Watches, Stories, & Gear: Big LEGO, Scream, & Movement Makers

“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 our Managing Editor at [email protected]

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

New Canon Lens Breaks Record At Auction

From PetaPixel comes a story about a truly insane Canon lens, which recently set an auction record, hammering for the equivalent of $580,000. The 1200mm f/5.6 lens was made in extremely limited quantities by Canon decades ago and sold, at retail, for $90,000. It’s estimated that only about 20 ever left Canon’s factory, making them genuinely rare. The enormous lens weighs 36 pounds, and is almost 3’ long, making use of it a team effort, almost by necessity (this great article from B&H provides a lot of insight into what this lens is actually like to shoot with). It’s an impressive piece of kit, to be sure, and PetaPixel’s article linked above dives into some other interesting lots from the same auction, including a couple of vintage Leicas that blew past their original estimates.

Scream Reboot Gets First Trailer

It might be hard to understand the cultural impact of the Scream franchise if you weren’t at least old enough to sneak into an R-rated movie when the first one premiered in 1996. It was, at first, a true cult hit, and then became a mainstream sensation, landing the slasher flick at the center of popular culture for the first time in well over a decade. Seeing these movies (at least the first two) in theaters packed with teenagers was a genuinely exhilarating 90s moviegoing experience, and every time they go back to the well for a sequel, we hope that they capture some of that magic. The trailer for the latest entry in the series (number 5!) dropped this week, and the reassembling of key cast members after all these years gives us high hopes that this is more than just an exercise in nostalgia and can capture some of the excitement of the original.

New LEGO set Is Brand’s Largest Ever

If you’re looking for a way to kill many, many hours, and have a very large table in your home, as well as a ton of patience, Lego has just unveiled a new set that might be of interest. This Titanic set is a staggering 9,090 pieces, and when assembled measures 54 inches long (eat your heart out, Canon 1200mm lens…). That measurement makes it the new record holder for the largest Lego set ever created according to this article in Popular Mechanics, and with that size you get a ton of detail on the 1:200 scale model. Features like the ship’s grand staircase, boiler room, and swimming pool are all part of the presentation, and like other high end Lego sets this is a working model, complete with an anchor that can be raised and lowered, and masts that can be adjusted for tension. Pre-orders for the set begin on November 1, and it’ll set you back $629.99 if you decide to take on what will surely be a challenging build.

Formula 1 Reveals 2022 Race Calendar 

The 2021 race season is coming down to the wire with the championship still undecided between Max and Lewis, but we’re already looking ahead to next year. Not only will the new rules and regulations go into effect, meaning dramatically different cars, but now we have a calendar with 23 Grands Prix to look forward to, including a second race in the US with Miami making its first appearance (subject to FIA circuit homologation, of course). Hopefully we see an equally diverse cast of drivers appearing on podiums next year as we’ve enjoyed this year. Until then, scope the calendar for yourself right here.

Recognizing the Names behind The Movements

A Collected Man has quickly become a welcome resource for the finer end of this hobby, and this editorial about the hidden names behind some of our favorite movements is a perfect example of why. Here, they take a look at the roots of some of the more prolific movements to have been used through the generations, and the newer advent of watchmakers going independent with their talents. It’s a small world at a certain level and this will deepen your appreciation for the incredible work being produced today. Insights from the likes of Max Busser, and the folks at JLC make this one a can’t miss. Shout out to our friends The OT Podcast, who recently interviewed A Collected Man founder, Silas Walton. 

eBay Finds: Seiko Speed Master Giugiaro A828-6000

Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro1 is known for some of the greatest automotive designs of all-time, having penned cars like the DeLorean, BMW M1, and the OG VW Golf, but he had a few great watch designs up his sleeve as well. From the famous ‘Ripley’ Seiko, to the lesser known A828-6000 seen here. This unique case and strap looks more exotic today than ever before, and while it ain’t cheap, this is one rare bird and looks to be in good working order, even if the case has seen better days. 

View auction here.