Orient Star Finally Impresses Us (381)¶
Published on Wed, 18 Feb 2026 23:07:06 -0800
Synopsis¶
In this episode of Forty and Twenty, the WatchClicker Podcast, hosts Andrew and Everett discuss recent watch releases and industry news while navigating recording delays due to illness and unseasonably warm Pacific Northwest weather. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, from Timex's new MK1 automatic field watch and Orient's long-awaited no-date Bambino to more premium offerings like the Orient Star 75th anniversary meteorite dial and Horage's impressive Molokini GMT micro-rotor.
The hosts examine several significant releases including Braymont's Terra Nova 38 jumping hour in stealth black, Jack Mason's new Strato Timer GMT Frontier, and Rotto's colorful ceramic collaboration with Les Couleurs Le Corbusier. They also discuss COSC's new Excellence Chronometer certification standard, which tests complete watches rather than just movements, debating its potential impact on the industry and pricing. The episode concludes with "other things" segments where Andrew praises his new Global Tokujo knife set as the perfect kitchen upgrade, while Everett shares his positive experience with Darn Tough socks' lifetime warranty program, successfully exchanging two pairs with holes for brand new ones without hassle.
Links¶
Transcript¶
| Speaker | |
|---|---|
| Andrew | Hello, fellow watch lovers, nerds, enthusiasts, or however you identify. You're listening to Forty and Twenty, the WatchClicker Podcast with your hosts Andrew and my good friend Everett. Here we talk about watches, food, drinks, life, and other things we like. Everett, how are you? |
| Everett | I'm great. We were I think |
| Andrew | about five days ago predicted to get |
| Everett | snow tonight. It looks like that is is off the menu. |
| Andrew | I don't know. It it's dropped about eight degrees in the last hour and we are getting some precipitation. |
| Everett | Yeah, yeah. No, it it does we are gonna get some cold precipitation. We might even get a little bit of freezing rain overnight, but I think that the the opportunity for snow is pretty slim, I think, at this point. So ultimately that's probably a good thing. Um Ye |
| Andrew | ah, because you don't want your kids to not go to school. |
| Everett | Well, I'm not worried about that, but just in terms of like getting around to work and everything else. But uh yeah. It was a little I was a little disappointed. Oh snow's off. |
| Andrew | It was nice to see snow up in the hills around the city though. Uh it means that maybe, just maybe, there'll be a couple good weeks up on our local mountain. |
| Everett | Yeah, that's gonna happen. Yeah, in fact the snow's been pretty good up there, I understand. Um yeah, for the folks on the east coast, you've had a historically cold winter. But for us on the West Coast, really the entire West Coast, but in particular the Pacific Northwest, we're having almost a record warm winter. So um |
| Andrew | complete with the drought. We're gonna have a bad fire season. |
| Everett | Yeah, I mean unless we get some and we still may we still may have a ton of precipitation between now and now and, you know, May, end of May. |
| Andrew | I hope so. Uh so we'll we'll have to see |
| Everett | what happens. But yeah, it's been interesting. But no snow for us tonight. Uh no, I'm doing fine. I um we' |
| Andrew | re recording two days later than we normally would. We had back-to-back ailments. |
| Everett | Yeah. Yeah. |
| Andrew | I mean, we get sick like anybody else, but |
| Everett | it's pretty rare that we have two nights in a row with |
| Andrew | where it was me the first night and I was |
| Everett | like, hey, I really can't record tonight and then then you last night. So |
| Andrew | I tried. Yeah, we did. We were close |
| Everett | . We we almost hit record. Um but but yeah, no, I'm doing well. How are you, Andre |
| Andrew | w? I'm good. I'm a little tired. I'm worn out. Um, but just chuggin' on along. The kids like unlimited array of funtivities are starting to like feel like they're in full swing. One's in gymnastics once a week, one's in Taekwondo once a week, and then he has lacrosse another time a week, and there's chess club and there's all sorts of other extracurricular activities. That's from when the army moved me. |
| Unknown | Yeah, that sticker. |
| Everett | Um yeah, no, I I I do I do understand that feeling. We had baseb |
| Andrew | all evals this weekend and just seems |
| Everett | like my kids are go go go. So you've got, |
| Unknown | you know, years of that to come. You're just |
| Everett | really getting into it. Just hooray. It's good. It's good |
| Andrew | . Just hooray. |
| Everett | Well, in any event, we're here to talk about watches, and I think it would be in the interest in the interest of actually getting a show in the can this week, I think we should just get to it. |
| Andrew | Let let's. Did you did you select another thing in the intervening period |
| Everett | ? Um well yeah, I'm sure |
| Andrew | . Okay. Um Um first up for me, I I I'm finally reading this hands-on the uh Timex MK1 uh automatic watch, and I'm I'm smitten by this. I I don't understand why I haven't bought one. Um, these are great sized, they are the the very classic MK1 military-inspired kind of field dial. 40 millimeter case. They're like nine millimeters and some change to the case height and then extra two millimeters of crystal, all steel case, and they're using a Miyota 8215 movement in this. And they're coming in at under 300 bucks. Just like kind of the perfect banger automatic field watch. And I feel like this is maybe filling the void that was created by the consolidation of the SNK into the Seiko 5 line uh it and a really affordable and adequate movement and just a a good write up on this because that this came out I don't remember when this came out it wasn't too long ago. Yeah |
| Everett | . |
| Andrew | But I never I don't remember paying it any any mind |
| Everett | . Yeah, I mean uh there's I think there's a lot to like about this watch. This is very much one of those watches that I think you have to do one of two things. Either you have to decide this is cool, it's a timex, and I want that or you have to kind of take a look at what's available this particular style of watch which is to say that sort of |
