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- The Five Vintage Watches That You Must Ownby gkvYou have decided to dip your toe into vintage watch collecting. Like a certain potato chip (crisp for those of you that eat beans on toast), you can never have… Continue reading The Five Vintage Watches That You Must Own →
- My Knowledge Problemby gkvI knew that there was a saying that something “was the thief of joy.” I have been feeling a bit joyless in the collecting part of watch collecting recently. I… Continue reading My Knowledge Problem →
- Which Way Watch Collector?by gkvWe are cursed to live in interesting times. We imagine that we have unusually bad luck in this regard, and that sometime in the recent or distant past things were… Continue reading Which Way Watch Collector? →
- Dispatches from Real America…by gkvI immersed myself in some Red and Blue America activities this week. Just a warning for all of our friends worldwide, the United States is going to talk about itself… Continue reading Dispatches from Real America… →
- News and Views on Watchesby gkvWhy don’t watches call themselves “self-winding” anymore? It is so much classier than “automatic”. I blame the Swiss… That Andrew Morgan sure has jokes. Can someone explain them to me?… Continue reading News and Views on Watches →
- A Sennight of Pondering Chronographs…by gkvI have lots of the same types of watches. I have my rectangular or square 1940’s dress watches. I have more than a few from the 1950’s with dagger indices… Continue reading A Sennight of Pondering Chronographs… →
- Do Quartz Watches Have “Soul”?by gkvIf you pay attention to what I wear (why would you, that would be weird), you might think that I rarely wear quartz watches, that every movement in my watch… Continue reading Do Quartz Watches Have “Soul”? →
- Round Table 19: Now With More Roundness!by gkvGreg: Let me throw one out: what watch did you come close to buying, but did not, and do you think that you have made the right decision? Vario Trench… Continue reading Round Table 19: Now With More Roundness! →
- Bold, persistent experimentation…by gkvFrom remarks given on the occasion of the 90th Anniversary of the Housing Authority of Charleston: Nostalgia is an odd phenomenon. We now see it as a wistful feeling for… Continue reading Bold, persistent experimentation… →
- The 5000 Word Limitby gkvWatch content is hard. There are a couple of reasons for that which are right on the surface of every watch review. Once you get past the specifications you are… Continue reading The 5000 Word Limit →
- A microbrand is voted off the island…by gkv(Apologies to my Escapement Room co-conspirators. This was meant to be a Round Table discussion, but it got long, and it would be unfair to expect others to write such… Continue reading A microbrand is voted off the island… →
- ennuiby gkvI assisted a younger attorney with her first trial a couple of weeks ago and did something that I usually don’t do. I wore steel cased watches and wrote notes… Continue reading ennui →
- The Top 58 American Watch Brands Ranked (Number 8 will Shock You)by gkvOnce a year, in preparation for my baseball fantasy draft (this Sunday wish me luck), I have ranked the American watch brands. The criteria for inclusion are a) historical importance,… Continue reading The Top 58 American Watch Brands Ranked (Number 8 will Shock You) →
- The Watch of Theseusby gkvIn one of the most convoluted myths of the ancient world, Theseus traveled to Crete, slew the Minotaur, and returned the children of Athens to their home. Along the way… Continue reading The Watch of Theseus →
- For what it’s worthby gkvI usually spend Sunday mornings on forums leaving little bon mots in comments on posts to amuse myself while the coffee wakes me up. This morning a comment felt like… Continue reading For what it’s worth →
- In the Prize Boxby gkvIn Chris’ vintage buying guide (pinned to the top of our page) he warns about certain brands as being particularly susceptible to being “fakes” or frankenwatches, especially if bought from… Continue reading In the Prize Box →
- First there is a watch…by gkvWhen I was sixteen, right at the start of summer, I did something profoundly stupid. It involved alcohol and paramedics. My parents rightly punished me. The original idea was to… Continue reading First there is a watch… →
