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).
Some thoughts on sustainable watches
What 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 do we mean?[i] Much has been written recently about the importance and desirability of sustainability in the watch industry. What does it mean to buy… Continue reading Some thoughts on sustainable watches
Round table time again: Watches you like but you shouldn’t?
Chris: I suppose a lot of this will be down to personal preference, but it is tiring seeing a constant stream of “What should I buy?” or “is this a good watch?” I could list 100 watches, or 10 watches, of various sizes and budgets, but it’s subjective. Esquire’s “best watches for under £2000” they… Continue reading Round table time again: Watches you like but you shouldn’t?
Dystopian Watch Shopping
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
TrollDeep, the Escapement Room Interview
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
Consult the Manual (that’s why it’s there)
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)
The 7 Bravest People in the Watch World
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
What type of watch enthusiast asshole are you?
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?
The lessons that history teaches
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
A Greek philosopher explains watch collecting
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