| Andrew | mid-century American military fi |
| Everett | eld watch uh th there are a billion ten thousand |
| Andrew | options options at this price point |
| Everett | and so I I don't I don't think that this I don't think that this watch competes in the field particularly well either in terms of pure price or dimensions, uh, you know, wearability. It it's got some it's got |
| Andrew | some interesting, you know, you know that, b |
| Everett | ig acrylic domed crystal, I think, is really cool. Um, but I think short of you know, you really wanting a timex, uh |
| Andrew | I do and and I |
| Everett | think that's the reason you'd buy this. Maybe. It it it's an attractive watch. It's got a like you said, I I think you used the word adequate movement. Um yeah, you you know, I I frankly am not huge on the dimensions of this. I |
| Andrew | it's a little on the big side, but I'm okay with it. |
| Everett | I think the MK1 branding at the six o'clock is a little overwrought. Um |
| Andrew | they're getting there. But the |
| Everett | the fonts are good. They're they're uh to be expected, I would say. I think the case looks great, the finishing on this thing looks great. It's got a really interesting screw down case back. Um yeah, I mean I I it it's hard to it's hard to poke a lot of holes at this watch, but um yeah, like I said, I think I think specs dimens |
| Andrew | ion, it's really |
| Unknown | probably kind of just floating in space and then price is not bad. |
| Everett | Three hundred bucks. It does only have fifty meters of |
| Andrew | water resistance, which you will be able to find at this like three to five hundred dollar range. You'll you'll find plenty of watches up to a hundred |
| Unknown | . Yeah. Yeah. I and I |
| Everett | think you you know, we've talked about Procedus in recent weeks. I I I just think I think there's a l if if what you want is a watch like this, I think there may be better options. But if you see this and you're like, I want that watch. |
| Andrew | But I want an automatic Timex. |
| Everett | Yeah. Yeah. Timex is Timex is I |
| Andrew | don't want the Marlin. Is doing is |
| Everett | making interesting watches right now, I think |
| Andrew | . As they have been for a couple of years. They seem to be losing a little bit of steam. I hope they can put their foot back up on the gas and and kind of move away from the uh the galley stuff and focus on this realm |
| Everett | ? Um for |
| Unknown | me, I'm gonna talk about Orient. Ori |
| Everett | ent has finally finally released a no-date Bambino. Um I can remember it |
| Andrew | 's 47 millimeters. I |
| Everett | can remember all the way back in probably 2015 looking at Orient watches and reading, perhaps on Redd |
| Unknown | it or maybe a forum, um, you know |
| Everett | , how the Bambino is a really great watch |
| Unknown | , but it's the date kills it |
| Everett | . You know, that opinion has existed about the Orient Bambino since the Bambino has been in the scene. And certainly in 2015 or 2016, when I first read about the Bambino, um Orient's done a lot to make this watch better, you know, in particular, releasing the 38 millimeter a few years ago really, I think for me, cemented Orient's place in this world. I've always thought the Bambino was too big, and then at 38, you're like, well, shit, that's not no longer too big. Well, they finally did what they should have, I think, done in the first place, which is to make a 38 no-date Bambino |
| Unknown | . Um so the 38' |
| Everett | s actually 38.4. |
| Andrew | You can round that down. The |
| Everett | y have um they have released this in three colors. So one is sort of a very Orient cream dial with a prominent double set of minute tracks and Roman numerals. |
| Andrew | And blued hands. And blued hands. That brings it together |
| Everett | . I' Im'm gonna say blue hands. Blue hands, perhaps. Um and then sort of a brown, like a chocolatey, reddish brown dial with gilt |
| Unknown | details. Same setup, double min |
| Everett | ute track, Roman numerals, and then a limited edition gray dial with silver markers and gold hand a gold handset. It is for sure |
| Unknown | the most attracti |
| Everett | ve out of this bunch. It's the banger. Yeah. Without I I mean it that's a subjective that's a subjective opinion. With that said, I think it's subje |
| Andrew | ctively it's objective. Ye |
| Everett | ah. Um no surprises on this. It's still a bambino, which it means it's a little too thick at 12 and a half, but I think what we've seen with this watch in particular is the way that it's structured that actually winds up working pretty well. Um yeah, there the gray is a limited edition, only 3300 pieces. These, of course, have the in-house f6524 movement, which is a you know, or Orient's baseline automatic, uh, which is a hacking movement. I think it's like got a 40-hour power reserve. Um, you know, this is a 38mm Orient bamboo with out of date. Fin |
| Andrew | ally. Yeah. Uh we |
| Everett | do have a display case back, which is cool. It's cool. If you want that sort of thing. Um it |
| Andrew | it makes sense in this variety of watch. Yeah. Right. Because this is a very, very entry-level watch. This |
| Everett | is a first watch watch. And |
| Andrew | people like to see their movement when they're like enjoying mechanical watches for the first time. And it it makes sense here |
| Everett | . I do think interestingly the crystal on the front is mineral, but the crystal on the case back is sapphire, uh, which isn't odd. I haven't seen these available in the U.S. quite yet, uh, but I do understand they're 340 euro, so probably in that 350, 360 US dollar range. Um |
| Unknown | , and then also and then also |
| Everett | the classic 40.5 millimeter bambino date has been given a bunch of new colors, a purple, sort of uh uh denim, blue, a really, really intriguing green, and then a couple of you know, th |
| Andrew | rowaways, yeah. O Oentri |
