Watches, Stories, & Gear: the Rise of “Bromakase,” a Very Rare Leica Collectible, and a New Everest Film in the Works

“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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The Rise of “Bromakase”

An interesting article in the New York Times this week for anyone with a passing intereste in sushi or the restaurant world in general: writer Brett Anderson dives deep into the phenomenon some have  termed “Bromakase,” a strange combination of the traditional omakase experience you’d have in a great sushi restaurant with the flash and glitz of a modern, big city steakhouse. These two ideas are really on polar opposite ends of the dining spectrum. Omakase at its best is a tranquil experience with great food prepared expertly but simply. But that concept has been tweaked in recent years by upstart chefs all over the United States, adding theater and conspicuous consumption (think blowtorching marrow and Wagyu beef topped with caviar for no reason in particular) to the menu. A possible inflection point was the rise of Sushi Nakazawa, the famed NYC omakase spot, which brought a new type of diner into the premium sushi world once it became one of the trendiest restaurants in the world. 

How to Steal a Tesla

The “relay attack” has been called the modern equivalent of hot wiring a car. It uses radio frequencies to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the keyless entry systems of modern cars, making it quick and relatively easy for thieves to get inside and get away with your vehicle. Some car manufacturers, including Tesla, have begun using ultra-wideband keyless entry protocols that are supposed to make this type of theft more difficult, but according to Wired, cars using this technology might still be at risk. In the linked article, you’ll find a full report and a video showing a Chinese cybersecurity firm breaching the Tesla security system with equipment said to cost about $100, easily obtainable by just about anyone. In the case of Tesla models with the ultra-wideband tech, there’s an additional security measure owners can enable that requires a PIN to unlock a vehicle, so a workaround exists to thwart thieves, but this just shows that in the game of protecting high-tech cars from those that might want to steal them, vehicle owners (and the carmakers) are losing. 

The Beetlejuice Sequel Has a Trailer 

Even in a period of reboots, sequels, and movie studios plumbing every bit of IP they can get their hands on instead of coming up with original ideas, a Beetlejuice always felt unlikely. At least, a Beetlejuice sequel like the one we’re apparently about to get. The cleverly titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice does the important work of getting the key original players back together, namely director Tim Burton and stars Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder (and Catherine O’Hara). The cast is filled out with the likes of Willem Dafoe, Jenna Ortega, and Monica Belluci, and the trailer looks, well, like a classic Tim Burton movie, something we haven’t seen in years. Think about it: is there another major filmmaker that’s had as long a drought as Burton? With apologies to Sweeney Todd and Big Eyes fans, I think you have to go back more than twenty years for an artistically successful Burton project. It remains to be seen if Beetlejuice Beetlejuice can reverse course for him, but the trailer is generating a lot of buzz, and the power of nostalgia should never be underestimated. 

A Rare Leica Rifle Camera Goes Up for Auction 

Here’s a fun one for photographers and Leica enthusiasts. From Luxury Launches comes word of an extremely rare Leica rifle camera about to hit the auction block. The Leitz Photographica Auction is set to take place in Wetzlar in a little over a week, and among the Leica related treasures in the catalog is a Leitz Rifle Camera. Described as “one of the rarest and most unusual Leica accessories,” it features a rifle stock originally developed for pre-war wildlife photography, and was introduced formally in July 1938, and it’s possible that fewer than 15 were ever made. The item up for auction features a modified Leica IIIb camera paired to a Telyt 5/40cm lens, with a viewfinder signed ‘E.LEITZ INC. NEW-YORK’ along with the serial number. According to the catalog, this example has been owned by a single family since the late 1930s. It could sell for $280,000 or more, according to the estimate. 

Tom Hiddleston to Play Sir Edmund Hillary in New Film 

Actor Tom Hiddleston has been cast as Sir Edmund Hillary in a new film about the first successful summit of Mt. Everest. The film, Tenzing, has yet to fill the title role, Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese-Indian Sherpa mountaineer who played such a vital role in the expedition, but Willem Dafoe has also been cast as Colonel John Hunt, leader of the English expedition. The first summit of Everest has been an event of great fascination for decades, and it’s inherently cinematic, so a new film depicting it is genuinely exciting. Even more exciting is the suggestion, based on the title of the project, that the story might be told from Tenzing Norgay’s perspective. Tenzing will be directed by Jennifer Peedom, who has exclusive rights to Norgay’s life story, and is the director of the acclaimed documentary Sherpa. More info via Deadline, here.