Just for Fun
I was recently on the 40 and 20 podcast to talk about the Hamilton v. Vortic case which I’ve previously written about in our weekly newsletter.
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Recommended: How John Mayer became the world's most influential watch collector
Just for Fun
Last March, musician and watch collector John Mayer made his long-awaited second appearance on Hodinkee’s Talking Watches. He showed off a ton of rare vintage Rolex Daytonas, Submariners and Patek Phillipes.
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Kanye West wearing a gold Rolex Submariner
Virgil and Drake shown off a ridiculous custom Patek Phillipe Nautilus
Just for Fun
Early on January 10, Virgil Abloh showed off a ridiculous emerald-set Patek Phillipe Nautilus reference 5726 on his Instagram. The watch features baguette-set emeralds in the bezel, a pave dial with more emeralds, and more emeralds set into the Nautilus’ integrated bracelet.
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Rescapement 2019 Year in Review
Rescapement Weekly
What began as a side project more than a year ago has evolved into a full-blown thing. And for that, I say thank you to everyone who has subscribed and read this newsletter over the past year. I started writing about watches because no one else was writing the stuff I wanted to read: in-depth analysis on trends and industry news, along with write ups of cool vintage (or modern) watches.
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Watches are really popular on Reddit
Just for Fun
On December 4, Reddit released its 2019 Year in Review, highlighting the top communities, trends, and topics for the year. I’ll save most of the highlights for the tech blogs, but it was a pretty big year for Snoo the Reddit alien: users grew by 30%, Bill Gates did an AMA with 110k upvotes, and Reddit took on a $150 million investment from Tencent, which users loved. As it turns out, watches also played a small part in Reddit’s year in review.
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John Mayer and Shawn Mendes wearing some modern classics on IGTV
John Mayer is teaching Shawn Mendes about watches
Just for Fun
As I’ve written here before, John Mayer’s weekly IGTV show, “Current Mood” is a goofy and casual 45-minute way for Mayer to hang out with friends and stream it to a few thousands fans every Sunday night. Over the last year, he’s even had some pretty good guests (and musical performances) from the likes of Halsey, Khalid and Charlie Puth (a noted Rolex fan himself). After taking a break to go on his world tour, Mayer’s back for season 3.
His first guest of the year was pop star Shawn Mendes, with a FaceTime assist from Camila Cabello. As everyone watch enthusiast knows, Mayer is the watch god; I’ve covered his collection at length here. While I tune into “Current Mood” because Mayer is sometimes moderately funny, I usually just like to see what he’s got on his wrist.
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Horolonomics: The Watch Safety Net
Business News
Over at Horolonomics, Economics Professor Brendan Cunningham offers perspectives on the watch industry that only an economics professor could. This time, he’s taken on the “watch safety net,” proceeding to answer the question of why so many of the rich and famous (especially those engaged in dubious affairs) seem drawn to parking significant sums of money in luxury timepieces.
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OBJ Wore a Richard Mille in an NFL Game Because Why Not
Just for Fun
If you haven’t heard, new Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr wore a Richard Mille RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph in his first regular season game with the team. Beckham had been seeing wearing the $200,000 watch in practice this summer, but then, we were talking practice. A live action NFL game is another matter entirely.
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Rolex Reference Numbers: A Guide
Just for Fun
Nowadays most Rolex models have a 6-digit reference number, beginning with a “1” (or more recently, “2”). The next three digits represent the model number (usually also starting with a “1”, though newer models now use “2”). After that, the reference number lets you know the bezel type, bracelet type, followed by letters to indicate bezel color (if necessary).
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July 4 Rewind: Our Best American Stories of 2019
Just for Fun
In honor of July 4, I thought it appropriate to take a look back at our most American posts of the year thus far. Overall, it’s been another solid year in the slow but steady “renaissance” of American watchmaking, and we’ve been here to cover it.