| Everett | .. Yeah Orient colors. All of these with baton markers or battens as I've called them in the past and people have freaked out about |
| Andrew | . I I really like this blue. It's like very kind of stormy sky gray blue. |
| Everett | Yeah. Yeah. I I I said denim, uh, and I th I don't think that's n incorrect, but I think you're yeah, you're you're closer in in terms of being able to describe that on the radio than I am |
| Andrew | . I'm I'm known for my articulabilities. By many |
| Everett | . 38mm no-date bambino |
| Andrew | . There it is. In the wind. Um |
| Everett | since we're talking about |
| Andrew | Orient. We can talk about the Orient Star uh 75th anniversary with an M34 with the M34 F8 date meteorite. That's hard to say. You know |
| Everett | , we talked about an Orient Star just a couple weeks ago and we pooped on it. I think for good reason. We're I don't think we're gonna poop on this |
| Andrew | . I'm I'm not it might get a little splatter, but I don't think I have anything um I don't think I have anything negative to say about this. The the meteorite is really attractive. I don't like power reserve indicators. I know they're a thing. Es |
| Everett | pecially for Orient. I I just |
| Andrew | I don't I don't like them. I don |
| Everett | 't like them in Grand Seiko. I I |
| Andrew | don't there are some out there that are really well executed, they're subtle, they don't they they're not trying to be a subdial a a power reserve indicator shouldn't be rapid access. It should be like look for the power reserve indicator, read it, and move on. I think they that's my bitch with power reserve indicators. I think they should be much more discreet rather than I know they're a complication. I get that. And complications on the watch are typically legible. But that's not a complication that needs to be so uh uh prominent on a dial. So this is a 40 millimeter case, 47.3 lug to lug, 12.9 thick, which again Oh |
| Unknown | , I've got eleven seven thick. Uh |
| Andrew | that's to the that's case height. N |
| Everett | ice without the crystal. I see. Um |
| Andrew | 100 meters of water resistance. And I'm I'm okay with a 255 piece limited run at 3,250. |
| Everett | Are we talking about the the |
| Andrew | M45 F7? No. |
| Unknown | Oh, what are you talking about? The M34 |
| Andrew | F8, the 75th anniversary edition |
| Everett | of Star. |
| Andrew | That's not the first time we've done that. Yeah. Okay. Sure. Man, you've been describing a watch before, and I'm like, we're not looking at the same thing here. Um very orientar design. Uh there's a a weird chamfer in the end link that I don't super dig, but the rest of it |
| Unknown | Yeah, it's like a it's like a a piece of it's like a piece of beauty trim over the end l |
| Everett | ink. That like that bl |
| Andrew | ends into the case. Uh, but barring that one thing, I think the meteorite is really well executed. It it does a it does a meaningful job kind of disguising your date window without obscuring it. It does a good job integrating the power reserve indicator in a in a less prominent way than many power reserve indicators are. And this is at the 12 o'clock, so it's very prominent, very noticeable. But the lines of the meteorite break them up in such a way that I'm like, uh I don't like it, but I I am okay with it. Yeah. I can't think of many things and I'm like, I don't like it, but I'm okay with it. |
| Unknown | So this has that maybe McDonald's |
| Andrew | is this has the F8 |
| Everett | N64 in-house. That's the 60-hour 22 joule |
| Andrew | , which is a really cool, a really |
| Everett | cool movement. But this is an expensive watch. |
| Andrew | Yeah, it is. But it's their seventy fift annhiversary. They're making under three hundred of 'em. Yeah, two hundred and fifty-five pieces. I I think that for for the Orient Star fanatics out there, that's who's buying this watch. And there are those people out there. Because Orient Star typically does interesting stuff, even if many of them have significant flaws. |
| Everett | So th what do we got? 3249 euro, meaning probably just a little bit more than that US dollars. |
| Andrew | And then VAT. Well, and then |
| Everett | we might as well just go straight into the watch I thought you were talk |
| Unknown | ing to, which is the M45 F7 Small Second, also |
| Everett | being released by Orient. Ori |
| Unknown | ent is Orient Star, |
| Everett | excuse me. Orient's doing a big run right now. Their 75th anniversary. They're really hitting it hard. |
| Unknown | Uh unfortunately, I think that they' |
| Everett | re they're really swinging a lot uh and maybe not hitting a ton. |
| Unknown | That's okay because this one for |
| Everett | me I mean is a hit |
| Andrew | . One third batting average is like world record holding. So they're they're hitting hitting better than a third for the most part. |
| Unknown | What this is is a small seconds. I'm gonna call this a small seconds |
| Everett | dress watch by Orient Star |
| Unknown | . It does once again have a po |
| Everett | wer reserve indicator. In fact, it's got |
| Andrew | so subtle though. It's the perfect. This is the perfect |
| Unknown | power reserve indicator. It's got the same po |
| Everett | wer reserve indicator, but it's significantly more subtle because it's not undershadowed by a subdial here |
| Unknown | . Um we've got s a slightly a slightly different so what they're calling this um M forty five F7 and then again they |
| Everett | 're referring to the Pleiades |
| Unknown | star cluster. That's the M4 |
| Everett | 5 section. Um, this is being released into the classic collection. We've got a really nice sort of stubby onion crown on this that I think is my favorite part of the watch |
| Unknown | . It is a 39 |
| Everett | millimeter by 117 |
| Unknown | . This one in fact is 117 thick |
| Everett | with really, really lovely but |
| Unknown | subtle finishing. We've got 30 meters of water resistance on this guy. Um, and you |
| Everett | know, I think for me, |
| Unknown | this is all of the class that |
| Everett | is missing from the Bambino. The Bambino is a pretty watch |
| Unknown | , but it is a crude |
| Everett | watch. Yes. This watch I think tak |
