It’s nothing terribly special - just a watch shaped like a Dreamcast - but the great thing is that this opens up like the Dreamcast’s pop-top CD tray. It’s on pre-order now for delivery around September 29th.

Product Page [Play-Asia]

Amazing… a few short days later and we have a full time writer for TheSportingLife.net. Head on over and check out what Nic has to say on gin, cigars, and retro gadgets. Oh, and swimsuit models. Lots of swimsuit models…

Greetings from the Deep South [The Sporting Life]

Here are some excellent instructions on how to build your own macro box for taking fancy photos of your gadgets and obviously your watches.

Strobist: On Assignment: Shoot Your Shiny New Gizmo Like a Pro [Strobist]

I’m going to guess we won’t be able to make this one, but FYI:

Dear watch-collectors and watch enthusiasts,

on September 3rd the former pilot, rallye driver and well known watchmaker from Frankfurt, Helmut Sinn, or as his friends do call him, the “fast Helmut”, celebrates his 90th birthday!

For this reason Helmut Sinn invites you for a small snack and a drink on

Saturday, the 2nd of September 2006, from 10:00 to approx. 16:00
in his office rooms of JUBILAR UHREN in Schultheissenweg 40, 60489 Frankfurt am Main. The office is in the district of Rödelheim, close to the old water tower.

Watch lovers will have the opportunity to see the entire Jubilar-, Guinand- and Chronosport-collections, or have a interesting chat with the watch master craftman Helmut Dietz, for all others there will be plenty of time to talk to Helmut Sinn himself.

So, come along, Helmut Sinn, or better: the “fast Helmut” is looking forward to seeing you!

Best regards,

Martina Kammel
Jubilar Uhren

P.S.: for our planning it would be very helpful if you could please answer to this invitation unti the 14th of August 2006. Please send us an e-mail under “info@guinand-watch.com” or give us a call under 49 69 78 00 99. Thank you.

Meet by the old water tower!

Helmut Sinn proudly invites you! - Watchuseek Watch Forums [WatchuSeek]

Lots of pickies and lots of pithy commentary is to be had over at TimeZone where they document their trip to IWC in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. I like IWC’s style and value - I’m not a huge fan of the Portuguese line but everyone seems to be. It’s great to see them close up and personal.

The history of IWC in Schaffhausen begins in 1868, when an American named Florentine Ariosto Jones came to Switzerland with the goal of producing watch movements. In 1880, after a couple of management “issues”, Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel took over, and the company remained in the hands of his family for several generations. The 1970s was a critical time for IWC, as the Swiss watch industry dealt with both the advent of the quartz movement and the skyrocketing price of gold in 1974. Despite these challenges and multiple ownership changes (VDO, LMH, etc.), IWC persevered, and today it is thriving.

2006 TZ Tour, Installment 2, page 1 - TimeZone [TimeZone]

I don’t mind non-watchies talking about buying watches, but this article was a little too “I don’t know me arse from me elbow, har har” for my taste

Whatever, these watch companies give you all this active lifestyle guff and show you pictures of Swiss pensioners in brown store coats painstakingly assembling the inner workings with tweezers, and then they try to flog you something that is more complicated than a slide rule and is made from uranium. Or which is bigger and heavier than Fort Knox and would look stupid on even Puff Diddly.

I think I’ve found an answer, though. There’s a watch called the Bell & Ross BR 01-92 which, according to the blurb, is made in Switzerland from German parts by a company that supplies the American military and is used regularly by people who make a living by being fired from the gun turrets of Abrams M1 tanks while riding burning jet-skis.

This is kind of like the guy who says “I know nothing about cars and I’m really poor. What should I buy? A Porsche Carrera or a Boxster?” The second statement kind of negates the first statement. I mean that B&R he mentions is essentially his nemesis. Oh well.

I’m calling time on silly watches [TimesOnline]

I don’t even know where to start on these. Just take a look. The bloody moonphase is a little dual-colored ball of steel.
Picture Page [Harry Tan]

Mmmm… tasty Speedmaster. As an aside, I just opened up my Seamaster Chrono to dry it out and let me tell you the finish on Omega movements are incredible. I should have taken a picture, but I wanted to button it back up without destroying it. This model uses the Omega 3301.

An IWC Aquatimer ended up in Miami Vice - I hope it’s decade accurate! Jamie Foxx wore this one and another limited edition IWC in the film, which I haven’t really seen nor care to.

Miami Vice IWC Watch [ProfessionalWatches]

Here it is, folks, the Bathy’s Diver Auto with ETA movement.

Thus I have just finished encasing the ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, putting on the hands, etc. to begin to see how it all looks in person. Even in its half-done state, I think I’ve got a winner.

Still no custom crown, nor deployant clasp, and the date ring will be black rather than the white shown here, but it is a good 1st mock-up of the final watch. Seeing the second hand sweep around the dial so smoothly and hearing the ticking makes me a happy camper.

Product Page [Bathys]