Watches, Stories, & Gear: Get Back, Great Podcasts, & 14 Peaks

“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.

Starship Production Presents Challenge for SpaceX

If you were looking forward to a day in the not too distant future where you could buy a one way ticket to Mars and head to the Red Planet on a SpaceX rocket to escape what you expect will be a series of growing catastrophes here on Earth, well, you may want to quickly come up with a backup plan. Some news was made over the Thanksgiving holiday when internal communications were leaked out of SpaceX indicating that the company is, perhaps, on the verge of bankruptcy, if production on the Raptor engine isn’t significantly ramped up. It’s an unusually candid look behind the veil at an organization with the highest of hopes, and no matter what preconceived notions you have about Elon Musk, SpaceX, and the very idea of interplanetary travel becoming common within our lifetimes, these leaked messages shed new light on what’s going on at the company.

12 Moments In Get Back You Need To Know

If you’re a serious Beatles fan, you likely have already carved out the eight hours required to take in every bit of Peter Jackson’s incredibly thorough new documentary Get Back, currently streaming in Disney+. The film is a fly on the wall accounting of the “Let it Be” sessions, frequently a subject of much debate and fascination among Beatles fans. The footage is incredible and the movie is immensely watchable, if not a bit long, and it’s rightly taken over a spot at the center of our popular culture in the last week. But what if you’re not a Beatles fan, and still want to, you know, participate in the conversation? Well, thanks Vulture, you can, with this handy guide to key moments throughout the film. This article takes a lot less time to read than it does to watch all three parts of Jackson’s movie, and you’ll still have all the info you need on Ringo farting, and Paul coming up with “Get Back” right out of thin air. Thank you, internet, provider of digital Cliff’s Notes.

The 10 Best Podcasts of 2021, According to the NYT

It’s that time of year again when media outlets start to release their annual “Best Of” lists, which means it’s a great time to add movies, music, books, and TV shows to your mental or physical lists of things to consume. Podcasts, of course, continue to grow in popularity and become more adventurous in how they’re presented to listeners, and the New York Times has put together a list of the 10 best to debut in 2021. If you’re looking for something new to listen to while you’re traveling for the holidays, or just ready for something a bit different, there’s likely to be something on here that’s new-to-you even if you’re a voracious podcast consumer. Check out the list right here, and don’t forget that there are over 200 episodes of the Worn & Wound podcast to listen to in the archives, just in case you need an audio watch content fix.

Get Sweaty Palms With 14 Peaks

The previous record for summiting the highest 14 peaks in the world was held by Jerzy Kukuczka, which he completed in 1987 and took him 7 years, 11 months and 14 days. That was until Nimsdai Purja shattered that record in 2019, completing the incredible feat of summiting all 14 8000 meter plus peaks in exactly 189 days. In his detailed memoir, Beyond Possible which I’ve read a second time prepping for his upcoming Netflix film, he shares the different accounts of back to back summits, impromptu rescues and his journey from serving in the Brigade of Gurkahs and the Special Boat Service (worth mentioning Nims was the first Gurkah to ever pass the selection process for the SBS) to a career in mountaineering and his quest to complete Project Possible.

Out now, on Netflix 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, a film that brings the entire Project Possible journey to life. We relive Nims’ physical challenges that come with the territory of high altitude climbing, including dangerous acclimatization and enduring through the pain, even when everything in his mind and body is telling him to quit. Mental challenges go hand in hand, as we experience him tirelessly working to fund Project Possible and dealing with unforeseen death on the mountains. With every obstacle that gets placed in his way, Nims overcomes with self-belief and sheer hard work.  As a bonus, we also may get a glimpse of the Bremont S300 Project Possible edition that went up with Nims on every climb. The table is set for an inspiring film filled with jaw dropping views and palm sweaty scenes; and might just be the kick in the pants we need to get out there, especially after a holiday weekend of feasting and food coma induced couch time.

eBay Finds: Vintage Gruen Diver

If you like vintage divers, we’ve got a great one this week. This vintage Gruen diver has presence to spare. The stainless steel skindiver style case is near perfect, with factory brushed finish and razor sharp edges. The deep orange dial really stands out, and the black tipped white hands really pop. The dial has white crosshairs and applied steel hour markers with lume on the 12, 3, 6 and 9 makers. There is an outer minute track that gives it a racing style look and quite honestly is super cool. The aluminum countdown bezel is superb, with no wear that I can see. An oversized crown adds to the overall look. The automatic movement is clean, and the seller states the watch is running well. The starting bid on this one may seem high, but not considering the brand, look and condition of this killer vintage diver.

View auction here.