| Unknown | es the attitude. It's certainly not the same watch |
| Everett | . In fact, it's a very, very different watch, but it takes the attit |
| Unknown | ude of the Bambino and just sexes |
| Everett | it up a little bit. And this is what the |
| Andrew | Bambino is aspiring to be, but they went to the thrift shop to get their parts. |
| Everett | That's right. And and and so we've got um we've got three really, really nice dials. We've got a uh |
| Unknown | creamy dial, and it's not |
| Everett | that stereotypical Orient cream that I was talking about. It's a very nice. |
| Andrew | That was this is really troubling phrase, the Orient cream. |
| Everett | It's a very nice sort of like off-white. And it's got these sort of like |
| Andrew | rosy almost. Gray |
| Everett | , like gun metal hands that sits on top of this. We've got a like a sort of carbon black dial, like dark gray dial that has really bright silver hands and markers. |
| Andrew | That's my favorite one and then and |
| Everett | then my favorite is the green which is so and all of these dials have have two textures they've got the main sort of sandy matte texture on the main part of the dial. |
| Andrew | That's really fine. It's not that it's not big 60 grit sandpaper. It's like 1500. |
| Everett | That's right. Uh really, really beautiful on this. We have, I think the same case back that we |
| Unknown | see on the new Orient, the limited edition Ori |
| Unknown | ent. But in this case, we're c |
| Unknown | overing a slightly better movement. In this case, the FA F-7H44 |
| Everett | , also an in-house movement from Orient, but |
| Unknown | this is their 50 hour. This is sort of their middle |
| Everett | of the road 50 hour uh 21 Joule movement. Uh and it it's it's sort of zhuched up a little bit. We've got some perlage |
| Andrew | . It's a much more att |
| Everett | ractive movement. The cheaper entry-level Bambino movement. So I I like this. I like the application of the case back here. Sapphire on both sides in this instance. A really good dimensional or a really acceptable dimensional watch, thirty-nine by eleven seven, only thirty meters of water resistance, which is a down for me, a thumbs down for me, but I'll take it |
| Andrew | . Can do it, so can they. And these |
| Everett | are coming in right about a thousand bucks MSRP |
| Andrew | . The the gray is limited to only five hundred. |
| Everett | Okay, there you go. That |
| Andrew | 's why they made it so good. And it's about a |
| Everett | hundred dollars more. Yeah. Yeah. Um |
| Unknown | I think that this is I think that |
| Everett | this is my favorite |
| Unknown | of the Orient novelties that we' |
| Everett | ve seen released this year. |
| Andrew | I don't think they're novelties. Two of them are permanent collections |
| Everett | . Sure, I'm still gonna call this a novelty. Um Annivers |
| Andrew | aries? Say what you will. Cele |
| Everett | bratory. Say what you will. I do really like that cream dial too because of those black, th |
| Unknown | ose gunmetal hands. I that is a really |
| Andrew | you entirely lose the fan shape of the sub or of the uh power reserve indicator in that dial color. The others it's it's at least on the marketing at least |
| Everett | on the marketing photos. Yeah |
| Unknown | . Yeah. This is I think that this is for me the pick of the l |
| Unknown | itter with Orient's releases this year. |
| Everett | The the hand lengths are perfect. I don |
| Unknown | 't know if you noticed that. The minute hand |
| Everett | goes right to the end of the minute track and the hour hand goes right to the bottom of the hour markers. This is a really, really thoughtfully designed watch in a way that we don't see from Orient all that often |
| Andrew | . Yeah, well typically we see like a big red flag that is almost insurmountable when we see an Orient or an Orient Star release and we don't have any of those red flags with this release |
| Unknown | . What I will say is |
| Everett | I I have not been able to find a lug width. I think that it's 20 |
| Andrew | . I guess 20 or 21. It might |
| Everett | be 21. It probably is 21 |
| Andrew | . Um but that's not an insurmountable red flag. That's just like a minor inconvenience because then none of your your 20 minute or your 20 millimeter straps are all kind of like just a little bit loose in there. And then when you start getting into quick release straps, I I don't trust a 20 millimeter and a twenty-one lug width. Yeah. Um whereas if you're using hard spring bars, like you just it'll it'll work. |
| Unknown | Yeah. Uh really |
| Everett | , really good watch though. I'm I'm a fan of it |
| Andrew | . Yeah. Uh I I mean I I think they they finally not finally as they're infrequent to do, hit one out of the park |
| Everett | . Uh nope, it's 20 |
| Andrew | . Look at that. It's 20 |
| Everett | . Yep. Can I talk about something |
| Andrew | weird? Do it. Braymont. |
| Unknown | Yeah, this is weird. The Terra Nova |
| Andrew | 38 jumping hour. And the the Terra Nova 38 came out |
| Unknown | um last year |
| Unknown | something like that sometime I remember seeing it |
| Andrew | being like what Braymont what are you doing and well |
| Unknown | since then and since then I, |
| Andrew | 'm continued to wonder. Um and they've they've now not doubled down, but they've now expanded the jumping hour or the the Terra Nova 38 jumping hour line with a stealth black and this is the the jumping hour watch that is now DLC coated in black with an optional DLC bracelet, which I I do think is really cool. I I think that it would have been really easy for them to skip on the bracelet. So I I do appreciate that they did do that. Um ye |
| Everett | ah no I think it looks I think it looks great. I the the bracelet is for me the |
| Andrew | but but here's the thing that brings this watch |
| Everett | back from the abyss. Here's the |
| Andrew | weird. |
| Everett | I kinda like it. Yeah, I think I don't bad |