- Dress for Success, Round Table No. 16by gkvGreg: The topic is this: we are always told to dress for the job that we want. What is the watch equivalent to that proposition? There is always a bit… Continue reading Dress for Success, Round Table No. 16 →
- Mid-Century Modern Watch Guide of Sorts (wrong century, for one thing)by gkvI have been involved in several arguments about two casual terms that we often apply to watches: Art Deco and Bauhaus. The problem seems to be that the terms are… Continue reading Mid-Century Modern Watch Guide of Sorts (wrong century, for one thing) →
- A Solipsistic Microbrand Holiday Shopping Guideby gkvI have long realized that I own too many watches. A result of this condition is that none of my watches, my fragile vintage pieces, and my more robust modern… Continue reading A Solipsistic Microbrand Holiday Shopping Guide →
- Waterbury Sour Grapes Editionby gkvI am reading a lot of disgust and anger about Timex’s release of its one dollar 170-year anniversary Waterbury edition. Everyone is disappointed and feels used by Timex because they… Continue reading Waterbury Sour Grapes Edition →
- Not Fade Awayby gkvI gave a watch to my brother this week. I hadn’t planned on it and I am not sure that he really wanted it. Sometimes you just feel the need… Continue reading Not Fade Away →
- City Mouse takes an “L”by gkvWhat a difference a year makes. Last year at about this time I tried a murder case and extolled the merits of wearing gold watches throughout. I was exceeding confident… Continue reading City Mouse takes an “L” →
- Ancient A-watchalypseby gkvI really have a lot of work to do. I am going to have a rough week wearing gold watches, gray suits, and buttoning the top button of my dress… Continue reading Ancient A-watchalypse →
- Sherwin Agonistesby gkv“Invicta causes anthropomorphic climate change and that’s why I wear an eighty-year-old Gruen.” No, that’s not what Sherwin said, and perhaps that is an unfair characterization of his point, but… Continue reading Sherwin Agonistes →
- Enjoy Every Sandwichby gkvI 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.… Continue reading Enjoy Every Sandwich →
- They are taking our watches…by gkvAre 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… Continue reading They are taking our watches… →
- They were always jewelryby gkvWhen 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… Continue reading They were always jewelry →
- Corrections and Clarificationsby gkvThe following are corrections and clarifications from recent The Escapement Room articles. TER and the authors regret any error made or offense taken, such not being the intent of TER… Continue reading Corrections and Clarifications →
- Quartz Tribulationsby gkvBack 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… Continue reading Quartz Tribulations →
- Born to loseby gkvThis 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.… Continue reading Born to lose →
- Towards a theory of watch strap aestheticsby gkvMany 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… Continue reading Towards a theory of watch strap aesthetics →
- Inflation hits the Dollar (Watch)by gkvThere 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… Continue reading Inflation hits the Dollar (Watch) →
- Watch Fashion for the Unfashionable Man (Pt. 2)by gkvIn 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… Continue reading Watch Fashion for the Unfashionable Man (Pt. 2) →
- Birth Year, you are bringing me down…by gkvMy birth year was the year that we lost Buster Keaton and gained Salma Hayek. Kwame Nkrumah lost control of Ghana. The Black Panthers were founded. The Flintstones left the… Continue reading Birth Year, you are bringing me down… →
- Speaking Time to Powerby gkvMay 4, 2024 Johnson City, TN East Tennessee State University has not seen the violent protests and encampments that have embroiled other American college campuses. There have been small demonstrations… Continue reading Speaking Time to Power →
- Strepmonstyby gkv‘Twas goldem, and the greytoo titanu Did toks and tickle in the watbock: All purdee were the timpicos, And the datwel reed rondat. “Beware the Strepmonst, my son! The gears… Continue reading Strepmonsty →
- Round Table No. 13: Through a Glass Darklyby gkvGreg: Since I am a natural born leader (looking around in case I get struck by lightning) I will throw this one out. Most of us have more than a… Continue reading Round Table No. 13: Through a Glass Darkly →
