Watches, Stories, & Gear: A Commercial Moon Landing, “Jurassic” Scientific breakthrough, and Star Dials

“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.

First Commercial Moon Landing

On Tuesday, March 2nd, Firefly Aerospace successfully landed their “Blue Ghost” lander on the surface of the moon, making it the first private company to do so.  Over the next two weeks, Blue Ghost will conduct a number of experiments, 10 of which are for NASA, in an effort to gather data that will be used for the Artemis Project. While still in the early stages, Project Artermis looks to return humans back to the moon, something that hasn’t been done in over 50 years.

Millions of Dollars Worth of Suitcases

 

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Whether you’re into photography or just know someone who is, you’ve likely heard of Peak Design before.  While they made their name creating high quality camera bags and accessories, Peak Design has been branching out into various adjacent segments for some time now. In their most recent project, Peak Design set out to create their very own suitcase, which they’ve named the “Roller Pro”. Best described as a hybrid between the standard soft and hard shell options on the market, the Roller Pro features two unique opening methods, a carbon fiber extendable handle, and several external mounting options for jackets, pouches and more.  While this project is currently still active on Kickstarter, Peak Design has sent samples to their San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York stores if you’d like to see one in person.

A “Jurassic” Scientific Break Through

Over the last 30 years, we’ve had six films to tell us just how poor of an idea it is to clone dinosaurs, or so we thought. In a recent breakthrough, a team of scientists at Colossal Biosciences have successfully engineered a mouse to have characteristics of the Woolly Mammoth. While it’s not the same as reviving a T-rex, this feat “marks an important step toward achieving the researchers’ ultimate goal – bringing a woolly mammoth-like creature back from extinction”. Along with the Woolly Mammoth, the team hopes to bring back the Tasmanian Tiger and the Dodo bird, and potentially more species as the technology advances. It might be too soon to say if this project will ultimately succeed, but it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Kurono Tokyo’s Star Dial

Kurono Tokyo, brain child of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, has unveiled its first release for 2025. Inspired by Asaoka’s Tsunami “As Time Goes By”, the new Star Dial combines art deco numerals, star dial indices, and a Miyota 90s5 into a 34mm case. Each model, available with either a blue or copper dial, is priced at $1,190 USD (excluding VAT).  For those considering adding one to their collection, Kurono Tokyo has stated that “The 34mm is a limited production and will not be repeated” and “Strictly one variant per customer.”

An “Instant Print” Camera, but Different

If you were to research the “best starter camera” you’d likely find widely different opinions, and an equal number of people saying “the best camera is the one you have on you”. Regardless of your opinion on what (or who) makes the “best” camera, photography should be fun, and that’s exactly what Escura is trying to do with their newest Instant Snap Camera. Discovered in a recent PetaPixel article, the Instant snap is roughly the size of a credit card and looks like a small instant photo print due to its white border.  Coming in at around $50 USD, this tiny, toy-like camera features a 1.3 megapixel sensor (for comparison, the newest iPhone has a 48 mp sensor), optical view finder, and an option for recording video or simulated film presets.  While it’s unlikely you’ll see this camera on any commercial set, it could be a fun item to carry on a trip for some retro style images.