“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear.
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Header Image Via: Huckberry
In watches, cars, or any other relatively similar hobby, the best way to be different is to do the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing. To completely look in the other direction. Zig when everyone else zags. Exploring this path usually leads you to something of an odd-ball that ends up in your possession. For Alex Earle, a fixture within the VW Group design team and founder of Earle Motors, his 1967 Jeep Commando is exactly that.
If Jeep’s Wrangler is like Tudor’s Black Bay 58, then think of the Jeep Commando as the equivalent to Tudor’s North Flag or P01. They’re weird, but in a very cool way. The Jeep Commando still retains some of the traditional straight body lines, but it combines a wider frame and a dune-buggy-like silhouette that might make you question if you’re looking at a Jeep to begin with. In Huckberry’s ongoing editorial series entitled “The Joy of Owning,” Earle’s 1967 Jeep Commando is the center-focus.
However in this latest edition, we’re getting more than we bargained for. Not only do we get to know more about this “famous” car (Earle’s Commando has been immortalized into a 1:64 scale Hot Wheels car and is probably parked somewhere in you kids toy bin), but we get to know Alex Earle as a designer and custom motorcycle builder. Earle also digs into the importance of giving his Jeep Commando a life it deserves to live. That includes countless overlanding trips, trekking Porcupine Rim and getting lost in Death Valley. His Jeep Commando is most certainly not a trailer queen. Check out The Joy of Owning: 1967 Jeep Commando and the rest of the series, here.
Oftentimes here on WSG, we’ve highlighted several oceanic conservation efforts. Whether it’s a watch brand dedicating financial resources and actual manpower to clean up the ocean, or the godfather of sustainability himself, Yvon Chouinard, donating his entire company away to environmental conservation programs, these are truly causes that we believe in.
A story that came across our radar this week is one that highlights the ever-growing plastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean, but is also a tale about unexpected friendship, oceanic adventure, and overcoming personal battles. In a recent article published in Field Mag entitled “Women and the Wind: Covering the Atlantic in a 50-Year-Old Catamaran” we’re treated to a story about three women embarking on a transatlantic trip from Beaufort, North Carolina to Flores, Portugal in a questionably structured catamaran. The footage from the entire journey is currently being edited into a documentary. Check out the article and if you’re keen on supporting the production efforts, check out their Kickstarter page here.
Bausele has been a part of the watch scene since 2011, and have slowly built their brand through a range of watches designed for the outdoor Australian lifestyle and their expansive resumé of collaborations. With their latest collection, which recently got featured in the New York Times, they’ve tapped into several U.S. military veterans to help them with design input that include the watch’s case dimension, movement and packaging. The result: Bausele’s MIL-SPEC Collection.
Under the guidance of U.S. vets for the overall design, it’s no surprise that the base design is a traditional field watch. The dial sports a set of Arabic hour numerals that are cut out and reveal a base layer beneath. The steel case proportions are on point with how a field watch should wear – 38mm in width and 45 mm lug to lug. Bausele also incorporates their signature feature by filling the watch crown with a meaningful material. In this case each crown is filled with a mix of Earth from the five most iconic U.S. military bases – Forts Bragg, Campbell, Hood, Leonard Wood, and Benning. The collection is currently available directly through Bausele and with each purchase, Bausele has committed 10 percent of their sales to select U.S. veterans charities.
With Artemis I successfully making an orbit around the moon and returning to Earth, we’re on the cusp of another manned mission back to the moon with Artemis III slated to take flight in 2025 (hopefully). And with Mars in NASA’s sights, there could be a scenario in our lifetime where a large group of astronauts will need to make the galactic voyage. Turns out that NASA might already have an answer in their space shuttle design archives. One design in particular could potentially house 86 passengers and could make over 250 separate trips a year! Check out the video above to see just how they would complete the “Earth to Orbit” transportation and why the design never got off the ground.
We’re no strangers to hosting a watch show or two (or three) here at Worn & Wound. We love seeing microbrands getting the shine they deserve and there’s no better way to get to know the product, and more importantly, the people behind the brand, than to check them out in person. If you’re local to the Washington D.C. area, then there’s an opportunity this weekend to do exactly that at the sixth annual District Time Watch Show. Organized once again by The Time Bum and McDowell Time, the District Time Watch Show will host an array of watch brands including some of our favorites in Nodus, Formex, Lorier, and more. As always, the show is free to the public and will take place this weekend at the District Architecture Center. For the entire list of attending brands, giveaways and travel logistics, head on over to District Time.
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