The only thing Valentine's day is good for is an increase in body oil and body glitter sales. I'm considering investing in those two areas; I'll make a blooming fortune. Second-hand handcuff prices also usually go up. Don't ask me why or how I know, but consider this as investment advice for next year. I… Continue reading The Valentine’s Special
Author: Ryan Schwartz
Lessons from an engineer and bladesmith to a hobbyist watchmaker
My uncle owns a civil engineering firm. He's an awesome guy and my dad visits him regularly. I don't visit him regularly, which is a bit of a problem. He is one of those men that in a perfect world every young man should have access to. He is full of jest and doesn't take… Continue reading Lessons from an engineer and bladesmith to a hobbyist watchmaker
Picture this…
You're at a cocktail party. You've got a neat suit/dress on and you're having a great time. Then you remember that your stew is still going in the slow cooker at home. Uh oh, you need to tell the time! You decided to be all vintage and elegant so decided to wear a pocket watch.… Continue reading Picture this…
The Full Story of My Camy Club-Star
I've long talked about this watch, everything from its exact date of purchase to its sentimental value. The whole story is split up in so many different posts and comments that it's probably not the easiest thing to piece together. Nobody asked for this, but here we go... December 31st was slightly overcast if I… Continue reading The Full Story of My Camy Club-Star
Swaziland musings
This is a short summary of my four-day tour of Swaziland on the back of a motorcycle from December 17th to 21st. I'll divide this post into four sections with a summary of each day and a fifth section with my closing thoughts. I hope you all enjoy this. Day 1 The trip started at… Continue reading Swaziland musings
Machines and souls: get ready for annoying sciolism and quasi-eccentricism
One of my all-time favourite books is I Know You Got Soul by Jeremy Clarkson. I have been quite verbal in my admiration of Clarkson, both online and in real life; seeing him on television as a little boy ended up inspiring a lot of my writing style, so my choice shouldn't be much of… Continue reading Machines and souls: get ready for annoying sciolism and quasi-eccentricism
Antiques hunting: George and Mossel Bay
I just came back from the postcard-esque southern coast of South Africa. I would have been back earlier if the caravan's right wheel didn't decide to launch itself into some farmer's field. Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted that the wheel and hub are no longer where they should be. The whole side skirt is ruined.… Continue reading Antiques hunting: George and Mossel Bay
Am I good enough to carry the torch?
I found myself in a deep state of thought when wearing my Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider recently. The Antarctic Spider is without a doubt a watch with some serious history. The triangulation/spider dial wasn't on the first watch to go down into the Antarctic, but it is one of the rarer configurations of an already… Continue reading Am I good enough to carry the torch?
A layman guesses the price of some watches
I had an idea for a fun way to annoy a certain friend of mine, let's call her "B." As watch enthusiasts, we know our hobby can be expensive at times. I blame YouTubers and other influencers that have somehow convinced people that a 1000 USD watch is "entry level" and a 4000 USD dive… Continue reading A layman guesses the price of some watches
The Paper Trail
This ongoing investigation was born out of my procrastination. It's exam season and it's one of those seasons that comes with fists and arms. Naturally, my mind saw this as an opportunity to catch up on all sorts of things, chief among which was the origin of my Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider. Now one may… Continue reading The Paper Trail









