you are trapped in here with us
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
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
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
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
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
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)
In the first installment of this occasional series, I advocated for gold watches, small watches, and non-round case shapes. My arguments were sound and due to their obvious correctness, I don’t feel the need to defend or revisit those points. There is more to explore. But first, I want to step back and note a… Continue reading Watch Fashion for the Unfashionable Man (Pt. 2)
Before watches, there were comicbooks. Thus, much of my collecting behavior is informed by the lessons I learned collecting comics in the past. Of course, everything is different. But everything is the same. Neil Gaiman: “Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit. 'Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost.” It may come as a shock to watch collectors… Continue reading Ya Basic!
It’s been a little while since my last proper update, and that was me banging on about homages. I think before that I was reporting my findings on Bremont. Twas a busy May it seems. June seems to have flown by, partly because Greg has been tormenting me over on WatchCrunch with the annual One… Continue reading The things that matter (Matterhorn Divemaster 300 review)
I've been stalling. I honestly don't know how I'm going to do it. But I continue to dream of owning just one watch. It's not exactly as easy as getting rid of all the watches, either by selling them or giving them away. The challenge is more nuanced than that. What do I do with… Continue reading I Dream of a One-Watch Collection, Part Two: The How
The Escapement Room 