Watches, Stories, & Gear: A New Blue, Fujifilm Cameras, and Group B Cars

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear.

Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing our Managing Editor at [email protected]

This installment of “Watches, Stories, and Gear” is brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop.

Zach Snyder’s Cut of Justice League is Coming March 18th

Warner Brothers announced recently that the so-called “Snyder Cut” of Justice League, the original version of the film that was ultimately completed by Joss Whedon and released (to not very much acclaim) in 2017 would finally be making its debut on the HBO Max streaming service in March. Fans have been begging for Snyder’s version of the film since the initial disappointment Whedon’s theatrical cut, and it reached a fever pitch after a viral Twitter campaign last year, just as the world was settling into a Coronavirus lockdown. Now, less than a year later, the movie industry has been transformed, and HBO Max’s decision to release first run films on the streaming platform day-and-date with their theatrical release has caused a mini Hollywood meltdown. Snyder’s cut of Justice League being released at the behest of film Twitter is the latest strange chapter in the ongoing saga that has become the rapid transformation of the movie industry, and we’ll all get to see it play out beginning on March 18. More here, via the Verge.

The Color Blue Gets A New Family Member

For the first time in centuries, a new shade of blue has been discovered by researchers working on new materials for use in electronics manufacturing. YInMn Blue, as it’s known, was officially approved by the EPA last year, and will soon begin popping up in commercial applications (watch dials, anyone?) and industrial alike. It turns out that the process for approving new industrial coatings is a lengthy one, and YInMN has been languishing for years. Now that it’s set to be widely available, paint retailers and those involved in manufacturing are eager to get their hands on it, as the pigment promises to be energy efficient in its ability to keep buildings cool through its natural ability to reflect most infrared radiation. Read more at the Smithsonian Magazine website, right here.

Remote Weather Tracking To The Extreme

We’re in that brutal portion of the winter where much of the country is covered in snow and deadlocked in subzero temperatures. For those of us who look forward to the warmer months of the coming spring and summer, it might be hard to believe, or simply fascinating, to consider the folks who are tasked with studying and monitoring some of the harshest weather in the world. That’s what this piece in the New York Times is all about – it takes a look at the daily life at a remote weather outpost in Iceland, where relaying the temps and weather conditions back to civilization is an important task benefiting farmers, fishermen, and others whose livelihoods are weather dependent. This one will appeal equally to readers who have an interest in the unusual jobs people have that you almost never hear about, and fans of completely desolate landscape photography.

Rare Group B Rally Cars Coming To Auction

Some of the most coveted rally cars on the planet are set to cross the block in Paris in the Artcurial auction scheduled to be held this summer. The cars are a veritable who’s who of Group B icons, from a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 to a pair of Martini Lancias (037 & Delta S4). We all have our favorites (looking at you, Renault 5 Maxi Turbo), but the star here is surely the awesome Audi Quattro Sport S1, which featured a giant wing out back and what was essentially a dual-clutch transmission decades before its widespread adoption in technologies like Porsche’s PDK. Plus, the car hosted some of the all-time great rally drivers with names like Hannu Mikkola, Walter Röhrl, Michele Mouton, Bobby Unser, and Stig Blomqvist appearing along its flanks. So strap on your Autodromo and browse all the lots heading to auction in June right here.

New Fujifilm Packs A Big Punch In A Small Frame

There’s a new X series camera from Fujifilm called the X-E4 and it features the collection’s smallest body to date thanks to the mirrorless design. The camera packs a 26.1 megapixel X-Trans CMOS sensor into a scant 4.77 inches x 2.87 inches x 1.28 inches and mere 0.80 lbs. The design is sleek and minimal, with all black or silver/black options available, while the user experience also gets an upgrade with a dedicated program mode now appearing on the command switch. If you need (or want) a little more horsepower, scope the 102MP GFX100S released alongside the new X.

eBay Finds: Vintage Girard Perregaux Gyromatic

For this week we have a brilliant vintage Girard Perregaux Gyromatic in 14kt solid gold. This 1950’s looker has a really nice and clean original dial with almost zero patina, and the classic GP lume-filled diamond shaped hands. The solid 14kt yellow gold case is 33.5mm wide, perfect size for an under-stated dress watch. The case appears unpolished, with nice sharp edges on the lugs. The 17j automatic movement is the GP 47AE, which is an ETA 2472 looks clean and the seller states the watch runs and keeps time.

View auction here.