Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm: Packing a Smaller Punch (in Size Only) and (Relatively) Affordable- Reprise

Martin Green thinks that the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Skeleton 39mm is sized perfectly. And to see the skeletonized movement and (nearly) all its parts, the way they interact and work, is captivating.

In Praise of Anglage: Exceptional Hand-Finished Anglage is Difficult, Slow, and Expensive so the Big Brands have Given Up and Few Seem to Have Noticed (or Seem to Care): Thank God for the Indies! – Reprise

Big brands are now making beautiful, reliable, and relatively accurate “traditional” mechanical watches, but the handcrafted work many of us value is disappearing. Highly skilled watchmakers and artisans are rare and expensive: there just aren’t enough of them available to churn out the large quantity of nice watches now being sold. And why bother when nobody seems to have noticed?

Glorious Burgundy is Experiencing an Unprecedented Golden Age of Fantastic Wine Vintages – Reprise

“So marvelous, so delicate was the bouquet, it seemed an impertinence to go further and taste this miraculous liquid; and yet, on the palate it almost made one regret the waste of time the moments spent in taking in the perfume.” Ken Gargett didn’t write that, but he feels the same way about the fabulous wines of Burgundy. Find out here why this is the golden age for this region.

Why I Bought It: Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 Ultraman

Omega and Fratello Watches came out with their first #SpeedyTuesday Speedmaster edition back in 2017 and it sold out within few hours. Three years later, a second iteration of #SpeedyTuesday timepieces came to life. And this one sold out – all 2,012 pieces – in under two hours. And one of these 2,012 watches is in Łukasz Doskocz’s personal collection. Here he explains why.

Microbrands vs. Independent Watchmakers: The Rise of (Relatively Affordable) Microbrands

In recent years, several factors have come together resulting in the exponential rise of microbrand watches. This new microbrand wave is one of the biggest developments in the broader watch market. I would mention here that not all microbrands are equal. There are many watches out there that, to be honest, are not worth your time. However, some microbrands are getting it right as Raman Kalra highlights here.

Australian Chardonnay:  The Judgment of Paris Part Two (Oz Edition)

For those not familiar with what was a monumental shift in the tectonic plates of the world of wine, the Judgement of Paris is a legendary moment when the spotlight’s glare revealed that it was entirely possible to make great wine outside France.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Ref. 79230B on fabric strap

5 More Affordable Tool Watches I’d Buy if I Didn’t Want to Spring for a Rolex Submariner – Reprise

If John Keil was to recommend a brand-new functional diver’s watch to a friend who was looking to spend within a certain price range, these would be his suggestions. Or, more specifically, here is what he would purchase himself in a variety of price categories.

Urwerk Goes Space Black For the Latest UR-120: Live Long and Prosper!

Wandering hours has become an essential part of Urwerk’s DNA. Unlike any other brand out there, they have explored, lived through, and lost sleep over wandering hours. Over the years, Urwerk have introduced different varieties of this way of displaying time, of which the UR-120 is one of the most spectacular.

Splice the Mainbrace! Pusser’s Rum: July 31st is Black Tot Day, and the End of a Royal Navy Tradition – Reprise

The first Black Tot Day was in 1970, the last day on which sailors in the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy were issued their daily rum rations (“tots”). Pusser’s has taken the exact recipe used by the Royal Navy when it discontinued the daily ration on July 31, 1970 and used it to make its rums, the only producer in the world to do so. Here, Ken Gargett fills us in on everything tot – he luckily doesn’t go “sipping the admiral,” though.

Ouchhh!!! This Rolex Submariner has seen better times

5 Unexpected Ways you Might Damage a Mechanical Watch

Timepiece repairs can be expensive and often take a long time, so you generally want to avoid damaging a watch. Here John Keil lists five common things you may not be aware of that can damage a watch and how to prevent them.