FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Instagram plagiarises Twitter, HSNY charity auction kicks off
Zach BlassWhile this week has had some interesting releases like the new Luis Vuitton Tambour W, the thing many watch enthusiasts have been discussing this week is not actually a watch or even industry news. It is a new social media platform: Threads.
Meta launches Threads – will it take off within the watch community?
I use “new” loosely, as the novelty of the platform is about as novel as the design of the blasphemous Genius Genta watch. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk have reportedly agreed to a cage-fight in the octagon, but it appears Zuckerberg is throwing the first jab by launching Meta’s own version of Twitter. This is how the majority of people are seeing the platform it seems, and I am inclined to agree. But, platform-plagiarising aside, the real question is whether or not Threads will become a tool for online watch discussion.
Meta explains in their press release: “Instagram is where billions of people around the world connect over photos and videos. Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas. Just like on Instagram, with Threads you can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests – including the people you follow on Instagram and beyond.”
I get that the platform has more of an emphasis on text, but we are already seeing threads of conversations within Instagram posts no?
It is too early to call, and I certainly have more investigating and testing to do with Threads myself. But, for now, I do not see why the raging conversations around watches that currently exist on Instagram need to shift to, or are better served by, the new Threads platform. We will have to wait and see. Is it the next big thing? Or is it doomed to suffer the same fleeting popularity as Clubhouse?
The “Timepieces for HSNY: 2023 Charity Auction” has just begun
More important than Threads, the HSNY charity auction I covered earlier this week has just started. With six intriguing lots, the Horological Society of New York aims to raise funds for the watchmaking scholarships they hand out each year. With a growing need for trained watchmakers, such scholarships are vital in keeping our horological passion alive.
The “Timepieces for HSNY: 2023 Charity Auction”, presented online by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will run from July 6-11, 2023. Click here to head to the auction landing page.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Zach
Watch meme of the week: ‘It’s leviOsa, not levioSA!’
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Forget having to explain this to your non-watch friends. I had a long battle with my computer’s auto-correct function until I finally added the proper clasp term to my spellcheck dictionary.
Wrist shot of the week: Phoebe Waller-Bridge pokes fun at Indiana Jones’ greatest fear with her watch
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This week we caught Phoebe Waller-Bridge wearing a killer vintage Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas while promoting Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show. But, then it dawned on me. Bridge, who stars alongside Harrison Ford in this final Indiana Jones installment, is wearing a snake on her wrist. And snakes are Indiana Jones’ greatest fear. Awesome coincidence? Or a comedic jab at Indiana Jones? Either way I am all for it, and her championing the reference is indicative of how watches can really express our personalities.
Time+Tide Shop select of the week:
Furlan Marri Mechanical Grey Sector Ref. 2145-A
A three hands time only wristwatch with cow horns lugs, powered by a Swiss-made automatic movement from La Joux-Perret with an elaborated finish, tungsten rotor with palladium coating and hacking seconds function. The case is finished with a care for details, like the “perlage” decoration inside the caseback, the curved hands and the applied “Breguet” indexes. The watch comes with two straps included in the packaging, one curved and one straight. Two holes have been made in the lugs, to let you choose between the two strap options.
Order now in the Time+Tide Shop. Price: A$2350
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
VIDEO: The Louis Vuitton Tambour W ushers in a new era of LV watchmaking
The Parisian fashion house are eliminating that misconception once and for all by scrapping all of their ETA-powered affordable ranges in favour of the Louis Vuitton Tambour W — a thinner and more elegant execution of the Tambour style.
Holding court: Wimbledon and the next generation of tennis’ young watch ambassadors
With the recent retirements of tennis superstars Roger Federer (Rolex) and Serena Williams (Audemars Piguet), and with veterans like Rafael Nadal (Richard Mille) on the back nine of their careers, watch brands have been snapping up next-gen talent. At the start of the 2023 Wimbledon tournament, D.C. looks at some of the tennis young guns, and their wristwear of choice, broken down by brand.
We asked a 5 year-old to pick the best watches of 2023…
Reviewing watches is a subjective business. As you look at any new release, you inevitably bring a lifetime of personal biases and preconceptions to the table. But what if you could look at a watch with completely fresh eyes? Luke did just that, in an exclusive interview with his five year old son.