Watches, Stories, & Gear: Al Capone’s Watch, Bioprinted Wagyu, and a Double Dose of Bond

“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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This installment of “Watches, Stories, and Gear” is brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop, which now features an EDC section.

Trove of Al Capone Belongings Heading to Auction

The New York Times has a story this week about a peculiar auction that might interest some with an eye toward vintage watches. A total of 174 items owned by none other than Al Capone are on the block via Witherell’s Auction House. The sale includes firearms owned by the notorious mobster, who died in 1947, but also other personal items. Jewelry, for instance, including a platinum Patek Philippe pocket watch, studded with 90 diamonds on the case (bidding starts at $12,500, if you’re interested). It’s a fascinating sale because it reminds us of the more human side of the mobster who came to be known as Scarface (and inspired two movies with that title), and it’s only going forward thanks to the involvement of his heirs, who are donating proceeds from the auction to charity, and naturally have some complicated feelings about Capone’s life and legacy. Read the story right here.

No Time To Die Gets Final Trailer for Craig’s Final Bond Appearance

No Time to Die, the forthcoming James Bond film, was one of the first major releases to be delayed last year due to the onset of the global pandemic. It’s finally set to be released worldwide in October, and the final trailer just dropped. We’ve been anticipating this one for a long, long time, and every bit of new footage has us more and more excited. This clip has a taste of all the stunts you’d expect from a Bond outing, and emphasizes that this is a conclusion of sorts, being the final time we’ll see Daniel Craig as the superspy. He’s inhabited the role for so long at this point it’s tough to imagine what the next Bond could possibly look like, but that’s a thought experiment for another day. For now, we’ll be rewatching the previous Daniel Craig Bonds, and anxiously await the final chapter.

Land Rover Bids Farewell To Bond With Special Edition Defender

Are you already craving more Bond after watching that No Time to Die trailer? We’ve got you covered. Land Rover has unveiled a special edition of the Defender V8, a vehicle that makes an appearance in the new Bond flick out this fall. The aptly named Defender V8 Bond Edition features a “Defender 007” badge on the rear, as well as some other small touches that link it to the Defender used in the movie (black wheels and blue brake calipers, for example). Only 300 of these Defenders will be made, and they’ll carry a starting price of £105,395. More info here.

From Printer to Table, Wagyu Beef Successfully 3D Bioprinted

Wagyu beef, known for its highly marbled perfectness, has been successfully 3D bioprinted by a team of scientists from Japan’s Osaka University. Vegetarians rejoice. Using stem cells taken from Wagyu (which literally means Japanese Cow), the team created a structure containing the characteristic marbling the beef is known for. From there they were able to figure out how the blood vessels, fats, and muscles should be stacked, and using the bioprinting technique, produced an accurate slab of the stuff. Success here is another step toward a more sustainable production of meat products. Now, the only real question that remains is what does it taste like after a quick trip to the grill…

Kimi Raikkonen Announces Retirement from Formula 1 Racing

 

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A post shared by Kimi Räikkönen (@kimimatiasraikkonen)

With a social media post this week, legendary F1 racer Kimi Raikkonen announced that this season would be his last in the sport. The news was expected around Monza next weekend, but in classic Kimi fashion, he took things into his own hands to communicate the news with fans. The Finnish driver, who won the world title in 2007 for Ferrari, has won the adoration of fans for his rather blunt communication both during the race, and after, as well as for antics like retiring to a yacht after crashing out at Monaco. He is, as they say, a real one. Kimi will turn 42 years old next month, and will finish his career with the Alfa Romeo team alongside teammate Antonio Giovinazzi.

eBay Finds: Vintage Seiko Sportsmatic

While Seiko divers and chronographs may get all the love, there are a plethora of other awesome Seiko models out there, including this sweet vintage 1966 Sportsmatic. Nice 37mm steel case is a great size and looks unpolished. The charcoal gray crosshair dial looks excellent with its applied steel markers. The dial is complimented by the steel dauphine hands. I’ve found these Sportsmatics to be very well made, robust watches despite their comparatively lower original price point. This one will definitely provide bang for your buck. Seller states the watch runs and kept time while wearing, but did lose a few minutes over night, so it may need some attention by a watchmaker.