you are trapped in here with us
I had long hair. It wasn't styled into a man bun or braided or anything, it was just some hair that happened to be on my head. I was very different from my former self once I moved to Pretoria for university. Some political views changed, some remained. My faith did a full 180° rotation.… Continue reading My first time being a hipster.
It was a hot summer day in Brooklyn, not the one in New York, but Brooklyn, Pretoria. I had my first and likely only meal of the day on account of a 21-day fast at the time: a flapjack at my friend's place next door. My friend, Kat, and myself had been spending a lot… Continue reading What a kidney infection taught me about watch collecting
I recently bought my first Jaeger-LeCoultre. It's a manually wound Club model from the '60s or '70s. When I started collecting watches as a high-school student three years ago or so, I never would have thought I'd wear a JLC before I graduated university and started working a well-paying job. If there's one thing 2025… Continue reading Why you should and shouldn’t buy a Jaeger-LeCoultre Club
There are various definitions of “a mug's game” such as “an activity that will not make you happy or successful” and “a foolish, useless, or ill advised venture.” Watches are, for want of a better opener, a mug’s game. At least, it has reached that point for me. It’s tough to remain interested in 2026.… Continue reading It’s a mug’s game
I have been dealing with a wave of ennui for the last eleven months. Every time something gets resolved, a new issue arises. I have been as interested as ever with watches, but I've grown to be more and more of a cynic. My tastes in watches have changed. I've been exploring more complicated stuff… Continue reading I remember what I love about watches. Seiko Lord Matic review
I have never been a fan of AliExpress watches. I've always found their designs to be a bit... unoriginal, broadly speaking. There are Chinese watches with original designs, like the Sea-Gull 1963 chronograph and Merkur, which, as a brand, has some very nice original designs. I have been tempted by those many times in the… Continue reading Uncharted territory: a review of my first Chinese watch, the Addiesdive 1000m.
This is a rant. Indulge me if you wish. I was recently on Reddit and happened across a post in some watch-related subreddit I joined years ago. It revolved around some guy taking a watch to a watchmaker to have the acrylic crystal polished and SHOCK HORROR the watchmaker didn't know what Polywatch was. I… Continue reading The Dunning-Kruger effect in watch collecting spaces
This blog post is going to be shorter than my usual works and for good reason. Like quite a handful of my posts now, watches are only related tangentially. It was the afternoon of Friday, 3 October. I had just finished writing my numerical analysis practical and my friends and I were going to treat… Continue reading The fragility of life
Bulova is a watch company with a storied history. I'm sure Greg has written more about Bulova than I can or should, but I know a fair bit of their history regardless. New York, 150-odd years, Accutron (see: "things that Ryan loves that are guaranteed to hurt him,") giant space chronograph, et cetera. Bulova wasn't… Continue reading Bulova and other American watch ramblings
I consider myself quite an amicable person. It's honestly not difficult to get along with a wide variety of people so long as you're open-minded and keep your ego in check. Whenever I spot those who have their differences from me, be it a difference in religion, or difference in opinion on whether pineapple belongs… Continue reading The End Is Near
The Escapement Room 