FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Andrew’s Escape To LA and the launch of the Pink Dial Project
Zach BlassI didn’t let myself believe it would be possible until I was actually through US Customs. But it happened, I made it, and here I am, in LA, waking up after a night of dreams in Beverley Hills, meeting internet friends IRL, and interviewing a certain fella from Hollywood who is now going to be reminding us about the virtues of the classic TAG Heuer Carrera from many a street corner and M-Rec.
If you’re male, female, have eyes and were born between the mid-70s and the early 2000s (that’s a fair spread, but it checks out, try it), the prospect of spending time alone with Ryan Gosling is likely to cause some flutters in unusual places. Let’s call a Gosling a Gosling, he is an inter-generational heart throb of epic proportions, as well as a formidable actual talent whose imdb profile shows courage and creativity.
There’ll be more on that epic meeting, Ryan’s first ever live interview for TAG Heuer if you can believe it, and my first face to face interview in nearly two years, in the coming weeks. And there’ll be more from my trip of dreams, because now that I’ve escaped ‘Fortress Australia’, there’s no going back for a good month or so. The itinerary is strong, but it’s remaining a secret for now.
The one secret that’s well and truly out of the bag, is the launching of The Pink Dial Project, a fundraising auction involving a long list of the best watch brands in the game that we’re proud to partner Revolution (and other friends, like Fratello and Loupe This) on, in an effort to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. Each brand has truly risen to the broad ‘pink dial’ brief (I mean this Bulgari OF with pink small seconds below, seriously!), it’s essential you check out the full catalog here, it has some extraordinary watches. Bidding starts 25th October.
And on that note, of extraordinary things, I say again, thank you to those that helped me jailbreak (I have that song by ACDC playing constantly in my head) out of Aus, you know who you are. Not least to my wife, who is now thoroughly outnumbered on the home front – picture Doctor Dolittle, but with a little tribe of young girls to boot.
Stay safe everyone, over and out from the first LA-based Friday Wind Down,
Andrew
Watch meme of the week: F.P. Journe meets Squid Game
Since its September 17th release, the South Korean TV show Squid Game has captivated viewers world wide. It is on the trajectory of becoming Netflix’s most watched original series, currently ranked number one on the platform across their regions of distribution. As someone who just binged the nine episodes, I don’t want to spoil anything, but the show has been described as a horror film meets hunger games. There is certainly a component of social commentary as well, making the show more meaningful than just blood and gore shock. Throughout the series, contestants have to compete in deadly takes of various childhood games – one of which is having to carve out the shapes etched into a brittle sugar derived sweet with a threading needle in under ten minutes. If a contestant breaks the treat while trying to complete the carving, well… let’s just say there is a heavy price to be paid. While the show dealt with more conventional shapes, a clever watch enthusiast created a render of a F.P. Journe Souverain “Remontoir d’Egalite” as seen shared above by Rocky (@lordhorologist). Considering the intricate lines and shapes you would have to work with, that is not something I would want to have to carve out in ten minutes – especially if my life depended on it.
Wrist shot of the week: Ryan rocks the new Carrera Three Hands 39 Date Silver Dial
Ryan Gosling is known for wearing under the radar timepieces in various films, opting for classic and timeless looks. He is known to work with prop mangers to select these pieces, very much involved in curating his characters looks. This aesthetic mindset extends into his real life, known for wearing his compact vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air King in his daily life and red carpet events. The trend continues, as it is perhaps no coincidence he gravitated towards the silver sunray dial variant of the Carrera Three Hands Date 39. Its 39mm diameter is a very vintage adjacent sizing, and the silver tone of the dial doesn’t really beg for attention – rather it garners very organic glances. Certainly an interesting contrast on his rather bold yellow wardrobe, but as always Ryan’s style is absolutely on point.
Recommended viewing of the week: TAG Heuer goes back to basics with their Carrera Three Hands Collection
If Ryan is the star of the show this past weekend with TAG Heuer announcing their partnership, his co-star is definitely the new Carrera Three Hands Collection. Whether your first luxury watch, or an addition to a growing collection, this Carrera Collection is definitely an approachable point of immersion in Carrera heritage. To get intimate with the full range, we recommend you watch our video review here.
Our favorite coverage of the week:
HANDS-ON: The Seiko Prospex Black Series is a hard-hitting stealth trio – all under $650 USD
If you are looking for a stealth entry-level watch to add to your collection, you may want to consider one of the latest trios to enter Seiko’s collection: the Seiko Prospex Black Series Limited Editions. Check out the video above, or click here for the written hands on, to learn more about the offerings.
Surfing in Switzerland with the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic
Being the born-to-dare type within the watch world, Tudor recently announced a partnership with Alaïa Bay which, for a watch lover and a surfing fiend like our European Editor Mike Christensen , is a match made in heaven. Head here to read about Mike’s envious adventure, surfing with the Black Bay Ceramic strapped to his wrist.
The Hamilton Khaki Field collection shows why the brand is still the field watch king
For years, Hamilton has held the crown as the field watch king. The simple, time-tested aesthetic of the watches within their Khaki Field collection represents the gold standard of what a field watch should be. You can watch the full collection overview right here.