Watches, Stories, & Gear: The Batman, The T.50, & Filming In Space

“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.

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This installment of “Watches, Stories, and Gear” is brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop, which now features an EDC section.

The Curious Collection Of Magician Ricky Jay

The late Ricky Jay was more than just a magician, he was a great collector of magic related items, and all kinds of eccentric objects. This New York Times piece by Dan Barry goes into considerable detail on Jay’s collection, featuring books dating back to the 18th century (on magic, and a variety of topics that might only be tangentially related), a ticket to the flea circus (what?), and posters and lithographs advertising magic shows dating back to, well, the first magic shows. The collection is being auctioned off soon, and this article features a great interview with Chrisann Verges, Jay’s wife, that provides context on his unusual collection and the upcoming sale.

The Batman Gets A New Trailer

The first full trailer for The Batman dropped recently, and fans of the caped crusader have reached peak excitement for the upcoming film starring Robert Pattinson as the titular character. The clip would seem to indicate that this is a grittier, grimier, and more violent Batman than we’ve seen recently, which feels both true to the spirit of many recent comic book runs, and the trend in superhero movies over the last several years to take on aspects of more traditional genre filmmaking. Is The Batman just a 90s crime thriller with a superhero detective at the center of it? We’ll find out when the film hits theaters on March 4.

Russian Film Crew Returns From ISS Based Shoot

Along with the recent influx of billionaires going to space, sometimes almost on a lark, comes this story from Engadget about a Russian film shoot aboard the ISS. A Russian actress and producer spent 12 days shooting The Challenge aboard the ISS, which temporarily doubled as a film set for the first time in its history. And yes, to answer the question on everyone’s mind, this endeavor happened just before William Shatner hitched a ride on Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket, so the answer to the trivia question asking about the first actor in space is actually Yulia Pereslid. You can’t say we don’t provide you with useful information here on Watches, Stories, & Gear.

Gordon Murray’s T.50 Makes Glorious Dynamic Debut At Goodwood

We’ve seen the T.50, but never heard it or seen it in action. With a high pitched, yet somehow thunderous roar that changed this week when the car made its dynamic debut at Goodwood. The somewhat conservatively styled car is hiding an absolute monster under the bonnet and it will undoubtedly be the star of the show with the T.50. The Cosworth built engine features 12 naturally aspirated cylinders with 3.9 liters of capacity, and an eye-watering redline of 11,500rpm. That’s not a typo. The 654 horsepower number might not sound all that impressive for a hyper car in this day and age, that is until you consider the car weighs a scant 2,173 pounds. That’s less than a Mazda Miata, for reference. Did we mention it’s a manual only? Put on your earphones and crank the volume to be properly blown away.

Latest Issue of The Rolex Magazine Confirms Titanium Yacht-Master

“Rolex has created a watch specifically designed for the most intensely competitive regattas. This one-off version of the Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium has been entrusted to Sir Ben Ainslie for testing in real conditions; for example, at the helm of Great Britain’s team in the SailGP championship or during his participation in the last America’s Cup. This new Yacht-Master 42 has a number of innovative technical features. The case is made from RLX titanium – an extremely lightweight alloy resistant to deformation and corrosion – in a distinctive anthracite grey with a matt finish. The strap combines Cordura® with high-performance elastomer. Fashioned as a single piece, it passes under the case, to which it is fastened with two bars located between the lugs. The strap is secured with a Velcro® band that enables adjustment to the ideal length depending on whether the watch is worn directly on the wrist or over technical clothing. Featuring a matt black dial with a fine satin finish and 18 ct white gold hands and hour markers, also in a matt finish, this version of the Yacht-Master 42 displays the hours, minutes and seconds thanks to calibre 3230, introduced in 2020.” Well, there you have it folks. Will a titanium Rolex ever make it to regular production?

eBay Finds: Vintage Pulsar LED

You want cool? I’ve got wicked cool for ya. Normally I’m not into watches with batteries, but when it comes to vintage digital watches, I’m definitely a fan, especially when it comes to vintage LED. My first watch as a kid was a plastic LED that at the time seemed literally straight out of Star Wars to me, and they still have that vibe for me today. This 14k gold filled Pulsar LED 3013 is the epitome of vintage swag. The big ol’ chunky gold plated 1970’s streamline case with integrated bracelet just oozes character, and is in excellent condition. The watch works (!), displaying the time when you press the side button. The beauty here is that this one comes complete with its inner and outer boxes as well as the original paperwork! Honestly, these vintage LED watches don’t usually show up working and in this nice a shape, let alone with the full kit. If this floats your boat, don’t hesitate on this gem!

View auction here.