Watches, Stories, & Gear: Cage, Manuals, & Turntables

“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.

Header image credit: Brian Eno

Todd Snyder & Clarks Make Irresistible Shearling Wallabee 

Todd Snyder has joined up with Clarks to create a new take on a classic Clarks boot, the Wallabee. The winterized version of the boot features a shearling lining and suede exterior, and maintains the classic crepe sole. Available in olive and brown, the new Wallabee is a fun and seasonally appropriate spin on a boot that isn’t usually a go-to in the winter months. More information via Todd Snyder right here.

New Brian Eno Turntable A Treat For The Senses 

When you think of Brian Eno, you probably think of the member of Roxy Music, ambient music pioneer, and collaborator with many of the biggest names in modern rock and pop, including David Bowie, U2, and Grace Jones. But he’s also a visual artist with a strong interest in light, and he’s just designed a new turntable that highlights his singular aesthetic and is just a flat out beautiful object to look at. Only 50 of the psychedelic turntables will be made, each with an ever changing LED light show produced from the inside. If you’ve ever dipped your toe into high end audiophile equipment, you know that turntables can get quite insane, and can quickly begin to look like space age Rube Goldberg contraptions at the very high end, but this record player has a traditional design that is simply accented with a dramatic lighting effect, giving it an ethereal quality that seems appropriate given the work of the designer. More images via Wallpaper right here.

Witness The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent In New Trailer

If you’re a Nicolas Cage fan, congratulations are in order, as your time has clearly come. A trailer dropped this week for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (amazing title), a movie in which Nicolas Cage plays, finally, a version of himself, “Nick Cage.” The trailer is absolutely bananas, even for a Nicolas Cage movie, and it appears that it’ll be chock full of homages to the work of his past, all of which we celebrate here. Check out the trailer and read more about the movie via the A/V Club here, and mark your calendar for April 22, 2022, when the new Cage project hits theaters. Oh, and the trailer above is a Red Band teaser, so maybe wait for the kids to step away before playing. 

Log4j Gets Patched. What Is Log4j?

If you frequent this place we call the internet you’ve likely heard, even in passing, of a Log4j vulnerability making the rounds. If you or your company run java based applications it’s likely to have had an effect on you. As patches get rolled out, the scope of the vulnerability remains massive according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and that means it could take months to get a full understanding of how the vulnerability may have been attacked. What is Log4j? It’s a java-based logging framework that is a part of the Apache Logging Services, and if you’re running java based applications, well, prioritize software updates post haste. More about the issue here at The Verge.

The Miata Is Saving The Manual

If you know the Miata, you know it’s always the answer. This answer comes in the form of Mazda making the Sport and Club trim levels of the 2022 MY Miata available exclusively with a proper manual transmission. Why any Miata’s are offered with anything other than a manual is still a mystery (it’s a Miata, people), but an automatic option is now exclusively available on the Grand Touring trim level. With prices still starting under $30k, improved handling thanks to something called Kinematic Posture Control, and the gracefully aging ND body is as compelling as ever. See the full rundown of the changes at C&D right here.

eBay Finds: Vintage Tissot Alarm

This vintage Tissot Sea Star Sonorous alarm watch is really sweet, and one you don’t see often. In fact, this is the first example of this model I’ve seen! The 34mm wide steel case has a great 1970’s style and is excellent and unpolished, with sharp edges and factory brushed finish. The silver dial looks superb, and has a brushed finish to match the case. It features applied and faceted steel makers, and an inner minute track to set the alarm hand. Dual oversized signed crowns add a really nice flair to the whole look too. Even though we all have alarms on our phones, there’s something just so cool about the useful and utilitarian function of a mechanical alarm to me. The gold-tone 17j manual wind movement is clean and works well as per the seller. Great looking and scarce vintage 1970’s mechanical alarm watch!

View auction here.