Zenith El Primero has been keeping the world on time since 1969. And Rolex choosing to use the movement was high praise for Zenith indeed. The El Primero is still considered an exceptional chronograph to this day, and watchmaker Aston Tracy explains why.
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One of the things that fascinates Martin Green about-diamond set watches is the craftsmanship needed to create them. This is a process that cannot be automated and a skill that requires a lot of time to develop. Here he highlights five of his favorites introduced in 2019.
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Ikepod was born 24 years ago and has since died not once, but twice (well, three times, sort of). It is now back for an overdue third coming. Joshua Munchow thinks that the third time's a charm for this iconic brand from the 1990s, too.
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If the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève awards the horological Oscars, then the more cerebral Gaïa might be considered the horological Nobel Prize. And the three prize winners for 2019 are . . .
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Colin was wearing a steel watch with blue dial when the receptionist at the trading company he was working for, a chirpy lass straight out of the BBC’s 'Eastenders' soap opera, looked down disdainfully and said, “I hate watches with blue dials. They remind me of old men in pubs.” What happened after that can only be described as a case of gerontohorologyphobia: fear of inadvertently wearing an old man's watch.
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The quintessential sports tourbillon, the Richard Mille RM 027 RN, officially debuted at the 2010 French Open on the wrist of that year’s champion, Rafael Nadal. It was specifically created to stand up to the punishment of the tennis court. Then Richard Mille introduced the RM 27-02, which is even more high-tech, mechanically resistant, and expensive than the first edition. Read on to discover why.
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As read by you, here are the top 10 most viewed articles on Quill & Pad in 2019. There are likely to be a few surprises. Drum roll, please: in no particular order, our top ten most viewed articles of 2019 were . . .
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The 1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie? Ken Gargett loved it. Score? 98/100 if you are playing the Grinch; 99/100 if you’d rather be Santa. Ken thinks that Charles Heidsieck should be a must for everyone’s cellar. Find out why plus what's up with Champagne Charlie now.
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As Joshua Munchow looks back over 2019, he is reminded what an exciting year it has been in the world of watches – from changes to the major fairs and exhibitions to corporate acquisitions and right on down to surprising launches from brands. There was definitely enough to keep us on our toes.
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In case you need a reason for watch shopping – a watch certainly would help navigate through stores to find everything on time. Here are five wallet-friendly suggestions that might just be the ultimate “tra la la la.”
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