and I write about watches. Let’s keep up-to-date on the outdated!
Hi, I’m Chris,
Photo by Sherlin Beckham
Find out what’s Poppin!
The Watch You Don’t Have to Think About - Vertex M100A
A Night with the C1 Bel Canto Lumière
My favorite New watches.
Louis Erard x Worn and Wound - Lé Regulateur
Worn & Wound takes Louis Erard’s Regulator and turns it into a vibrant indie hit! The idea of having the seconds and hours as rotating individual wheels, instead of hands, maximizes the watch's motion, with a background dial that radiates outward, drawing your attention in to all that dang movement.
Breguet - Experimentale 1
No… You can’t afford it, but Breguet is finally joining the rest of us in 2025 with a magnetic constant-force tourbillon, housed in a case that is quintessentially Breguet, yet looks like Doc Brown brought it back from the future. The question is, how far did he have to go?!
Omega - Planet Ocean 600m
Every time a big brand thoroughly updates a staple in its collection, it’s going to split the crowd. Half are going to love it; half are going to hate it; and of the half that hate it, half of them will end up loving it. I’m not putting myself through the hoops on this one. This is better looking than the previous version—done.
Enthusiast of the Month
Enthusiast of the Month
James Crichton - @gearetal & @formandfunctionpodcast
What makes them awesome?
James is one of those people you meet online and immediately wonder, “Are we best friends?” I only crossed digital paths with him this year, but in just a few months, he’s dropped gems of wisdom about podcasting, EDC, and, of course, watches. He’s the host of The Form and Function Podcast, which has quickly earned a spot on my “never miss an episode” list. On the mic, James, Ken, and the occasional appearance from Vu form a trio that’s equal parts charming, sharp, and informative, like the horological equivalent of a well-balanced set of watch complications (but with more homework).
When he’s not podcasting, James is gracing the community with his killer photography over on Instagram at @gearetal. And as an added bonus, he shares my healthy skepticism (read: bitterness) toward certain Gérald Genta designs—so naturally, I knew we were destined to get along.
Here are some of James’s current faves:
Most Recently Acquired Watch - Kurono Tokyo Jubilee Sensu 2025. I have the previous Sensu reserve du marché and adore it, so I wanted to try this new version. Sadly, it’s not quite it for me, so it will be a catch and release.
Favorite Watch to Recommend to a Newb - Anything from the Seiko SNE 38.5 range. Loads of versions and colours. Total strap monster, so super flexible. The bracelet it comes on is junk, so either an aftermarket replacement or a good strap/ nato/ perlon does the trick for me. Solar quartz is so very reliable. Pretty much bomb proof and incredible value. So good I still have 2 after nearly 15 years of watch collecting.
Favorite Independent/Micro Brand - Saying Abinger feels like a cop out, but they offer the perfect combo of cracking watch and lovely founder. If I can’t say Abinger then I’m feeling the love for Ming at the moment.
Favorite EDC Item Outside Watches - This is an almost impossible question. I am into quite a number of things, but I think flashlights are probably the most inherently useful thing I enjoy collecting. I’ve been into them for more than a decade and have gradually moved up through the price brackets. I still enjoy lights from all price brackets, but it’s the custom stuff that really gets me. Like CWF flashlights.
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