- When rituals aren’t automatic.by gkvI originally downloaded Instagram for the filters that would turn any picture that I took into one that resembled the washed-out Polaroids of my childhood. I never intended to give… Continue reading When rituals aren’t automatic. →
- Three Questions: Wittnauerby gkv1. What vintage brand would make the best dress watch for the money? At various times I would have answered that question differently. Hamilton, Bulova, and Gruen all make perfectly… Continue reading Three Questions: Wittnauer →
- The Stopperby gkvI haven’t bought a new watch in nearly a year and haven’t bought a vintage watch in nearly three months. The new watch interval is normal. It takes me months… Continue reading The Stopper →
- Little Star: Typical Greg Contentby gkvCommand economies work so well. One day the big boss decides that the perfect society needs a watch for women, and like Athena from the forehead of Zeus, a new… Continue reading Little Star: Typical Greg Content →
- I swear I thought she was older…by gkvI like the forgotten and the overlooked and today Wyler has those very qualities in excess. It was a major player once, from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. Wyler made… Continue reading I swear I thought she was older… →
- Missing the showby gkvTo: janjenson69@hotmail.com From: Ian.Farnworth@bwcm.uk Subject: British Watchmakers’ Day Dear Mr. Jenson: Thank you for your interest in participating in the scheduled British Watchmakers’ Day. I am sorry to inform you… Continue reading Missing the show →
- Cheap watches, cheap historyby gkvThis is how my mind operates. I casually troll auction sites and vintage online retailers. I am committed to not buying anything. I see a 1940’s military style watch from… Continue reading Cheap watches, cheap history →
- It’s not you, it’s the Round Table (No. 11)by gkvGreg: Here is my topic du jour: What watch do you own that you have “fallen out of love with”? Why do you think that you have? And what do… Continue reading It’s not you, it’s the Round Table (No. 11) →
- Table for one: a Bulova reproachby gkvI come not to praise Bulova, but to bury it. I have a problem with modern Bulova. Every time that I see this or that enthusiast enthuse about their newest… Continue reading Table for one: a Bulova reproach →
- The Escapement Room Interview: Mr. 60%by gkvThe following is another in an occasional series of The Escapement Rooms interviews. Tramelan, Switzerland. In a small, prefabricated building at 14 Rue des Sucettes is Doilea, S.A., a small… Continue reading The Escapement Room Interview: Mr. 60% →
- A Man of His Timeby gkv(What follows is not about watches. I could have tried a weak attempt to make some watch related reference, but it would have been transparently bad. At all historical times… Continue reading A Man of His Time →
- Learning curveby gkvWhen I was sixteen years old, I worked in a fast food restaurant in suburban Maryland. I took my job very seriously and figured it out in short order. My… Continue reading Learning curve →
- Ask a Watch Collector Anything (Vol. Two)by gkvWe are back for the second installment of the occasional Escapement Room series “Ask a Watch Collector Anything”. We have collected a variety of questions and put them to Steven… Continue reading Ask a Watch Collector Anything (Vol. Two) →
- Round Table No. 10: Boys Clubby gkvGreg: I thought that we could talk about collecting goals for the next year. As collectors (not enthusiasts) where do we think that we are going? Do we have goals?… Continue reading Round Table No. 10: Boys Club →
- It was a year, the year that wasby gkvThe first day of January is one where we frequently look back at the previous year and forward to the one to come. (The Roman god Janus had two faces… Continue reading It was a year, the year that was →
- SOTC (Part Uno)by gkvWell, it is near the end of another year of collecting and it is time for the inevitable State of the Collection (SOTC) post. These are fun for me because… Continue reading SOTC (Part Uno) →
- Time Cut Short (a little off the ears)by gkvI have been thinking about alternative measures of time recently, something more than minutes, hours, days, months, and years. This is due no doubt to the fact that I am… Continue reading Time Cut Short (a little off the ears) →