| Andrew | . I don't think I want it, but I I kinda like it. It it everything just comes together. This Braymont logo at the at the center of the dial brings like a little bit of extra to this otherwise very spartan jumping hour and i i i i don't i'm not embarrassed to say it. I'm just I'm like a little reluctant to look at it and be like, oh, turns out I kinda like this. So I guess they just needed to turn it black for me to like get on board. Uh and they're still expensive. They're uh what? |
| Everett | Five grand. Yeah, no, six grand |
| Andrew | on the on the bracelet. Yeah. You know |
| Everett | , I'm not upset |
| Unknown | about I'm not upset about |
| Everett | the logo in the middle. I just not for me. I don't love it, but I'm not upset about it |
| Unknown | . The one thing about this watch that I just cann |
| Everett | ot get over is |
| Unknown | that it looks like it's upside down. It actually just looks like an upside down watch. Like you |
| Everett | put the watch on backwards. Yeah. L |
| Andrew | ike you you put it case back up. |
| Everett | Yeah, that's right. That's right. The the dial looks like a case back. This has some interesting things going for it. I think in particular is the minutes |
| Unknown | being on a disc |
| Everett | that is revealed through a window, uh and and and then time being told by uh by an indicating error That is a little twist, and I do really like that. I I think this watch looks like it's well put together. I think the finishing is good. I'm not wild about that logo in the middle of the dial, although you like it. |
| Andrew | It kind of anchors the dial. It's is |
| Unknown | that the second's hand? |
| Andrew | Oh, it looks like it could be, but I don't think it is. |
| Unknown | I think the compass hands are run |
| Everett | ning seconds |
| Andrew | . I could be wrong. Read enough about that. |
| Unknown | But I think that that's what this is. I just can't get over that it lo |
| Everett | oks like it's upside down. That |
| Andrew | that bothers me. You know, it does look like running a second |
| Everett | . Braymont is in such a weird Braymont's in such a weird place, I think, with their brand. I I don't I don't remember a time since I've been into watches where |
| Unknown | it felt like Braymont had its shit figured out. They're |
| Everett | obviously selling watches. |
| Andrew | Yeah, they've kind of been going through like a decade-long identity crisis. Right |
| Everett | . And I think and I think, you know, maybe a victim of their own success, their early success, and then really just struggled |
| Andrew | to find their like |
| Everett | you said, it it is an identity. Because they have |
| Andrew | a really discordant catalog, but some of the stuff in their catalog is really good. Ye |
| Everett | ah. And then other stuff in their catalogue, I'm like, why |
| Andrew | this where w this doesn't fit here. You |
| Everett | know, I think I think the other thing is they're just in a difficult price, they're just in a different difficult price segment. Right. They're in that sort of om |
| Andrew | ega tutor, |
| Everett | you know, high-end tutor omega pricing and |
| Unknown | that's a that's a tough place to play ball |
| Everett | man yeah especially if you |
| Andrew | don't have a clear identity |
| Unknown | yeah I like that |
| Everett | watch i'm not i'm not upset about it. I probably wouldn't buy it, but I do like it. |
| Andrew | No, for this for this figure, I'm I'm buying a a bunch of other things ahead of it |
| Everett | . Andrew but I wouldn't be sad |
| Andrew | to have this. I would I'd wear the shit out of this watch ye |
| Everett | ah me too for sure uh yeah andrew you're usually the one who will grab on to watch news like a non-watch release related news and talk about it on the show. And I was surprised that you didn't do that this week. Uh, and so I did it for you, and I'll talk about that now. But the sort of big |
| Andrew | Oh, yeah, it was on my list. The big |
| Everett | non-release related uh watch news with this week is that Cosk has added a um a category of certification. Uh a higher tier of certification. This new level is called the Cosk Excellence Chronometer. So |
| Andrew | C E M is what we'll be seeing on watches, I expect. |
| Everett | Okay. Or Coskum. Koskik. Coskik. |
| Andrew | I think C E M is probably what we're gonna see. Wh |
| Everett | ere's the M coming from? |
| Andrew | What was the last word you used? Chronom |
| Everett | eter? C E C. Um |
| Unknown | , this is a |
| Everett | it uh unlike typical COSC certification, which is movement only certification. |
| Unknown | This is a in-c |
| Everett | ase certification. |
| Andrew | Cosk excellence movement, I think is what I would had in my head. |
| Everett | It measures, amongst other things, |
| Unknown | magnetic resistance, it put |
| Everett | s a I think a plus two minus four timing requirement on watches. And in additional, uh, an additionally verifies power reserve. So the claimed power reserve versus actual power reserve. Yeah. Oh, minus two and plus four seconds. That makes more sense, excuse me. Um verifying magnetic resistance, confirming power reserve. Uh this is a 15-day seven criteria under ISO 3159. Uh and for cost certification, they have to test every single watch. So if you get a Cosk escal uh excellence chronometer, is that what it is |
| Andrew | ? Yes. W |
| Everett | atch. You'll have a watch that was physically sent to Cosk for 15 days. |
| Unknown | The full the full watch. Uh which |
| Everett | is I think is kind of cool. I assume this is going to be absurdly expensive to do for these companies. I mean, cost |
| Andrew | certification in and of itself is ex absurdly expensive. |
| Everett | Well, I don't know how much it is. You know, c you can get cost watches. I own cost watches. I think I'm wearing I'm not wearing a watch. Uh today, earlier, I was wearing a Cosk certified watch. Um, so I I think it's ego |
| Andrew | drives are Cosk certified. Nope. Ma |
