I 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 Jet Pilot or Mil-ships I want to stick my nose in and puncture their joy. It is a reflex that I have resisted so far.… Continue reading Table for one: a Bulova reproach
The Escapement Room Interview: Mr. 60%
The 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 but important part of the Swiss watch industry. Its founder, and today seemingly its only employee, Al Doilea sits behind a large desk in a… Continue reading The Escapement Room Interview: Mr. 60%
The Valentine’s Special
The only thing Valentine's day is good for is an increase in body oil and body glitter sales. I'm considering investing in those two areas; I'll make a blooming fortune. Second-hand handcuff prices also usually go up. Don't ask me why or how I know, but consider this as investment advice for next year. I… Continue reading The Valentine’s Special
A Man of His Time
(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 alluded to below you may assume that I wore a Fossil "Blue" with a green dial and a yellow fixed bezel. I am not ready… Continue reading A Man of His Time
Lessons from an engineer and bladesmith to a hobbyist watchmaker
My uncle owns a civil engineering firm. He's an awesome guy and my dad visits him regularly. I don't visit him regularly, which is a bit of a problem. He is one of those men that in a perfect world every young man should have access to. He is full of jest and doesn't take… Continue reading Lessons from an engineer and bladesmith to a hobbyist watchmaker
There once was an ugly duckling…
… that didn’t grow up into a swan. Look at it. Sometimes you want it to work, but it’s not quite there. Even your favourite brands get it wrong. So this is an A258. I know very little about the A258 as a model (and the internet even less). This one is from around 1954/1955,… Continue reading There once was an ugly duckling…
Picture this…
You're at a cocktail party. You've got a neat suit/dress on and you're having a great time. Then you remember that your stew is still going in the slow cooker at home. Uh oh, you need to tell the time! You decided to be all vintage and elegant so decided to wear a pocket watch.… Continue reading Picture this…
The Full Story of My Camy Club-Star
I've long talked about this watch, everything from its exact date of purchase to its sentimental value. The whole story is split up in so many different posts and comments that it's probably not the easiest thing to piece together. Nobody asked for this, but here we go... December 31st was slightly overcast if I… Continue reading The Full Story of My Camy Club-Star
Learning curve
When 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 best friend, an older schoolmate of seventeen, and I were so good that eventually with a manager running the cash register, we could do an… Continue reading Learning curve
Ask a Watch Collector Anything (Vol. Two)
We 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 Kolchak, the marketing director for a plumbing supply company in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Steve is fifty-one and collects everything from luxury Swiss brands to… Continue reading Ask a Watch Collector Anything (Vol. Two)