- Be thankfulby gkvThere is conflict in many places of the world. Men are doing terrible things to each other as we have through history. Inflation is running too high. It is not… Continue reading Be thankful →
- Just in time for the holidays…by gkvWhat could be more intimate than a watch lovers’ connection with the straps, bracelets, and bands that attach their beloved time piece to their wrist. In this new publication from… Continue reading Just in time for the holidays… →
- Ask a Watch Collector Anythingby gkvHere at The Escapement Room we believe that watch collecting can have a beneficial impact on all aspects of our lives. So, we have enlisted a watch collector to participate… Continue reading Ask a Watch Collector Anything →
- Leave the seat down: a search for a vintage watch collecting philosophyby gkvWhen I was about fifteen, God got up abruptly, and left by the back door. As the door shut quietly, he said, “I’ll be back soon enough, carry on for… Continue reading Leave the seat down: a search for a vintage watch collecting philosophy →
- Did Swatch choose wisely?by gkvWhen you pop the back of a mechanical watch and see the intricate springs and gears in motion making incremental measures of time on the dial side, one can’t help… Continue reading Did Swatch choose wisely? →
- Duologue No. 1: Reimagining Vintage for Modern Tastesby gkvGreg: Are there any burning issues that need to be addressed? Here is my late night thought: Not all “vintage inspired” pieces are the same. What makes one work and… Continue reading Duologue No. 1: Reimagining Vintage for Modern Tastes →
- Everyone is a critic…by gkvI am not a designer, nor do I play one on TV. I like design. I appreciate design. I love walking through an IKEA showroom and marveling at what Swedes… Continue reading Everyone is a critic… →
- A vain man justifies his preconceptions…by gkvTrial is stylized combat. Rather than being decided with feats of strength or marksmanship it is a contest of words and persuasion. Facts matter too. We blame the inconvenient facts… Continue reading A vain man justifies his preconceptions… →
- Round Table No. 9: The Rise of the Pentarchyby gkvToday’s topic: the Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition Erik: Okay (takes breath) The specs are great as per usual with Hamilton. They’re a solid watchmaker. I don’t really think that’s up… Continue reading Round Table No. 9: The Rise of the Pentarchy →
- Some thoughts on sustainable watchesby gkvWhat follows is an argument. This is an argument that I have often, in many contexts, but it always begins as a definitional argument. When we use certain terms, what… Continue reading Some thoughts on sustainable watches →
- Dystopian Watch Shoppingby gkvI 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”.… Continue reading Dystopian Watch Shopping →
- TrollDeep, the Escapement Room Interviewby gkvIn 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… Continue reading TrollDeep, the Escapement Room Interview →
- Consult the Manual (that’s why it’s there)by gkvSometimes 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… Continue reading Consult the Manual (that’s why it’s there) →
- The lessons that history teachesby gkvUgo 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… Continue reading The lessons that history teaches →
- A Greek philosopher explains watch collectingby gkvKaysia 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… Continue reading A Greek philosopher explains watch collecting →
- Round Table No. 7: More Ed Anger than Dear Abbyby gkvGreg: 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… Continue reading Round Table No. 7: More Ed Anger than Dear Abby →
- Old man fashionby gkvAm I ahead of a fashion trend, or way behind? I will let you decide. I think that I am behind. Maybe the watch world is not fashion after all.… Continue reading Old man fashion →
- Gonna take a sentimental journeyby gkvGonna take a sentimental journeyGonna set my heart at easeGonna make a sentimental journeyTo renew old memories. -“Sentimental Journey” (music by Les Brown and Ben Homer, lyrics by… Continue reading Gonna take a sentimental journey →
- The mask slipsby gkvI lurked for a few years before I ever made my first comment on a watch forum. I wasn’t sure that, even anonymously, I wanted to be outed as a… Continue reading The mask slips →
