Watches, Stories, and Gear: The Ethics of Restoring Vintage Watches, Rod Stewart’s Model Railway City, 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 Windup Watch Shop.

Worn & Wound
Talking Vintage Watch Restoration Ethics with James Lamdin, Eric Ku, and Eric Wind

The vintage watch world can be a dangerous place, so we were glad to get some insight from three of the top vintage dealers in the game today. Be sure to check out this story from earlier this week in which James Lamdin, Eric Ku, and Eric Wind share their thoughts on the ethics of case restoration, laser welding, and the like from their own unique perspectives. Also, be sure to check out our earlier profile of Kamil Dunkowski, an expert in the art of refinishing Seiko and Grand Seiko cases with that perfect zaratsu polish.

Read the full story here

LA Times
One Man’s 1,648-Page Quest to Preserve an American Watch Company’s History

Speaking of vintage watches, this story in the L.A. Times deserves a look if you’ve ever admired any of the classic American watches from the golden age of American watch manufacturing, particularly those from the Illinois Watch Co. Fredric Friedberg has an astonishing collection of Illinois watches, and literally wrote the book on the company and their timepieces. History buffs will enjoy this one too, as will anyone who has ever been bit by the collecting bug.

Read the full story here

BBC
I Am Railing: Sir Rod Stewart Reveals His Epic Model Railway City

Watch lovers: if anyone has ever given you a funny look when you’ve told them way too much about your obsession with these tiny mechanical machines, this story will put a smile on your face. Rod Stewart, it turns out, is a brother in arms of sorts, an enthusiast in a hobby that is perhaps even a bit more esoteric and old fashioned than our own. Check out the BBC story linked below for the full scoop on Stewart’s incredible model railway (a project he’s spent over two decades working on), based on the historic cityscapes of New York and Chicago, circa 1945.

Read the full story here

Nomad
Base Station Wireless Charging Hub

It seems like new products designed to be wirelessly charged are being introduced everyday. Basically every new cell phone is compatible with the technology, and a certain California based computer company’s new headphones are made for the convenience of wireless charging. If you’ve found yourself flush with a bunch of new gear that’s compatible, a large hub for charging multiple devices simultaneously is a great space saving option. This elegant option from Nomad has an aluminum body and leather surface, and will keep all your devices ready to go, all day long. 

Shop Nomad here

Mark Albert
Uptown Boot

Much of the US saw temperatures plummet sharply this week. It was a reminder that winter is coming quickly, and already here for some. It’s a great time, then, to pick up a new pair of boots for the season, before we all slip into a deep state of hibernation. Made from full grain Kudu leather, the Uptown Boot is handmade and constructed to be virtually completely waterproof. The leather outsoles can be easily replaced, meaning this boot is an investment that will last years with proper care.

Shop Mark Albert here