“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].
The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. is a jewel in the Smithsonian network of museums in our nation’s capital, and one of the most famous attractions at the zoo is the panda habitat. This year marks 50 years of giant panda care at the zoo, and to celebrate the anniversary, the excellent Smithsonian Magazine website has put together a set of great video clips from the Giant Panda Cam, which has been accessed by millions around the world for years whenever they need a giant panda fix. If you’re feeling a little listless or just need a smile, there are worse options than checking out some of the best giant footage the camera has ever captured. More here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQEondeGvKo
Stranger Things is back for its fourth season this summer, and the show’s rabid fanbase has been picking apart the first full trailer for the new run of episodes since it dropped earlier this week. We won’t get into too much theorizing here about what’s to come in season 4 (which is split up into two volumes, with the first premiering in May and the second hitting Netflix in July), but it looks like all the principal characters are back in action to varying degrees, and the there’s still plenty of that great 1980s period detail. Go ahead and drop your thoughts on the new clip in the comments below, as we watch this on repeat until later in May.
The Batman just hit theaters in March, so we feel a bit of whiplash to learn via The Verge that the latest comic book adaptation featuring the caped crusader is due to hit HBO Max in a matter of days, at the time of this writing. It’s a sign of the times that the theatrical “window” for new releases, even mega-budget superhero epics that make a ton of money, is getting shorter and shorter, as everything is pushed toward streaming services. But that’s where the eyeballs are looking, so it’s likely to keep happening. While this might negatively impact the movie theater business, it’s an objectively good thing for movie fans who just want access to more content, so we’re all for more people getting a taste of the latest Batman tale. With a three hour runtime, this one might be more digestible in the comfort of your living room than a crowded theater, anyway.
https://twitter.com/toyota/status/1514815793027956744?s=21&t=lwjzocIHT1jD6jblbkfMhA
Toyota is finally ready to bring a proper manual gearbox to the 5th generation Supra, which first went on sale nearly 3 years ago. Toyota took to social media to tease the move, leaving little room for ambiguity with the tags #manual and #supra with an image of 3 pedals in the footwell. Does this mean a GR variant is in the works? What engines and packages will be available? All that’s anyone’s guess, but we might see news as soon as this month regarding stick shift Supras. The Supra has always been available with a manual gearbox (except for MY’96 cars thanks to new emissions regulations), so the MKV will finally fall inline (heh) with the rest of the family, and not a moment too soon.
A few of us here took part in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) this week, and the community turned out with some amazing questions and comments. Huge thanks to everyone who participated, and in particular the r/watches mod team for making it happen. The full thread is live on r/watches right here, and yes, we still pop in to answer any additional questions. If you missed out on the AMA, but have questions or comments for us, we of course remain at your disposal. Hit us up on social, the comment section here, or email our editor at [email protected].
The find this week is a bit of a flyer as the listing doesn’t have much info, except that it runs well, but this vintage Omega is too sweet to pass up. It features a nice simple round case design with a sharp beveled bezel that is 10k gold filled. The lugs are also simple, with a nice sharp bevel again. Caseback is steel. The case looks unpolished with no apparent wear. The seller doesn’t state the case size, but I’m going to guess about 33-34mm. The crown is signed with the Omega logo as it should be. Classic champagne dial with raised gold markers and gold dauphine hands. It comes on what looks like the original gold cap textured bracelet with Omega signed deployant buckle. Really a sharp looking, well preserved and original vintage Omega dress watch.
Latest Review