| Everett | ybe I don't think so. Uh it's in the realm of possible. Um I don't know how I you know, realistically, I don't know how much this is per unit. You know, you're obviously gonna send, you know, 300, a thousand watches to Cosk at once. And so you, you know, maybe're paying, you know, 30, 40 bucks. I don't know. I actually just don't know. And if you figure, you know, three to one, maybe it's adding a hundred or two hundred, I don't know. Something like that though. Certainly there'll be a charge. There'll be a premium to this, a financial premium. I think that Cosk is Cosk is doing a different thing than the watch companies have to do. They're marketing a testing protocol. Yes. And they're selling a protocol to the watch companies. And they're saying, you watch company, you have to determine how you sell this |
| Andrew | . Yes. And and I think what's interesting is we see I think we'll see a lot of cost excellent certification at higher price points already, right? Like I expect to see watches that are already getting Cosk certified, just getting the upgraded treatment. Because those watches are already north of a thousand dollars. |
| Everett | I'm trying to think of like the least expensive cost. You know, I I think you don't really start seeing cost certification until like the thou the four digits, you know, like my uh four max is cost certified, but I think that's kind of where you start to see that at that like but |
| Andrew | for Max just does that as a middle finger |
| Everett | fifteen hundred to two thousand dollar range is where you start to see that. So I wonder if you know let's let's just say let's just extrapolate, maybe you don't start to see this until you get to that twenty five hundred or three thousand. I don't know. I don't know. We'll have to wait to see |
| Andrew | . It's an interesting certification and it's almost it it creates a I think it creates a haves and haves nots. Uh or or like maybe further further wedges that boundary. Because a small brand, even if they're using a fucking fantastic movement that very well could be cost certified or cost excellence certified and is only producing 75 watches at a time and is working on razor thin margins to get their watches to market and get them on people's wrists is not gonna risk, I think, the extra expenditure when they're thinking about part prices against we need to get this watch sold so that we can pay ourselves back for all the money that we've poured into this. |
| Everett | Yeah, I mean, I guess that's maybe what I was suggest |
| Andrew | ing. Like like Cosk is marketing to |
| Everett | the watch companies. We'll have to see how the watch companies market it to us. Um, because I I don't we we don't at yet at this point have any indication |
| Andrew | of that. So I don't think it's gonna be every watch, much like |
| Everett | Cosk is an every watch. And I |
| Andrew | think it frankly, y your sugg |
| Everett | estion that it'll be your suggestion that it'll be all the watches that are getting n you didn't say all but |
| Andrew | I think if it's already getting cost certified, they're gonna they're just gonna pay the extra money and we'll foot the bill. I don't think so. |
| Everett | I think that we're gonna see m maybe less than I I think we're still and and Cosk has been careful here. They're not getting rid of standard movement only Cosk certification. I think that we're gonna see very few watches come to market with this, at least for now. I think by and large we're going to continue to see cost certified, standard cost certified be the sort |
| Andrew | of standard |
| Everett | with this additional |
| Andrew | excellence chronom |
| Everett | eter uh coming in in rare watches. At least at least for now, that's my guess. Predictions |
| Unknown | . But we shall see |
| Everett | . I think we're just gonna see brands that are |
| Andrew | already doing it migrate up upstream. Ye |
| Everett | ah, we'll see. I mean really we'll we'll see. Yeah |
| Andrew | . Um oh. The final Baltic micro rotor. Uh it's here with a gem set moisanite bezel. Uh so Baltic is discontinuing the micro rotor model for whatever reason. I'm wondering what's gonna come in and backfill it. Uh, I don't know if we've ever talked about this watch on the show. It's a really lovely well proportioned 36 millimeter case 9.9 thick 44 lug to lug just a nice compact very vintage inspired classic small seconds at the seven and eight o'clock. But this are they're using lab grown moisanite? Mo |
| Everett | isanite? Moisanite? I don't know. |
| Andrew | It looks fancy in French. In In in the bezel |
| Everett | . |
| Andrew | I don't know how to say shit. Or a |
| Everett | diamond alternative, I guess |
| Andrew | . I can't tell the difference. Ye |
| Everett | ah. I I think Moisenites got more of like uh full spectrum uh reflection |
| Unknown | . |
| Andrew | Okay. Uh and it's lovely. They're doing a limited run of these. Uh how many are they doing? 100 pieces of each, and they're gonna be um 1160 euros on the beads of rice bracelet, which I I'm not a big fan of the beads of rice on this. Um I just I wish I wish the beads of rice extended all the way to the lugs instead of being like |
| Everett | It's a flat it's a flat link or a flat end-link. pizza price |
| Andrew | Yeah, yeah. And I get I understand the technology that that prevents you from being able to do that. Uh I do think it could be overcome with perhaps a different bracelet. But a lovely watch, and I think they they executed the the the diamonds in bezel really well? They they're like |
| Everett | maybe I don't understand. What what what's the technology that's preventing them from doing a regular N link |
| Andrew | ? A regular Oh, because they want a they want a straight link. |
| Everett | Oh, okay. I I think extend |
| Andrew | ing the beads of rice all the way to the end of the edges of the straight link could be problematic. Oh, I but I don't but I don't |
| Everett | I see what you're saying. I don't r I've seen |
| Andrew | beads of rice on a straight link. So uh I don't know. It's' as a it decision that they made. Um because that's only six links? Seven? No, four? Yeah, seven links wide. Yeah, one more link and and you're there. Um But I think the the Moisenite is really well done in the bezel and I'm sad to see the micro rotor uh being moved away from. |
| Everett | Yeah, I wonder what I I mean, we've seen brands do this in the past where they say, Well, this watch is going to be discontinued for forever. And then once they sell them all, they're like, And then we have the new version, you know, with the m |
