Watches, Stories, and Gear: 1969, Turning a Tesla Into a Pickup Truck, Adam Savage’s Iron Man Suit, and More

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of some of our favorite watch content on Worn & Wound, great stories from around the web, and cool gear that we’ve got our eye on.

This installment of “Watches, Stories, and Gear” is brought to you by the AVI-8 P-51 Mustang Bottisham limited edition.

Built by North American Aviation (NAA), The P-51 Mustang was one of WWII’s greatest fighters. With its new aerodynamic design and super-powered Rolls Royce Merlin engine, the P-51 Mustang was a powerhouse that saw action in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific, and it remained in service with various air forces around the world well into the ‘90s. The AVI-8 P-51 Mustang Bottisham watch honors that legendary plane.

Measuring 43mm across, the largely brushed case features a curved crown guard, swooping lugs, and a domed sapphire crystal. Powering the watch is a Seiko NH35 movement, a solid caliber from a trusted movement maker.

The dial takes its design cues from the cockpit and outer insignia of the Mustang. It’s also multi-layered with bold cutaway Arabic markers at 3, 6, 9, and 0, which look rightly paired with the large sword hands. There’s a healthy heaping of lume across the dial and hands for nighttime visibility, too.

There are three variants: black and green dial (both in stainless steel cases), and grey dial in a coated case. The watch comes with two straps, one leather and the other a nylon and canvas cuff-style band. Each watch is uniquely numbered as part of a limited edition of 1,490 pieces, with pricing starting at £290.

Click here to sign up to get priority access to purchase with a chance to choose the number of your choice.

WORN & WOUND “A THOROUGHLY BRITISH OBSESSION: INTERVIEW WITH WATCH(SMITHS) JAMES MERRENS”

Smiths was a giant of British watch and instrument manufacture. They’d been watchmakers to the Admiralty, made speedometers and gauges for cars, aircraft (even the de Havilland Comet) and motorcycles. For a while, in the early twentieth century, they even made carburetors. The original watchmaking arm of Smiths has been largely defunct since about 1979 or 1980 (though the rights to the name have been purchased by Timefactors). Those that remain of this bygone era, however, have been kept ticking by a loyal band of enthusiasts. One of these is James Merrens.

READ THE FEATURE HERE

QP MAGAZINE “1969: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED WATCHMAKING FOREVER”

1969 was an incredible year, one full of cultural and technological milestones. It was the year that man took his first steps on the surface of the moon. It was the year that a music festival took over a 600-acre dairy farm near Woodstock, New York, attracting over 400,000 people and capturing the zeitgeist of the late ’60s. And it was the year that a whole lot of developments came out of the watch world, changing it forever. QP Magazine takes a deep dive into 1969, and why it mattered.

READ IT HERE

SIMONE GIERTZ ON YOUTUBE “I TURNED MY TESLA INTO A PICKUP TRUCK”

Simone Giertz is a YouTube star known for, and I’m using her words here, building “shitty robots.” But here’s something that’s far from shitty. She recently took her Tesla Model 3, and modded it into a pretty badass-looking pickup truck that she’s since dubbed “Truckla.” Check out the video below for a behind-the-scenes look at how she made it happen.

CNET “HOW ADAM SAVAGE BUILT A REAL IRON MAN SUIT THAT FLIES”

Here’s another fun DIY project from former Mythbusters host, Adam Savage. Savage has a new show on Discovery called Savage Builds, and if you’re into watching Adam build cool things — like, say, a flying Iron Man suit — then this is the series for you. CNET went in for a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the show and the build itself. Check that out below.

MUJI ADJUSTABLE HANDLE HARD CARRY SUITCASE 35L

One of my favorite Japanese exports, MUJI, is running a solid promotion on their polycarbonate, carry-on suitcases. For $100, you get a 35L carrying capacity, a durable outer shell, locking wheels, TSA-approved locks, and a great minimalist design that others will charge more than double for.

SHOP HERE