Watches, Stories, & Gear: Exploring with Brooklyn Coachworks, Mind-Boggling Bunkers in Switzerland, Cadillac on the F1 Grid, & More

Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed the round-up of our favorite stories and gear from 2022 over the past couple of weeks. We’re really excited to see what 2023 has in store for everything in Watches, Stories, and Gear. Like always, if you have any story ideas or interesting finds, please share with us by emailing our Managing Editor at [email protected].

“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.

Header Image Via: Brooklyn Coachworks

North Cascades Adventure With Brooklyn Coachworks

If you happened to pass by the Wind Up Watch Fair in New York City last year, then we’re sure you might’ve ogled at a pristine vintage Land Rover Defender parked right outside the front entrance. The drool-worthy truck belongs to a fleet of Land Rover Defenders from automotive manufacturer Brooklyn Coachworks. They’ve been around for quite awhile now, building out Defenders just as they would have come off the Solihull assembly line, but with upgraded components and features that ensure a reliable and dependable vehicle the moment you put that key in the ignition.

In addition to their informative build platform, Brooklyn Coachworks also provides a log of personal accounts from Land Rover enthusiasts and their trucks out in the wild. One in particular caught our eye that involved BK Coachworks President, Daniel Marcello and a buddy of his, Andrew Ling wheelin’ around in a Defender 90 through the emerald North Cascades. The photos alone accompanying the article are worth heading over to the site. Check out all the build options they have to offer and the stories you could make your future Land Rover here.

Why does Switzerland have over 300,000 Bunkers?

When you think of Switzerland, especially in the context of what we mainly write about on this site, you’re sure to think of well-made, luxury watches. But in a new short docu-film entitled Hunting For Switzerland’s Hidden Bunkers, Johnny Harris explores the secrets hidden in the very mountains that make the country’s landscape so easy on the eyes. It only takes a few minutes to totally get engaged in what Harris is trying to uncover. He’s traveling through a massive network of tunnels and walking through living quarters that extend more than 85 meters below the Earth’s surface. Different sections of the bunker are closed off by quadruple-fortified concrete doors and there’s no shortage of defense weaponry set up in, and out of the bunker.

This is actually the norm in Switzerland. Thousands upon thousands of bunkers are built into the landscape across the country and even more are built within normal households. It’s very much a part of the country’s culture. But why? Tune is as Johnny Harris attempts to find out.

A True American Team On The F1 Grid in 2026?

News came out this week that Michael Andretti and General Motors will be teaming up to bring a true American team to Formula 1. There has been a surge of interest in the sport mainly thanks to the Netflix series Drive to Survive. Now a Formula 1 race can be viewed at a reasonable time on ESPN, multiple races have been added within the U.S. in addition to the Austin Grand Prix, and even celebrities hanging out in the paddock is a thing. Now with the FIA open to the idea to expand the grid past 20 cars, Andretti and General Motors will pursue an opportunity to have the Cadillac name racing along automotive manufacture icons such as Ferrari Scuderia, Mercedes, and McLaren. According to the Skysports article, other teams are interested in joining the fray in addition to ‘Andretti Cadillac’, but whoever does win the bid, they won’t be seeing the track until 2026.

Terrain 365 Knives

When a piece of gear instantaneously passes the eye test, you know it’s a good sign. The Terrain 365 Invictus most certainly passes that test with flying colors with its vertical handle fullers, rear knurling, ceramic bearings, and a sharp looking blade to boot. Terrain 365 has actually been crafting tastefully designed and high performance edged tools made for all types of terrains since 2018. Each blade, including the on the Invictus, is made out of their proprietary Terravantium™ alloy that boasts nonferrous, nonmagnetic, and long lasting edge properties. They offer up a wide range of options when it comes to their Invictus line. Unfortunately some of their titanium offerings have been sold out but stay tuned to their Instagram page as they regularly announce when a restock is going to happen. Terrain 365

Renfield

Work disagreements are inevitable. You spend enough time with the same people, you’re bound to butt heads at some point. And when that person isn’t just your co-worker, but your boss, then that’s a whole different story. That’s the predicament Renfield finds himself in with the upcoming American horror comedy film entitled, well, Renfield. In the trailer Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, tries to work out his issues at a support group, but little do they know that their advice won’t necessarily apply to his situation. That’s because his boss is Dracula, appropriately played by Nicholas Cage. From the looks of the trailer, the movie has got a decent mix of comedy, action, and a unique plot that surrounds the infamous vampire. Renfield is slated to release in April 2023.