Watches, Stories, and Gear: What’s Inside? Destroys a Rolex, Michael Caine Settles the Inception Debate, 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.

Watches

“How Bulova Used a Universal Genève to Get to the Moon, and How You Can Get One Today”

“I recently got myself the Bulova Moon Watch, a reproduction released by the brand earlier this year. For those of you unaware, the watch is based on an unofficial prototype worn by Astronaut David Scott during the Apollo 15 mission. That watch first came to light in 2015 when it was auctioned and sold for $1,300,000 at RR Auctions. Bulova naturally seized on the hype, and released their homage to that now iconic watch later that year.

Now, as fascinating as this all is, I prefer to dig a little deeper on the watches I buy, so I started doing some research. Specifically, I wanted to know the differences between the original and the current reproduction, so I started with the movement. In my research, there was confusion whether the original had a Valjoux 72 or 7736. But let’s shelve that for now, because as I dug deeper, I found bits of information suggesting the original watch was actually a variant of the Universal Genève Space-Compax!”

Click here to read more.

What’s Inside? – What’s Inside REAL vs FAKE Rolex?

This video’s got everything: a Dremel grinding off lugs, dials referred to as “faces,” an Apple Watch (two of them actually), and some painfully clueless commentary about watches. This video is genuinely cringeworthy, and I found myself wincing more than once. And what really got to me was that while they use a Dremel to remove the bracelet, they later use a proper Bergeon tool to remove the case back! Maybe we should send them one of our Strap-Changing Multi-Tools.

But there’s a sliver of hope. The younger of the duo, Lincoln, seems genuinely amazed to see a Rolex movement in action, exclaiming, “Whoa! Look how many moving things there are inside of there.” Mark my words; he’ll be a Watch-Head one day.

Stories

Independent: “Inception – Michael Caine Reveals Truth About Final Scene of Christopher Nolan Film”

 I remember getting into some pretty heated debates with friends about the ending of Christopher Nolan’s Inception.

“Cobb was in a dream!”

“No, he wasn’t—the totem wobbled!”

(My take was always that it didn’t matter, and that what mattered was that Cobb accepted that specific existence as his reality, but I digress.)

Well, Michael Caine, who plays Professor Stephen Miles in the film, recently settled the debate once and for all. Caine himself was apparently a bit perplexed when he first read the script, unsure of which scenes were a dream and which weren’t. Nolan’s explanation, according to Caine, cleared things up, settling the film’s finale once and for all. I still prefer my take, but if you want to finally put this eight-year-old argument to bed, then read what he has to say here.

The Practical Engineer: Making a Gyro Watch Winder with Emiel

We recently received an email from an engineer named Emiel Noorlander who had built a gyroscopic watch winder from (mainly) plywood. It’s a fun DIY project, and while I am uncertain of how well it actually works at winding a watch, seeing the “how it’s made” process was pretty darn cool.

Gear

J. Crew – Ludlow Slim-fit Unstructured Blazer in American Wool

Made of a wool/cotton blend from American Woolen Company mill (est.1899), this unstructured blazer from J.Crew eschews lining and canvasing to give the jacket a lighter, more casual vibe. It’s sure to become your go-to.

$198—Shop here

Rancourt – Carson Low Sneakers in Natural Chromexcel

Rancourt is primarily known for their American-made hand-sewns, but the family-owned company also knows how to make a great sneaker. Built using Horween’s Natural Chromexcel leather and a hard-wearing Vibram sole, this particular combination will last you a long, long time and is exclusive to Huckberry.

$225—Shop here