Watches, Stories, and Gear: Rewriting Horological History, America’s DIY Phone Farmers, 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 week’s installment of Watches, Stories, and Gear is brought to you by AVI-8 and their Hawker Harrier II Dual Retrograde Edition and Hawker Harrier II Grande Date Matador Edition Chronographs.

AVI-8
HAWKER HARRIER II DUAL RETROGRADE EDITION AND HAWKER HARRIER II GRANDE DATE MATADOR EDITION CHRONOGRAPHS

AVI-8 has carved a niche for itself by making aviation-inspired watches. Case in point — the brand’s Hawker Harrier series, which pulls inspiration from the Hawker Harrier “JumpJet” flown by the Royal Air Force, US Air Force, and Spanish Navy.

The 316L stainless steel case of the Hawker Harrier II Dual Retrograde Edition measures 43mm across and 12mm thick, and it features a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. On the right side of the case, there’s a set of pushers flanking a guarded crown. While the knurling and color give the pushers and crown a bit of added flair, the dial is where AVI-8 gets really playful. There are three registers on the dial, but they aren’t your run-of-the-mill circular sub-dials. At 3:00 you’ll find a listed day display, at 6:00 there’s a running seconds dial, and at 9:00 there’s a retrograde 30-minute chronograph register. This unique layout and functionality is made possible through the use of Miyota’s FS80 quartz chronograph caliber.

The Grande Date Matador Edition is equally adventurous. Housed in a 45mm steel case, the complex dial follows a layered and skeletonized construction that utilizes aeronautical motifs to highlight functions and complications. The standout is the “grand date” double aperture date display right below 12:00, which adds another level of immediate utility on top of the already useful chronograph complication. Here, AVI-8 utilizes Miyota’s 6S50 quartz chronograph caliber. 

The Dual Retrograde Edition comes on a leather/canvas combination strap with stitching designed to echo harnesses and belts that strap in pilots. The Grande Date Matador Edition comes on a rugged leather strap with a cross-stich design.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE THE HAWKER HARRIER II, CLICK HERE. FOR THE HAWKER HARRIER GRANDE DATE MATADOR EDITION, CLICK HERE.

WORN & WOUND
REWRITING HOROLOGICAL HISTORY: LONDON WATCHMAKING, SWISS FORGERIES, AND THE ADVENT OF MASS PRODUCTION

Dr. Rebecca Struthers began her inquiry into Swiss forgeries in 2008 while she was a student at Birmingham City University’s School of Art and working at an auction house in the Jewelry Quarter (Fellows & Sons). She discovered a pocket watch dating to around 1760 that, despite being signed as London-made, looked different from most London-made pocket watches she had seen. And that’s when the story really gets interesting. So interesting, in fact, that it rewrote the timeline on Swiss watchmaking.

YOU CAN READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH DR. STRUTHERS HERE, AND YOU CAN CHECK OUT HER PRESENTATION AT THE HOROLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK BELOW

THE HUSTLE
WHY IS AIRPORT FOOD SO EXPENSIVE?

I’m certain that I’m not the only one who has ever wondered why a few bags of snacks and a bottle of water at an airport can cost as much as a good meal at a restaurant. When you’re getting food (or really, anything) at an airport, you’re generally paying 2-3x the street price, and as far as options are concerned, you’re pretty limited. The Hustle took a look at airport pricing strategies, how they came to be, and why it’s all much more complicated than you might think.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

VICE
AMERICA’S DIY PHONE FARMERS

Phone farms are cropping up all over America, and for a growing number of people they’re becoming a critical source of extra income. At its core, a phone farm is an exploitation of paid-to-watch apps that reward users for consuming content. Done passively on one phone, the rewards are tiny. But automated and carried out over hundreds of phones? Well, that’s when things can get interesting.

GET THE FULL STORY HERE

BUCK MASON
SLUB CURVED HEM TEE

A well-fitting, hard-wearing tee shirt that doesn’t feel like sand paper against your skin is actually harder to come by than you might think, and Buck Mason makes some of the best around. Their Slub Curved Hem Tee is especially nice, featuring, as the name indicates, a nice, slubby texture all over and a curved hem that allows for a nicer overall drape. Sure, they’re pricey at $32 a pop, but these USA-made shirts are designed to hold up through the wash.

SHOP HERE

ALLEN EDMONDS
RFID EXECUTIVE WALLET

Shoemaker Allen Edmonds currently has this US-made wallet on clearance, and for $80 it’s a solid buy. It features full-grain outer leather, 8 card slots and a currency pocket, and RFID protection — all wrapped inside a classic design.

SHOP HERE