Tag: watches

Over the summer, I was sent a gift by a company I did some consulting work for. I got the delivery notification and assumed it was a book or something. Turned out it was this. An IWC Ingenieur Mission Earth, which they don’t make any more.

46mm across, huge, heavy and industrial. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I looked it up online and it’s so expensive that I’m afraid to wear it.

I found one in Germany on eBay, still in its plastic box. The battery slot won’t bloody open, so it’s dead until I get it to a shop, but I’ve got it. Little smaller than I expected, and the strap is horrible so I’m going to change that out soon. But it’s a lovely little thing, for quiet and easy days out and about, and I’m very happy I have it.

CONNECTED:

• Swatch Metropolis
• NINE BELLS watches

40mm case, parachute strap. Not a manual wind, which is what I was looking for, but I did need a casual analogue in grey, and there it is. I like the simple styling of the thing: it’s pleasantly utilitarian. Details here. And yes, the markers at 12 and 6 are ever so slightly pissed to my eye too, on the item itself and on the photos on the website. Style elements apparently come from the French Navy – it does have a faintly nautical air to it. I’m happy with it.

Currently 15% off, which is why I decided to splurge a little.

It’s rare I see a Swatch that I would want to wear, but I tripped over this, found in this article, and I am mildly obsessed. It’s from 1989, and I’m fascinated by its Bauhaus-y, METROPOLIS the film-y look. And, let’s face it, a very 80s look. But the cool European 80s.

Too late. I’m off to hunt for one.

I’ve been after a cheap field watch for ages, as a beater and as a simple watch for simple days. I’ve chased a few older ones on eBay, but they quickly price out of my comfort zone for a beater. So I ended up spending under forty quid on a Timex Expedition Scout in 40mm. (UK) (US+)

It’s battery powered – I would have rather had a manual wind – and the screen illuminates with a push of the crown, which doesn’t feel strictly necessary. It also has a loud tick! But nothing about it feels cheap, it’s solid and heavy and easy to read.

I’ve used smartwatches since the days of the Pebble, and they’ve become intrinsic to managing my working days. A smartwatch – and now I use Apple Watches – is a tool watch. But sometimes I want to leave my tools on the desk.

My Apple Watch 2 died last night after something like eight years of faithful service. Something in it went crunch, the screen detached from the case, and over an hour or so it slowly went white, and then black, and that was that. So, after battling with myself for another hour about the cost, I ordered an Apple Watch 10. Not happy about the expense, but I was told 1) it’s a thing I use every day and 2) the first one lasted eight bloody years.

It arrived at half past two this afternoon. That’s like eighteen hours after I ordered it? Maybe a little less? There’s a lot to dislike about Apple products and services, but that was incredibly fast and the devices take a matter of a couple of minutes to set up these days. I got the wrong band, it turns out – a sport band, argh – but it was easy to swap the strap from the old watch into this one. It’s a good few millimetres bigger than the old one, and flatter.

I’ve been using smartwatches since the day of the Pebble. Staying connected while getting the phone out of my hands (which means the phone battery runs down more slowly) has been crucial in the past, and helps keep me sane today. I doubt I do as much with an Apple Watch as most people – never used it to pay for anything, for a start – but, with a brand new one and a phone that’s only a couple of years old, maybe this one can do more for me.

I’ll be fiddling around with the settings in the days to come, but I tend to keep my watch faces pretty minimal and functional. And if you think you don’t need current weather conditions on your wrist, then you don’t live in England.