you are trapped in here with us
On 31 May, 1961, the Union of South Africa left the crown and changed its name to the Republic of South Africa. They scraped Queen Elizabeth and George VI off of the coins and replaced them with Jan van Riebeeck. Along with this came the change to decimal currency. No more shillings and pence, just… Continue reading Horological Heritage Part One: Union Special
I’ve been silent haven’t I? In truth, I’ve been busy, and I have had nothing really interesting to say. I’m ok. A little tired. I started a new job recently, and I’ve inherited a little bit of a mess, but I’m good at cleaning up messes. Except my own… but that’s life. There is not… Continue reading All quiet on The Western Front
I 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. Recently, the Netflix short run series KAOS had a good turn at an updated Cassandra in the person of actress Billie Piper. Ms. Piper has… Continue reading Enjoy Every Sandwich
When 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 on your average Seiko. Modern watch bracelets have improved significantly over the decades. There is much less risk of depilation. They are an aesthetic improvement… Continue reading They were always jewelry
I know I gave you all a vintage guide (read it or don’t, it is what it is), but it wouldn’t be a complete study without some sort of hypothesis, or theorem. This was introduced into another discussion a long time ago on the WatchCrunch platform, a platform I am no longer welcome on, but… Continue reading Christopher’s Varying Degree of B*stard Theory for Vintage Watches (2007)
Here's the thing: This week saw me taking my only child to her new home at university. I note that she wasn't wearing the watch I gave her and I didn't ask if she brought it with her. I doubt it. She just doesn't care about watches. I've already written at length about accepting this… Continue reading Onward and Upward
Back 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 “Friend of Lazlo Delgrande” (the FLD is a rag-tag collective of quartz watch wearers spread across six continents mostly clustered around cities with an opera… Continue reading Quartz Tribulations
This 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. I lost one this weekend that was deeply frustrating to me and Chris because we discussed that I had found the perfect 1940’s military watch,… Continue reading Born to lose
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
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
The Escapement Room 