Watches, Stories, & Gear: Old vs. New Porsches, Adventure Gear Upgrades, Jordan Peele’s New Sci-Fi Thriller, & More

“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.

Worn & Wound Gets A New Face

So, you may have noticed a few changes around here. It’s true, we’ve got a new look and feel to go along with the same great content you know and love. Most importantly, we hope this change provides a better experience for you, and gives you more avenues to discover the 10+ years worth of content within. Don’t miss the refined filters in the review section, and all the new components of the header. Take a browse and if you have any thoughts or suggestions be sure to send them our way. In the meantime, enjoy the new digs.

Making Connections: Old Porsches & New Porsches

As fabulous as some of the modern Porsche offerings may be, the old stuff is where you’ll find much of the brand’s considerable personality. Car & Driver, in their infinite wisdom, got a batch of old and new Porsche models together to compare and contrast against one another. The results were about as you’d expect, but seeing the older cars alongside their modern (kinda) counterparts proves a keen reminder of the legendary roots of this legendary German brand. While there’s nothing too insightful about the road tests, it’s worth it for the snaps of the 914/6 alone. Head over to C&D for the full story. Better on the streets than adrift and on fire…

On Fire and Adrift At Sea

Speaking of Porshces, if you’re expecting an allocation to come in some time soon, I’d check in with your dealer. A couple days ago, a cargo ship capable of carrying 4,000 vehicles was making its way to the United States from Germany and unexpectedly caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Here’s the thing, the ship was fully loaded with Porsches and Volkswagens, and as of a couple days ago, the fire was still active. All 22 crew members were forced to abandon ship and thankfully they did so unharmed. The Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center received the SOS distress call and were able to coordinate the rescue of all 22 crew members. Also some good news, as per the Portuguese Navy the event has caused no visible oceanic pollution from the fire. The bad news, if you were expecting one of these German luxury cars, you might have to wait a bit longer for your brand new set of wheels.

COTIC Releases New All Terrain Adventure Bike

There are plenty of ways to add another layer of difficulty to challenge yourself on your next  micro-adventure. Sometimes the easiest way to do that is to change the way you get to your location. So instead of taking your car, why not try to bike there? If you’re keen on this idea and in the market for a new set of wheels, we suggest you check out the versatile Cascade adventure-bike by COTIC. COTIC is an independent bicycle company based out of Derbyshire, UK and they currently have a quiver of bicycles that mostly concentrate on trail riding, with the exception of the Tonic which is straight-up a road bike and the hybrid Cascade adventure-bike. The newly released COTIC Cascade combines the best of both worlds of mountain and gravel/road riding by blending the sturdy frame of a mountain bike with customizable forks and a drop down bar set typically found on the faster road bikes. The drop bar set provides more hand positions and allows the rider to really lean in when they’re booking it downhill.

The Cascade was made with a purposeful design offering a wider clearance for thicker off-road tires and a frame that allows for maximum cargo add-ons and mounts for full length mudguards and fenders. The COTIC Cascade is built to ride on any terrain, whether it’s going up a mountain, or down it. And if you just need a bike to get you to your local cafe, the COTIC Cascade will do just fine. The COTIC Cascade comes  in three different colorways: Lichen, Smoke Gray and Nimbus Sunrise. Check out the COTIC Cascade in action here.

The Fjorden Adds DSLR Feel To Your iPhone

The Fjorden is an innovative control console that connects to your iPhone transforming the experience of taking a photo on your phone to that of shooting with a DSLR camera. This clever piece of tech is the brainchild of photographer and scientist Victor Henning who wanted to add the precision controls and feel of a regular camera to the iPhone so that at any moment, you’re ready to snap a proper photo. The Fjorden comes equipped with a two-stage shutter button (half-press focuses and a full-press takes the photo, a customizable control dial, a multi-function button and a zoom lever. The Fjorden app interface also seems to be user friendly and customizable for any personal use preferences. The folks behind the Fjorden promise a “form follows function” design and that speaks true with its versatile camera features and adaptable functions all packed into a slim 10.7mm thick housing.

The Fjorden has been a Kickstarter success with over 3,000 backers and $500,000 behind the project. The Fjorden is still currently available for pre-order and aims to be shipped in May or June of this year. Fjorden

Jordan Peele’s Nope Trailer

Movie fans (and a large Super Bowl Sunday audience) got their first look at Nope, the latest from Get Out director Jordan Peele over the weekend when the first trailer and TV spots hit for the much anticipated new film. What’s it about? Hard to say. As you’d expect, Peele seems to want to keep a bit of mystery around this project. But it seems clear enough that something highly unusual is happening in an isolated community in the American southwest, and there will be horses, those inflatable wavy tube men, and a kid being sucked into the sky by something we can’t quite see. Aliens? Maybe. Whatever is going on, this trailer makes us want to see more. Nope hits theaters in July.

Regular Cars YouTube Reviews

We post a lot of content in WSG about special cars. Exotic cars. Expensive cars. But what about, you know, normal cars? Turns out there’s a YouTube channel dedicated to giving regular cars their place in the spotlight. The aptly titled Regular Cars channel takes an in-depth and often hilarious approach to cars that don’t normally get the deep dive treatment on YouTube. Want to take a close look at the 98 Dodge Neon? You’re in luck. If you want to watch a 17 minute video on the 1984 Plymouth Colt, Regular Cars has you covered. Check out this channel for a lighthearted look at cars that are, charitably, a bit more accessible than what you’d normally find on a channel like this.

eBay Finds: Vintage OMEGA SEAMASTER Cosmic 2000 Automatic Men’s Watch Stainless 38mm

Pretty much all vintage watch collectors are familiar with the Omega Seamaster, made famous by the 1950’s fat lug sport models and the 1960’s Seamaster 300 iconic divers. A lesser known sub-family is the Cosmic 2000 from the 1970’s. The Cosmic 2000 has a “c-shape” steel case, a sort of oval cushion. This one measures 38mm wide and looks unpolished, with a nice original brushed finish and sharp edges. The silver/white dial is really nice, with large applied steel markers and a date window at 3 o’clock. There are a couple of small patina spots, but overall the dial looks great. The large crown is correct and signed with the Omega logo as it should be. Seller states the watch runs and keeps time. Nice vintage Omega Seamaster that doesn’t look like all the others. Check out the latest eBay find here and make your bid.