- Everybody’s working for the weekend…by gkvThe concept of the wristwatch is older than the concept of the weekend. Abraham-Louis Breguet probably made the first wristwatch for the Queen of Naples in 1810. Sixty-nine years later,… Continue reading Everybody’s working for the weekend… →
- What can Emily Post tell us about watches?by gkvI had a question of involving watch manners recently, or maybe it was watch etiquette, either way, it was a conundrum. Sometimes when I am hunting some vintage brand or… Continue reading What can Emily Post tell us about watches? →
- Round Table No. 5, Now with Four, an underrated discussionby gkvGreg: Why don’t I throw out another Round Table discussion: Can a watch brand be truly “underrated”? On our favorite forum last week two different posts alluded to Longines being… Continue reading Round Table No. 5, Now with Four, an underrated discussion →
- Horse Latitudesby gkvHere in the Northern Hemisphere Summer is just beginning to hint that it may end someday. It’s not that the days are less hot and uncomfortable, it is that the… Continue reading Horse Latitudes →
- It’s how you use it…by gkvI finished brushing my teeth and walked back into the bedroom. I was wearing nothing but my watch. “So, is it too small?” I said as I reached the doorway.… Continue reading It’s how you use it… →
- Round Table No. 4: Unscripted discussion about scriptsby gkvGreg: I had a weekend of travel. I will be groggy for days. Here is my topic: What is the information that you want to see on a dial and… Continue reading Round Table No. 4: Unscripted discussion about scripts →
- Additional thoughts on small watchesby gkvOne of the evergreen topics on watch forums and among enthusiasts is the question of proper watch size. Can watches be too large or too small? (The answer is, of… Continue reading Additional thoughts on small watches →
- The Fast Twitch Gambleby gkvThe other day I described the “slow twitch” way of purchasing a watch. On the other end of the spectrum is the “fast twitch” mode of operating. Having a quick… Continue reading The Fast Twitch Gamble →
- Man of the People (Working Theme)by gkvEvery so often, usually towards the end of the year, a YouTuber will post a video of their collection. This instinct to provide “state of the collection” posts is almost… Continue reading Man of the People (Working Theme) →
- Are You a Slow Twitch or Fast Twitch Collector?by gkvType I muscle fibers are sometimes called “slow twitch” muscles. They expand and contract more slowly and allow us to do mundane tasks such as standing and sitting. They are… Continue reading Are You a Slow Twitch or Fast Twitch Collector? →
- Watch Fashion for the Unfashionable Man (Pt. 1)by gkvIf you were to meet me the first thought that would occur to you would not be “oh, what a fashionable man.” It would probably be, “oh, he likes sweets,… Continue reading Watch Fashion for the Unfashionable Man (Pt. 1) →
- Was Benrus the bad guy?by gkvWhat would it have been like to have been born in Britain in 410 A.D.? You were brought into a world that had just ended. The Romans retreated, leaving their… Continue reading Was Benrus the bad guy? →
- Escapement Room Roundtableby gkvGreg: Chris suggested a roundtable discussion about what our favorite watch of the last twelve months would be. I think it is a great starter and would lead to the… Continue reading Escapement Room Roundtable →
- The One Jeweled Wonderby gkvOn day one of a trial, with a jury very much in the mix, I opted for a blue suit, brown shoes, and a gold watch. I do mostly criminal… Continue reading The One Jeweled Wonder →
- When Gruen couldn’t sell its military watch to the militaryby gkvSo, the war has broken out and you can’t get your movements across the Atlantic to Ohio. Your biggest rivals get the contracts. What are you to do? I have… Continue reading When Gruen couldn’t sell its military watch to the military →
- I do not like them here or thereby gkvI do not like them anywhere. Digital displays, I do not like them. I am old enough to remember the first Pulsars, back when they were an American brand, Hamilton’s… Continue reading I do not like them here or there →
- Do people notice your watch?by gkvIf you wear a modern diver on a steel bracelet the chances are rare that anyone will comment on your watch. Perhaps, someone wearing the same brand will make the… Continue reading Do people notice your watch? →
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