you are trapped in here with us
For those of us fortunate enough to have met our grandparents, we know that as one ages, one becomes more like a child: more fragile and more dependent. Our track and field grandfathers struggled to get to the post box. Our yoga instructor grandmothers couldn't bend down anymore. Most things deteriorate with age. Cars are… Continue reading They don’t make ’em like they used to…
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
There's an antiques market on the first Sunday of every month at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. The stars finally aligned and I got the chance to go. This was my experience: I felt small. There were quite a few stalls, maybe twenty or so, selling everything from teaspoons to clothes, with a good… Continue reading Antiques hunting
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
I love having my car's engine rebuilt. I love repainting my house. I love visiting my doctor when I'm perfectly healthy. What kind of idiotic masochist takes pleasure in such activities? They're a lot of effort and are definitely not cheap, so why do people seemingly look forward to those tasks/events? Well, they don't, at… Continue reading Beating a dead horse: I’m a masochist, but those guys…
What you see here is a 1920s (I wanna say 1926 but I could be mistaken, this could a model from a later year, maybe 1928) Rolex Oyster. It has a "3-piece cushion case" and is 32mm. Supposedly it's the one of the first, if not the first "waterproof" watch. I have an opportunity to… Continue reading Peak Vintage Rolex
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)
It's roughly ten minutes to two and I'm laying in my bed. I don't smoke and don't plan to start, but I'm sure a cigarette would do me well now. My trusty (somewhat) Kienzle travel alarm clock is wound up and running next to my ear. It's loud, but it doesn't bother me. I'm used… Continue reading Come what may, I love what I do.
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!
The Escapement Room 