As always, thank you for taking a bit of time out of your weekend to check out our regular Saturday feature, Watching the Web, where we get to point out interesting watch related articles on other sites, as well as highlight our own most popular posts. This week, we have an editorial on selling watches, a pretty slick pen, and a discussion on watch straps. Then, following those, we of course have our top three articles of the week.
First up, let’s talk about why you might (or might not) sell a watch. Now the concept of selling watches to fund something (usually the purchase of a different watch) is nothing new, and is a fairly common practice. We also hear stories now and again (but they are always second-hand for some reason) about someone getting offered a crazy sum of money for the watch on their wrist. So, with both of those in place, why might someone chose not to sell their watch at a profit? This is the premise of an article over at Time & Tide Watches. Give it a read, as it gives some insight into then co world of those who flip watches, and those who might just have more money than common sense.
Now, if you find yourself with an excess of cash (perhaps by parting with a watch at a healthy markup, then you might want to consider the Styljoux Le Calibre Pen. Why a pen, and why would you need a fat stack to pick it up? Well, as Quill & Pad explain, this pen series incorporates a lot of functionality from the world of watches. Or, more practically, the engineering and micro-machining that watchmakers have developed get applied here to build things such as a method to adjust the weighting of the pen.
Perhaps your budget is a bit more modest, but you’re still on the hunt for something to spend your ducats on. In that case, a new watch strap is a great way to go. It refreshes the look of your watch, and can scratch that buying itch without putting a serious dent in your wallet. Then again, some of the options explored over at CapX are on the pricier end of straps. From my experience, though, you do often get what you pay for. Yes, there are some decent middle-ground options that punch above their weight. By and far, though, higher quality and materials equals a higher price tag, and vice versa.
Now, turning out attention to our pages, we find that one of our rarer luxury watch articles hit the top of the charts. In the article, John is talking about the new Breitling Navitimer 1884. While I have experienced a handful of Breitlings in person, I simply have never “got” their Navitimer series. While John felt the dial was understated, I simply cannot get past the absolute flood of ink that shows up on the dial. Yeah, you get that with a chronograph to some extent, and when you put in the scales pilots (ostensibly) could use to calculate things, it can get messy. Since I doubt many of the purchasers of this series are actually pilots, these sorts of things are just fluff that complicate usage. The same argument starts with things like dive watches as well, but at least those are easy-to-read and tough-as-nails sorts of watches, which can still function as daily piece. Something like the Navitimer series, though, just feels overblown. If you’re not a chrono curmudgeon like me, though, check out what John had to say right here.
Next up, we had Ken’s second-look review of the Torgoen T32. Yeah, it was popular last week as well (when it originally published), but our pals over at Everyday Carry featured it, and I think it’s a tidy little watch. Want to see something more recent from Ken? Then check out his review of the Reverie Sea Spirit.
Last, but not least, my review of the Filson Dutch Harbor proved popular. Yes, there is some sentiment that the pricing is a bit, shall we say, ambitious, but I think it represents a decent value and an interesting design. And if you were looking for a watch to go with your Filson jacket, what better route to go? Speaking of, we also had our first foray earlier this week into the world of Men’s Fashion (or Men’s Style, if you prefer) with a review of the Filson Short Cruiser.
Did you know that John Biggs’ book, Marie Antionette’s Watch, is free to read with Kindle Unlimited, or you can buy a paperback from Amazon. Oh, and even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can always read via their free apps or their cloud read (check those out here
). You can even check out a snippet of the book.
Want to be more than just a visitor to our little corner of the internet? How about pledging some support for us over on Patreon. There are some compelling funding levels (including site redesigns and removing ads, and getting a copy of the Marie Antoinette book), but really, we just want to ensure we keep this lean ship running and the lights on. You can check out John’s latest post right here. This is a fun thing we get to do on the side, and we want to keep bringing you the content that you have come to rely on from us, and work to make it even better.
We’re just about midway through the month, which means you still have plent of time to get in on our current giveaway, the Gavox Squadron. I originally reviewed it for A Blog To watch, but there is a nice summary on the contest page. There is a two-part entry process, so follow the directions and enter for a chance at this cool military themed chono.
We also want to put the call out for wrist shots of our reader’s favorite (or at least favorite of the moment) watches. Put together an email of your wrist shot and tell us a little about the watch and why you love it. If you happened to be introduced to it through our site (or won it through a give-away), even better. Just make sure the image is a JPEG and at least 800 pixels wide. And as always, if there’s something you think we should be covering, feel free to drop us a line. If you bring something up that we end up writing about, we’ll be sure to tip our hats (electronically, if not literally) in your general direction