| Andrew | icro rotor. |
| Everett | Um you know I can't think of another uh a more prominent model of watch uh uh that is running this movement that's Hangzhou, uh, what is it, the 5000 Cal 5000A micro rotor? Um, it's a really interesting movement. And in fact, when we were working on foster, it's one of the movements that we briefly looked at. There's some there's a some marketing problems with the Hangzhou movements and then you you know just supply is difficult it's not an inexpensive movement but |
| Andrew | it's a really really attractive micro movement it's |
| Everett | pretty cool man it is a pretty cool movement. And I like that the treatment that Baltic has gone with these with the black coating and gold rotor. It's got they've given it sort of a sort of a I don't know. It |
| Andrew | looks celestial on the street. Steampunk vi |
| Everett | be or yeah. Yeah, maybe celestial. It's it's this is a cool this is a cool release, these two different releases. And and really we have two very cool dials. Um you know, both of these are small seconds. We've got we've got the you know it's it's it's not a sector like sort of a tuxedo- |
| Andrew | e sector. It's kind of rouletti. |
| Everett | Roulette dial. |
| Unknown | And then um the |
| Everett | and then we've got a more traditional um a more tradition it Baltic does a really, really good job with their dial work. They are making very precise, very well-done dials. And these are no exception. The beads of rice here is like a strap-style beads of rice, which is to say the actual bracelet portion is skinnier than the bar end link, so it gives sort of a like a strap appear |
| Unknown | ance and the way that bra |
| Everett | celet with the way the watch actually hugs hugs the bracelet's very attractive, but it's got this like real mid-century classic dressy vibe to it. So um gosh i i think this is really cool the bregae numerals on the more what i'm gonna call the more classic dial are really sexy |
| Unknown | really sexy bregay numerals they have |
| Everett | a hand-drawn appearance to them, which I which I love |
| Andrew | . Yeah. I I just I'm I'm curious what what comes next with the absence of the micro rotor |
| Everett | . Yeah, who knows? You know, uh Baltic's doing a lot of stuff. And so |
| Andrew | They're also kind of all over the place, but in a in a uh disciplined manner |
| Everett | . Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's right. You know, Baltic was one of the uh one of the brands I was super excited to see at this last wind up and then they were they just wouldn't talk to me. So I don't I think I've talked about it on the show. It's like why is it getting why is it so hard to get someone to talk to us? Um yeah, that's a great watch. Great couple of watches, I should say. They're probably already sold out |
| Andrew | . I'm sure they are. Uh |
| Everett | Horage? Horage? O |
| Andrew | rage. Porridge? Porridge. |
| Everett | Horridge? Um |
| Andrew | man. Lots |
| Everett | of bad jokes. Uh popped into my head. Horage movement maker that also makes watches because they want to show off their movements, I think, |
| Unknown | or at least that's what it was at first |
| Everett | , uh, has dropped I think an absolute banger and nobody's talking about it. Nobody's talking about this watch. I think that's because it's too exp |
| Unknown | ensive. But |
| Andrew | it's yeah, that was it's an |
| Everett | expensive price point. But what this is is one of their K2 micro rotor watches. |
| Unknown | And Oraj |
| Everett | introduced, I believe, their K2 micro rotor in 2021 in the Super Seed GMT. This is a micro rotor GMT movement. And because it's a Raj, we've got in addition to a GMT |
| Andrew | and a micro rotor, we've got a day-night |
| Everett | indicator and a power reserve indicator |
| Andrew | . Both well executed. |
| Unknown | In this case, they're both well executed. |
| Everett | Um I saw this watch at first, and here's what I'll say about this watch. I do not like the primary font on this watch. There's something about it that gives me a little bit of erkiness. |
| Andrew | It is it's somewhere between like cartoony and tribally. |
| Everett | Oh, tribally, I'm sure I said. No, look at the |
| Andrew | look at the eight, the way the eight like |
| Unknown | snakes on itself and the nine snakes |
| Andrew | on itself. Yeah. So yeah, that Celtic y knotty. But not with an N A U with a K and O. |
| Everett | But then the more I got into |
| Andrew | sort of looking at the swatch, the more I was like |
| Everett | , you know what? |
| Andrew | This thing's cool. So it's called the Mol |
| Unknown | okini, which is named after |
| Everett | the Molokini crater, which is a Maui dive spot. It's a 38mm case in 904L steel, which is cool. It' |
| Unknown | s 9.65 thick |
| Everett | with a really, really compact 44.6 lug-to-lug. Uh that is housing an automatic GMT with a day-night and a power reserve indicator. It's got a unidirectional rotating timing bezel that is very thin. Oh |
| Andrew | , it's razor thin. Pushed out to |
| Everett | the side and has really, really well executed uh and and it's a really well-executed engraved marking set. It's not a lot of times when you see engraved bezels, they're really obnoxious. This is very subtle, and I love it. I love it. And of course, we've got an hour hand, a minute hand, and a different colored GMT hand. We've got a terrific lollipop seconds hand, really good uses of color here, big domed sapphire, uh and 200 meters of water resistance. This is like a serious fucking watch with all sorts of cool shit, uh absolutely gorgeous polished bracelet, a gorgeous three-link polished bracelet, uh, and a dope ass micro rotor movement. Have you it's about as |
| Andrew | cool as a micro rotor can get? It's gold plated tungsten, like it's it it this looks like something you cost |
| Everett | certified, of course. Um this thing's cool, man. |
| Andrew | A fully anthracite finished movement with like great purlage, a grid accent on the second layer of the dial. |