Read MoreKanye Flashes His Cartier Crash on 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction'
Just for Fun
Today is Kanye West’s 42nd birthday, so I had to write a little something about the producer, rapper, fashion, and cultural legend. Last year when Kanye West made a trip to JP Morgan Chase in New York, I spotted what I thought looked to be a Cartier Crash on his wrist. Ye later confirmed with a Twitter post, and I wrote about how the watch was all too fitting for Kanye. His first single was recorded weeks after he was in a near fatal car crash, and urban legend has it the Cartier Crash’s distinct shape was the result of a similarly unnerving crash.
It seems that Cartier Crash might be Kanye’s daily wearer at this point. David Letterman interviews Kanye in the first episode of season 2 of "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.” Kanye shows Dave around the West-Kardashian estate and Kanye flaunts designs by Axel Vervoordt, name drops Takashi Murakami, and shows off his own Yeezy clothing line. But amidst all the design and high culture, the thing that caught my eye most was a little more subtle: Kanye’s watch.
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Tom Ford on Watches in 2019
News
In early 2018, Tom Ford and his eponymous brand launched their first watch, the Tom Ford 001. Now, they’re ready to release their first automatic watch. It looks like they new release will be in a classic round case, with both automatic and quartz movement options.
Tom Ford’s first watch effort is a collection of rectangular, tank-style, quartz-powered watches that come in 27mm x 40mm or 30mm x 44mm sizes. The rectangular case comes in 18k gold or stainless steel with either a brushed, polished, or matte finish. Prices range from $9,900 for the large 18k gold version to $2,190 for the medium stainless steel version.
The timepieces are being manufactured by Bedrock Manufacturing, a company we’ve covered here before as the parent company of Shinola and Filson (while being owned by the same guy who started Fossil).
Read MorePete Buttigieg Wears a Skagen, But Does He Have To?
Just for Fun
On Sunday, Pete Buttigieg (“Boot-edge-edge” as his campaign is encouraging people to pronounce it) formally announced his candidacy in South Bend, Indiana, where he has served as mayor for eight years. The guy has come out of nowhere to become the young upstart that everyone’s talking about for the 2020 Democratic nomination. He’s a 37-year-old war veteran, former management consultant, and the first millennial to run for President. He’s seen a surge of support since he formed his Presidential exploratory committee towards the beginning of this year as well, placing as high as third in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Read MoreDrake Wearing a $750k Richard Mille RM 69
Just for Fun
Popular YouTube channel The Unknown Vlogs posted one of its biggest videos yet: a new edition of “How Much Is Your Outfit,” featuring Drake. The video catches Drake and his OVO crew before he’s about to go on stage at 02 in London. Drake clearly knew the video was coming and was fitted up for the camera. He starts with a custom-made Brioni jacket, and goes all Tom Ford under that, looking extremely clean and professional. But it’s the watch that made the ensemble a $1 million fit.
Read MoreJay-Z Wearing a Unique RM056 in Blue Sapphire at the NAACP Image Awards
Just for Fun
We’ve covered Jay-Z’s passion for watches a few times here. He’s a tastemaker in every sense of the word: he jumped on Hublot Big Bangs and iced out Pateks, and the rest of the rap world followed. Then he swerved for subtle, sometimes vintage pieces like a Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso or Patek Grand Complication, and everyone followed. This time though, he’s flaunting a piece that no one else can copy.
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John Mayer wearing his Patek Ref. 5164A Aquanaut Travel Time
All of John Mayer's Watches from Talking Watches: How Much Are They Worth?
Just for Fun
For this second Talking Watches, Mayer brought out some heavy hitters. His Rolex Daytona collection is likely second to none, and the other vintage and concept pieces he shows off tell the tale of a man deep into it in every way.
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First Annual Seiko 5 Badge of Excellence Bracket
Just for Fun
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Reminder: Don't Get Caught Up in the Baselworld 2019 Hype
News
The blog boys are already going crazy. Baselworld 2019 hasn’t even officially kicked off yet, but a visit to Watchville will tell you that it must be that time of year. With article after article of regurgitated press releases singing praises of a watch that the writer has put his hands on even less than he’s put his hands on the finer sex, it’s high season for kissing ass.
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