Watches, Stories, & Gear: Weird Dreams, Soviet Watches, & Ultraman

“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.

Header image credit: Netflix

CNN Takes a Look at the World of Soviet Watch Collectors

When you think about vintage watches, it’s easy to get caught up in the world of Rolex and other household names in the realm of Swiss watchmaking. But as this story on CNN proves, there’s a hardcore collecting community for literally every pocket of watch history imaginable, including Soviet watches. This piece goes inside the so-called Bureau of Russian Watch Intelligence, a closely knit and dedicated collecting group that focuses on Soviet watches spanning much of the 20th century, at least back to the days of Stalin’s rule. Collecting these watches is as much about history as it is the timepieces themselves, and discovering how the Soviet watch industry links back to American and German watchmaking in unexpected ways is one of the great surprises of the story of Soviet watches. This one’s a must for vintage watch fans and history buffs alike.

New Ultraman Adaptation Heading to Netflix 

My guy stopped by to celebrate the announcement. pic.twitter.com/N3SDXKL1qq

— Shannon Tindle (@ShannonTindle_1) May 13, 2021

Ultraman is one of the most popular characters in Japanese television history, but is largely an unknown quantity for American audiences. Sure, the watch community is familiar with the broad strokes of the series thanks to a certain vintage watch that remains incredibly popular, and the reissued version that goes right along with it, but as much as we might wish it was the case, watches are not exactly at the center of our popular culture. So in that sense it’s a pretty big move for Netflix to move ahead with an ambitious Ultraman relaunch in the form of a CG animated movie, as detailed on The Verge this week. This is a fairly massive piece of IP that of course could lead to additional movies and other content, and with the huge reach of Netflix it stands to reason that Ultraman could reach an ultra wide audience that was heretofore unthinkable. If you’re lucky enough to own the limited edition Speedmaster linked above, it could be easier to explain to a non-watch person sooner than you think. 

Do Our Strangest Dreams Have a Purpose?

Waking up from an incredibly weird dream is one of those experiences that is common to just about all of us. But it’s a phenomenon that science still doesn’t really understand. The meaning of our dreams is something that has long puzzled researchers, and there’s little agreement if our dreams mean anything at all, let alone if they have some kind of deeper function. Science writer Ruairi Mackenzie takes a look at a new idea with a foundation in advanced artificial intelligence that could provide some meaning to our strangest dreams. It’s heady stuff (no pun intended) but an interesting read if you’ve ever wondered why you keep having that dream that you’re falling through space.

Porsche Opens ‘Special Wishes’ Program to the Public

It’s no secret that Porsche has catered to some of their most well-heeled customers with everything from their Paint To Sample program to near one-offs modifications for the likes of Jerry Seinfeld. Now, you too will have access to the Porsche ‘Sonderwunsch’ or Special Wishes’ program. If you have the coin, that is. For a price, Porsche engineers will perform a feasibility study for you, and for a bit more (assuming it is indeed feasible), actually build it for you. If you’re not the type that lives off dividends, you can join the rest of us in waiting to see what kind of creations will come of this move. More on the program from Road & Track right here.

Get Camping This Summer With This Kit

After being cooped up indoors for close to a year and half, I’m sure you are all carefully planning every second of this upcoming summer to be outdoors. However, when it comes to venturing into the wilderness, some of us may be well prepared explorers, and the others, well, let’s just say the closest thing to a tool for a night outdoors would be that flashlight stashed away in the junk drawer (I’m somewhere in between the two). With camping gear in general, it’s important to have the correct, and equally important, reliable equipment. This recent Outside Magazine article breaks down the different types of gear you’re going to need when you’re braving the outdoors this summer. From a multipurpose tent to vehicle recovery tools, and everything in between, this list has got you covered.

eBay Finds: Vintage Girard Perregaux

This week we have a gorgeous vintage 1960’s Girard Perregaux 39 jewel Gyromatic. GP is one of those under-the-radar vintage brands to most people, but those that know…know. Their in house movements are beautiful and robust, and the Gyromatic automatic winding system was revolutionary at the time of its debut in the late 1950’s. This example has a silver dial with an even, pleasing patina with arrowhead markers. The 35mm wide stainless steel case is excellent and unpolished, with those quasi-bombe lugs being sharp and oh so tasty. This example has the original signed crown, always a plus. The movement is clean and the seller states that it runs and keeps good time.

View listing here.