you are trapped in here with us
I went out for a meal for a friend's birthday recently to a posh restaurant in the next city. It was the sort of place where you get the bill and feel kinda sad that you could have bought a pretty nice watch for that kind of money. As we were all chatting we got… Continue reading The Supreme Power of Context and How ‘The Grail’ is Not What You Think (and Perhaps Not Even What You Want).
I have spent the last few days in the suburbs of a large city in Florida helping a family member recover from surgery. I am not normally a “Florida person”. Although I love all things warm and tropical and I find Spanish inflected English endearing, I prefer some changes in elevation and the semblance of… Continue reading Dystopian Watch Shopping
In 2020 the microbrand TrollDeep was founded by partners Jan Jensen and Alan Smithee in the Faroe Islands. In their initial Kickstarter campaign TrollDeep pledged to “make watches that you will buy” and with the quality and design that “won’t be too bad”. That initial Kickstarter only netted $14.74 and so the two began an… Continue reading TrollDeep, the Escapement Room Interview
Sometimes questions and situations reoccur in the watch collecting and enthusiast world. On forums and in private communications we are sometimes bombarded with collectors who require answers and seemingly have nowhere to turn. Luckily these answers do exist and have been collected and collated in the latest edition of the Manual for the International Society… Continue reading Consult the Manual (that’s why it’s there)
I have spoken previously about how watch enthusiasts are some of the sexiest people to walk this earth, but did you also know that we are also some of the bravest? Here is my list of the top 7 bravest individuals in the watch world...1. Kickstarter watch designersWith the million different watches being produced around… Continue reading The 7 Bravest People in the Watch World
Last week I saw a forum post from a guy asking if people would rather wear a fashion watch or no watch at all. His story: My nephew, 29 years old, asked me to replace his quartz watch battery. I was surprised to see that, although he generally dresses pretty well and has good taste… Continue reading What type of watch enthusiast asshole are you?
Ugo Boncompagni* was elected Pope in 1572. Before his ascension he had been a lawyer and papal legate. He is better known to us as Gregory XIII. He was a reformer and is responsible for what became known as the Gregorian Calendar. In this regard he is sometimes confused with the sixth century Pope Gregory… Continue reading The lessons that history teaches
Kaysia has written convincingly about what burlesque performers, drug addicts, and fictional vampire hunters and serial killers can teach us about watch collecting. (I learned once not to take a cigarette from a woman who was performing on stage and that I can, or could, inhale an entire Virginia Slims Menthol in one breath. But… Continue reading A Greek philosopher explains watch collecting
Burlesque dancing has been around since the 1500's and started its life as slap-stick and mockery shows, poking fun at more serious works and themes, similar to the pantomime shows we enjoy at Christmas. It was popularised in America by the British ladies burlesque group "The British Blondes" in the 1860's and gradually the genera… Continue reading What burlesque taught me about watch collecting.
Greg: So, I will roll this your way: If you had malicious intent, what would be the worst watch advice you could give? I have seen this advice given and seen this applied by collectors to themselves: only have one watch per manufacturer in a collection. Why would we ever limit ourselves thusly? Why would… Continue reading Round Table No. 7: More Ed Anger than Dear Abby
