Cool Hunting
Obsessively punctual, horologically verbose, Watchismo, aka Mitch Greenblatt, flouts the rules of physics -- he collects Time. Specializing in unusual, vintage wristwatches of the 1950s-1980s, he is currently germinating his blog, The Watchismo Times, a reliquary of obscure timepieces from bygone eras as well as the cutting-edge designs of today.
Watchismo's affection for Oddity was evident from childhood, then nourished during his first job -- in the art department of Pee-wee's Playhouse -- before he was even old enough to order his own absinthe. As his vintage watch collection grew, so did his eccentric vision, which pupated during his years as a dimensional illustrator for the likes of Rolling Stone, Absolut, Taco Bell, Warner Bros, and Spike TV. Finally he emerged from his chrysalis as the time-sensitive man he is today. At this moment, Mitch is winding up for the genesis of his own creation -- the first original Watchismo watch.
In this era of mechanical one-upmanship, the Opus 8 from Harry Winston Rare Timepieces shone at Baselworld 2008. Inspired by early electronic LED watches of the 1970s (like the first Hamilton Pulsar), creator Frédéric Garinaud (of Renaud & Papi) and CSH developed the Opus 8 with a new twist on mechanical-digital watches. Pulling the side-lever down activates mechanical pixels to rise up from the...
I'm proud to introduce the first look of two new watches from Bell & Ross. The Limited Edition BR Instrument Minuteur Tourbillon and Grand Minuteur. Using aeronautical instrumentation, the highest standard for readability, reliability and performance, Bell & Ross designers have sought to reproduce as faithfully as possible a cockpit timepiece that fits on the wrist.See more images and info (including diagrams of the...
Helsinki watchmaker, Stepan Sarpaneva, nephew of the famed Finnish mid-century designer Timo Sarpaneva, has produced yet another stellar timepiece, the Korona K1. Following the success of his very limited and sold-out Supernova series (featured on Watchismo), Stepan is quickly forming a significant body of work.At 44mm wide and 9.6mm tall, the nearly full-Finnish production is made entirely of stainless steel including the dial, date...
Automotive-themed, with a case, lugs and clasp made of rose gold and featuring BRM's in-house movement, the new Manufacture Birotor BRT-3 is quite the stunner. As Horomundi explains, it's "very much in the spirit of the modern watch world—a boldly designed piece that expresses from the inside out the renewed fascination of man for machinery and for the ability of watches to both be,...
A new top-of-the-line Zenith is debuting at Baselworld 2008 in April. This limited edition all-black PVD coated El Primero Zenith Zero-G Multi-Dimensional Tourbillon will start around €350,000 ($500,000+)....
Designed by Niels van Eijk and Miriam van der Lubbe, the Tik Tak clock explodes with every single minute represented on random lengths of powdered steel rods. The sizes of the 60 digits correspond with varying shades of steel for additional depth. Available for £89 at Habitat UK.via Technabob...
If you've ever asked yourself, "What was that amazing watch Lieutenant Ripley wore in the 1986 movie 'Aliens?'" I have the answer for you. It was a Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Seiko Speedmaster Chronograph. The vertical stopwatch pushers placed inside the asymmetrical case extension are what makes the watch entirely unique. Personally, I think he may have been influenced by the design of the 1973 LIP...
The World Clock Project is a website that displays the current time (in your time zone) using photos of clocks shot around the globe. They're always looking for more shots to fill the empty time-slots and anyone can contribute images (preferably) of public clocks. Submit either using Flickr or email (methods described below). The brainchild of Shawn Liu and Danny Wen, two New York-based...
