I feel a bit like Cassandra. It is not so much that no one listens to my prophecies, it is just that they don’t help me much in navigating life. Recently, the Netflix short run series KAOS had a good turn at an updated Cassandra in the person of actress Billie Piper. Ms. Piper has… Continue reading Enjoy Every Sandwich
Category: collecting
They are taking our watches…
Are the numbers of thefts of luxury watches rising in our major cities? Are there knife or gun wielding gangs of immigrants making our streets less safe in which to wear a luxury watch? These are different questions. The answer to each might be “yes”, but it will be hard to obtain accurate statistics to… Continue reading They are taking our watches…
They were always jewelry
When we think about bracelets, we often default to names that Rolex imprinted on us that they used for their dive and sports watches or less sturdy ones that came on your average Seiko. Modern watch bracelets have improved significantly over the decades. There is much less risk of depilation. They are an aesthetic improvement… Continue reading They were always jewelry
Onward and Upward
Here's the thing: This week saw me taking my only child to her new home at university. I note that she wasn't wearing the watch I gave her and I didn't ask if she brought it with her. I doubt it. She just doesn't care about watches. I've already written at length about accepting this… Continue reading Onward and Upward
Quartz Tribulations
Back in the 1980’s, bon vivuer and jet-setter Lazlo Delgrande convinced me that quartz was elegant and timeless, and more importantly, that it was the future of watches. As a “Friend of Lazlo Delgrande” (the FLD is a rag-tag collective of quartz watch wearers spread across six continents mostly clustered around cities with an opera… Continue reading Quartz Tribulations
Born to lose
This year I am batting .181, which makes me the Dal Maxvill of online bidding watch idiots. I have only won 18% of the online auctions where I have participated. I lost one this weekend that was deeply frustrating to me and Chris because we discussed that I had found the perfect 1940’s military watch,… Continue reading Born to lose
Perfect is the Enemy of the Good, Or Compromise is not a Dirty Word
I don't have a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. I want one. But I don't have the money for something like that. Nor, unless I win the lottery (and what's the probability of that ever happening?), I probably never will. It retails for above 62,000 USD, which is considerably more than what I earn in a… Continue reading Perfect is the Enemy of the Good, Or Compromise is not a Dirty Word
Matters of Size and Size Mattering
Upon reflection I realize that I know nothing. What little knowledge I had gleaned from the world of vintage watches could not fill a Chinese teacup. Whatever rules established by voracious consumption and vicarious living through enthused enthusiasts sharing their watch lives do not always translate to confident experience. Sizes. Goddamn sizes. Why are they… Continue reading Matters of Size and Size Mattering
Towards a theory of watch strap aesthetics
Many watch collectors and enthusiasts use the term “strap monster” unironically and frequently as if it describes an actual attribute of a particular watch. For this bit of inanity, we can blame YouTube sensation and weak mustache aficionado TGV. He claims to have coined it and I for one, will gladly let him take it.… Continue reading Towards a theory of watch strap aesthetics
Inflation hits the Dollar (Watch)
There is something that I don’t understand about the online vintage watch market. I have theories, but just really guesses about this particular problem. If you have been paying attention to this space you know that Chris and I pride ourselves on being able to find diamonds in the rough, underappreciated watches that don’t have… Continue reading Inflation hits the Dollar (Watch)









