Watches, Stories, and Gear: Timex Marlin Automatic with Snoopy Dial, Mapping Imaginary Worlds, and More

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

This week’s installment is brought to you by the  Windup Watch Shop.

Watches

Defakto Mitternacht

Defakto is a fan-favorite here on Worn & Wound. The brand’s latest—the Mitternacht—is a bit of a departure from what we’re used to from this minimalist German marque, but it’s not an unwelcome one. Measuring 40 millimeters wide and 6.6 millimeters thick, the simple case of the Mitternacht makes it an easy, wearable watch. But it’s not about the case here. It’s the dial. The “midnight” dial emulates the night sky, with spots and splatters of LumiNova styled after glowing stars and distant galaxies. It’s a unique look, and certainly one that is not for everyone, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re into the aesthetic. Defakto

Timex Marlin Automatic with a Snoopy Dial

A few weeks back, we covered the new Timex Automatic Marlin. This latest version features a playful update with Snoopy as Flying Ace on the dial, giving the watch a lighthearted touch. Timex

Stories

Atlas Obscura; How Writers Map Their Imaginary Worlds

“One of life’s great treats, for a lover of books (especially fantasy books), is to open a cover to find a map secreted inside and filled with the details of a land about to be discovered. A writer’s map hints at a fully imagined world, and at the beginning of a book, it’s a promise. In the middle of a book, it’s a touchstone and a guide. And at the end, it’s a reminder of all the places the story has taken you.

A new book, The Writer’s Map, contains dozens of the magical maps writers have drawn or that have been made by others to illustrate the places they’ve created. “All maps are products of human imagination,” writes Huw Lewis-Jones, the book’s editor. “For some writers making a map is absolutely central to the craft of shaping and telling their tale.”

Click here to read more.

FiveThirtyEight; The American Grandmaster Who Could Become World Champion

“If you ask the people who know Fabiano Caruana what Fabiano Caruana is like, they will tell you that Fabiano Caruana is, you know, just a normal guy. He likes movies. He likes music. He likes to eat. He works out. He goes on dates. Just a normal guy.

Just a normal guy who is ranked second in the world in chess. A normal guy who was pulled out of school after seventh grade to do nothing but play the ancient and intricate game. A normal guy who is a hairbreadth away from prying the No. 1 position loose from probably the best player ever to play the game. A normal guy who, beginning Friday, will sit down at a table in London with this probably-the-best-ever player, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, in a grueling, weeks-long battle for the world championship of chess. A normal guy who could be the first American to win the title since Bobby Fischer in 1972. Real 99.99999999th percentile stuff. Just a normal guy.”

Click here to read more. 

Gear

Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket

Every year when the weather turns, Uniqlo’s Ultra Light Down Jacket becomes a go-to of mine. It’s warm, lightweight, versatile, and relatively cheap as far as down jackets go. They come in all sorts of colors, too, so you’re sure to find something that works for you.

$59.90—shop here

Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Snap-On Len

If you’re into the idea of pursuing macro photography but don’t have a dedicated macro lens, the DCR-250 Super Macro Snap-On from Raynox is a great, low-cost alternative. This thing pops right on your lens, so no more dealing with annoying extension tubes. Using it correctly does take a bit of practice, but when you finally get the hang of it you’ll be producing some killer macro shots.

$67—shop here