“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.
Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing [email protected].
The Latest From Tactile Turn
You know we’re pretty big fans of Tactile Turn’s pens around here, so we definitely wanted to highlight their latest seasonal release. The “Groove” is inspired by a love of music and vinyl record culture. The inky black pen (sorry for the pun) is meant to conjure the grooves of a vinyl record, and it’s paired with an “LP” edition that is a bit bolder and colorful, recalling colored viny and 1970s design cues. Both are available in Tactile Turn’s side click configuration in three sizes. The standard black is priced at $149, while the LP is priced at $179. Find more information at Tactile Turn’s website right here.
The Timepiece Gentleman Saga Comes to an End
We don’t always cover legal news here in Watches, Stories, & Gear, but when we do, it usually involves the most infamous watch related Ponzi scheme any of us can recall (and perhaps the only one)? Anthony Farrer, otherwise known as the Timepiece Gentleman, became a YouTube sensation during the pandemic, giving viewers a behind the scenes look at the life of a high flying watch dealer to the super rich. Well, turns out, it was all a big con, taking his customers for well over $5 million in total. Farrer was sentenced to 6 years in Federal prison this week, bringing an end to one of the strangest and drama-filled chapters in the story of the watch over the last few years.
Baz’s Bar
Baz Luhrmann is one of the most inventive filmmakers of his generation. The Australian director of Moulin Rouge, Elvis, The Great Gatsby, and others is known for applying his idiosyncratic style to classic Hollywood conventions. His movies look and sound like nothing else. Often divisive, no one would claim they aren’t original. He’s just opened a new bar in Manhattan, Monsieur, and according to this article in Eater it’s already a hit. Photos of the interior reveal a very Baz-like aesthetic, with stained glass, walnut furnishings, and plant inspired wallpaper. It seems like the kind of place Luhrmann’s version of Jay Gatsby might have made an appearance.
A New TV Project from the Safide Brothers
Josh and Benny Safdie, the celebrated filmmakers behind Uncut Gems, each have new films out this year that they’ve directed solo. They’ve indicated that they’ll no longer collaborate on feature films, but they do have a new television project in the works at Peacock, and it would seem to tread similar ground to Gems. The project is currently known as “Superfakes,” and it’s said to center on the world of a NYC Chinatown based dealer of luxury counterfeits. The name of the show, of course, will be familiar to many watch lovers – a “superfake” is a counterfeit watch that is such a strong likeness for the genuine article that it’s almost impossible to telll at a glance that it’s not real. The Safdie’s return to this world will be highly anticipated by many who loved Uncut Gems, and just want to see the brothers working together again. More information can be found here.
Why are the LVMH Olympic Medals Falling Apart?
This week, the New York Times has a story on what appears to be the widespread tarnishing of Paris Olympic medals. If you remember last summer’s games, you likely recall that LVMH brands were frequently placed front and center, with the luxury group and its brands playing a major role in the Games being held in their backyard. Among the LVMH contributions to the games were the medals designed by Chaumet, a high end jewelry brand owned by the group. Reports are surfacing that months after the games, many of the medals are tarnishing, particularly those made of bronze, in a rather unsightly way. At a time when conversation about rising prices in the luxury industry (not just watches) is at a fever pitch, this is perhaps a symbolic indication of how visibility and prices can rise without the products themselves really getting any better.