Watches, Stories, & Gear: An Incredible Bike Collection Found in Switzerland, the Timepiece Gentleman Saga Comes to TV, and Pitchfork is Absorbed by GQ

“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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An Amazing Bike Collection 

At Worn & Wound, we love collecting rabbit holes. Obviously we’re very focused on watches, but the collecting bug hits people in different ways, and figuring out what excites people about the “stuff” they acquire is a lot of fun, and makes it feel a little less like “stuff” and more like an extension of their personality. This week in Classic Driver, writer Jan Baedeker has found a perfect example of this principle in Adrian Elmiger, who has amassed an incredible collection of classic carbon racing bicycles, with a number of SUVs, snowboards, and other conveyances thrown in for good measure. Even if you’re not a cyclist, getting a window into Elmiger’s world is worthwhile, and Baedeker paints a rich and rewarding portrait. The piece is also filled with incredible photography that makes us want to get back to Switzerland as soon as possible.  

The Death Stranding Video Game Inspires a Watch

It feels like watches and gaming have been on the precipice of a major crossover moment for years. They are two enthusiast cultures that are linked in a number of ways, so it seems like it’s only a matter of time before we see a true “worlds are colliding” moment. We might be a little closer with the announcement of a new watch by Anicorn inspired by the popular Death Stranding game. The Reverse Trike Time watch is filled with little details that will please fans of the game, and the name of the watch itself comes from the main character’s preferred mode of transportation as he explores a post apocalyptic version of the United States. The watch comes in a full collector’s set that is meant to immerse you in the world of the game. And as a watch, it’s a pretty interesting piece even if you’re not already a Death Stranding fan. Check it out here.

The Timepiece Gentleman Scandal Comes to TV (Maybe)

If you’re a watch enthusiast and also on the internet in a meaningful way, it’s been hard to avoid news of the ongoing saga of Anthony Farrer, the so-called Timepiece Gentleman. If you’ve avoided the story until now, a quick primer: a gray market watch dealer and ex-con achieves massive YouTube fame by flaunting perceived wealth while manufacturing drama around his day-to-day life of watch sales, hitting the gym, and generally seeking attention. Eventually, it becomes clear it was all a big scam, and the Timepiece Gentleman was allegedly operating a massive Ponzi scheme. Now, according to Deadline, McG’s production company is developing a new docuseries based on the scandal. David Kushner, the Los Angeles based investigative journalist who helped break the story, is also involved. Farrer always said he wanted Mark Wahlberg to play him in the movie of his life, but it looks like he’ll have to settle for an expose from the guy who made the Charlie’s Angels movie. 

The End of an Era for Pitchfork

Variety and other outlets this week reported on the end of an era for Pitchfork, the indie music website and resource that started as a humble blog by founder Ryan Schreiber in 1996. Pitchfork’s operations will now be folded into those of GQ, their Conde Nast sibling. Layoffs, as you might have anticipated, were a result of the change, including editor-in-chief Puja Patel. For a certain generation, Pitchfork’s influence is hard to overstate. Not only did it help to mainstream certain niche genres of music, providing a platform to launch artists of all kinds into a level of fame and success they otherwise never would have dreamt of, but it changed the way we talk about things we like (and don’t like) on the internet. Their long, sometimes overly verbose album reviews helped to normalize talking about music, movies, art, and even watches in a passionate way, driven by the unique perspectives of a given writer. For anyone who was ever a daily reader of Pitchfork, the idea of the website being rolled into GQ is a harsh reminder of the tenuous state of media today. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Trouble with Customs 

Movie stars: they’re just like us! OK, not really. But Arnold Schwarzenegger did experience a hiccup going through customs at the Munich airport recently, in a way that watch enthusiasts will either be familiar with or fear. According to the New York Times, the Terminator star and action movie icon was stopped during a routine customs inspection, where German officials found a valuable Audemars Piguet watch that was apparently set to be auctioned off for charity. The problem is that Arnie didn’t declare it, and was held up in the airport for several hours trying to reconcile the tax bill. The Times also reports that Schwarzenegger will face formal criminal tax charges in Germany. The “I’ll be back” jokes basically write themselves. 

BMW to Deploy Humanoid Robots in their South Carolina Manufacturing Facility 

Speaking of Terminators, news hit this week that BMW is set to test humanoid robot workers made by robotics startup Figure in their South Carolina plant, where the German carmaker builds many of its X-series and XM-series vehicles. This is not a robot takeover (yet) but appears to be the very beginning of what amounts to a pilot program to determine use cases for walking robots in car manufacturing. According to a report from The Verge, the ultimate intent is to use the robots for jobs that are  “difficult, unsafe, or tedious”. We’re probably a long way from a fully robot run factory, but we’re a little closer than we were yesterday. What could go wrong?