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“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 [email protected].
The Struggling Swiss Watch Industry
Reports continue to surface that point to prolonged troubles and a general downturn in the Swiss watch industry. Forbes reports that according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, exports were down in August by 125,000 units year over year, even while the total value of all exports increased by nearly 8%. A chief cause of the downturn, in addition to a slowing global economy, is likely overproduction of watches and other luxury goods. Johann Rupert, chairman of Richemont, called on watch manufacturers to reduce production across the board. It’s worth pointing out that these export numbers never tell the whole story – these are units sold to retailers, not end users, for the most part. But signs seem to be everywhere that the boom seen during the pandemic across the industry has waned significantly, and the industry as a whole may have returned to what once would have been described as normal.
A Black Hole with a Cosmic Wingspan
The sheer size of space is something that is hard for human beings to comprehend, and a story we saw this week in the New York Times reinforces that in a rather profound way. Astronomers have found a black hole that spans an almost incomprehensible distance, emitting energy in jets longer than the width of 140 Milky Way galaxies. That’s 23 million light years across. This eruption of energy can be traced to a galaxy 7.5 billion light years away with the black hole at its center spewing energy equivalent to more than a trillion stars. These numbers are so large, they almost lack meaning, except they also grant us an understanding of the early days of the universe, and represent a rather enormous leap in how we interpret and collect this type of data.
Order the Jony Ive Jacket
Wondering what Jony Ive has been up to since leaving his post at Apple? The designer who helped bring the iPod, iPhone, and other devices into the world has now designed a line of jackets, a collaboration between his firm, LoveForm, and apparel company Moncler. Jackets are available in a variety of styles, including a parka, a down jacket, and a field jacket. They are getting generally positive early looks from fashion mags, and are expected to begin shipping in October. The pricing, though, is not for the squeamish. They start at about $2,440 and go up to over $3,000. More info here
Thom Yorke Adapts Hail to the Thief for a Production of Hamlet
If you ask the average Radiohead fan what they want in 2025, the answer will probably come back universally as a new album with the full band. It’s been eight years since their last record, a long wait even for a band that notoriously works quite slowly. Each member, of course, has participated in side projects to various degrees that kind of approximate the Radiohead experience, but it’s not the same as a full band album by a long shot. That said, the latest Radiohead adjacent project is definitely intriguing. It finds frontman Thom Yorke adapting words and music from the band’s Hail to the Thief album to be incorporated into a new production of Hamlet. This was probably not on your Radiohead side project bingo card. Pitchfork reports that the new arrangement will be made for a cast of 20 actors and musicians, and will premiere in Manchester, England in April of next year.
The Shining Hotel to Play Host to Blumhouse
This one falls in the “I can’t believe they haven’t already done that” category. IndieWire reports that Blumhouse has struck a deal to run a multi day immersive horror movie experience in probably the best place in the world to do so: the Stanley Hotel, the Colorado resort which served as inspiration to Stanley Kubrick when he was making The Shining. This is essentially a massive haunted house experience inspired by Blumhouse films. Guests can stay in rooms inspired by “The Purge,” “Insidious,” “Freaky,” and “Happy Death Day.” There will also be screenings of new films from Blumhouse and Peacock, and probably a lot of unexpected terror not even hinted at in the article.