| Everett | It's very much a haraj movement. You won't be surprised when you see it, but it looks it just looks so fantastic. I don't know if I said 10 millimeters of toll-free micro adjustment and the beautiful bracelet. The the only the only problem here is these are they've set pricing at six thousand four hundred and ninety um Swiss francs. |
| Andrew | Yeah. So it |
| Everett | it's it it it there's a big ask on this |
| Andrew | . I mean what's the um what are what are people selling watches for that are fueled by their movements? About that |
| Everett | Yeah, well I don't I really don't know. Frankly, I'm not super familiar. Um It it's it's just objectively it's a lot of money. I mean that puts them in big boy territory and and so I'm not going to suggest for a moment that they're not competing with other watches at that range. I mean, look at Bremont, right? Like I buy this over Bremont all day. But that to say, it is it's an expensive watch |
| Andrew | . Yes. Um |
| Everett | which is okay. It's okay for watches to be expensive. |
| Andrew | And I think this hits all of the points where it should be expensive. If this is a 200$0, watch, you're like, no, there's something fucking wrong with it |
| Everett | . 904L, super |
| Unknown | thin. Good |
| Andrew | water resistance. Razor thin movement. The movement's 3.4 millimeters. Y |
| Unknown | ep. Yep. |
| Andrew | That's wild. And 9 |
| Unknown | .65, including the domed c |
| Everett | rystal with three ex |
| Andrew | tra complications past a three-hander. And it's gold-plated tungsten |
| Unknown | . And Kosk |
| Everett | certified. Yeah. Not Cos |
| Unknown | k Excelleneter |
| Andrew | . Just Kosk chronometer, which is |
| Everett | my, I think minus four plus six |
| Unknown | . Uh it's a really cool watch, man |
| Andrew | . It's a suit like I I I would have never expected to see a a bezel this thin on a dive watch or a GMT that I felt like was functional, but because of the engraving and the beveling on that bezel, that's a perfectly legible and usable bezel for the intended purpose. Yeah. Great day-night indicator, the power reserve indicator also works for me. I the vertical date on the date window is a is a little bit of a uh it throws me off a little bit. So |
| Unknown | pre-erord price on this is 5,99 |
| Everett | 0 Swiss francs, |
| Unknown | which comes out to 7,752 US dollars. And that's before any sort of VAT. And I'm not able to find any information on tariffs or VAT or or anything like that. So I you know, this might be this might be simply out of reach for US customers. I I I don't know |
| Andrew | . Yeah. I'm not gonna look into it |
| Unknown | 'cause I'm not gonna buy it, but pretty cool watch, man. I have a hard time I have a hard time looking at this and thinking anything but |
| Andrew | Good thoughts. Yeeha. Like happy, warm thoughts. W |
| Unknown | hat's next, sir? Orient cream |
| Andrew | thoughts. Um Delbana Rotunda. Don't call me that. I'm gonna call you whatever I want. Ah, so this is a watch that I don't think we talked about. It is not a |
| Unknown | I don't think we've talked about it. This was on and off my list to this one. |
| Andrew | Um, so this watch brand returned mid-90s and then in 2002 kind of started to become a thing, and then in 2021, the Delbana Rotunda Dress Collection um came back with a very 1950s inspired um dress watch design and you can see all of it but, with modern upgrades in the design. So this is a 40 millimeter case, and that's I think the only issue that I that I'm gonna take with something like this watch designed of this era. Pull it down. Just shrink it a little bit. 11.5 thick, 48 lug to lug, a Salita SW200 movement coming in with black, blue, green, purple, and mocha in paren salmon. Um, and that's because the these are all really lovely two-tone uh concentric dials. The logo at the 12 o'clock is fantastic. It's kind of like a house shape of the of Delbana. The colors are fantastic. These don't look like renderings that I'm looking at. The finishing looks really good. Man, I'm I'm for it. And these are also under a thousand bucks 50 meters of water resistance. So it does kind of play in that dress watch zone. Like I wouldn't I sporty as it may be, I'm not I'm I struggle to consider 50 meters of water resistance adequate to be a sport watch. Uh bracelet looks really good on these, a flat five link. I'm I'm intrigued by this brand |
| Unknown | . Yeah I mean I think the watch uh for me this watch is a little confused. You've got a great bracelet a really sporty dial cool numerals, but 50 meters of water resistance. It's too thick to be a dress watch. It's too sporty uh to be a dress watch, but it's also too dressy to be and not enough water resistance to be a sport watch. Uh it there feels it feels confused to me. The price is fine. Um the price is fine |
| Andrew | . I love the dials. The |
| Unknown | color decisions they made with these di |
| Andrew | als are fantastic. Yeah, ag |
| Unknown | reed. Agreed. I've got no complaints. A br |
| Andrew | and that now has my attention a little bit |
| Unknown | . Jack Mason, a brand that's had my attention for at least a few years. 2015 brand that really in the last four or five years has uh picked up its game. |
| Everett | It went from a brand that I was |
| Unknown | aware of, but without any sort of real positive thought to being in my mind one of the hottest sort of quote unquote micro brands. |
| Andrew | Five years ago, man, they they dropped this GMT and they're like, hey, |
| Everett | uh we were fucking around a little bit and uh |
| Andrew | we're done with that yeah yeah |
| Unknown | that that's right so they've released um the new strato timer gm t frontier which is sort of the next evolution of their you know uh I I don't know if this is their flag ship, but I I think certainly w one of the hallmarks of the p |
| Andrew | illar. Yeah, we're it it's in |
| Unknown | there. So um |
| Andrew | Cornerstone. These are |
| Everett | very uh these are very attractive watches. We've got a C case, but outside of that we've got uh a familiar we we've got some familiar design cues here we've got |
| Unknown | a great 24 hour bezel |
| Everett | to complement the gmt hand |
| Unknown | . And this is coming in two colors. I believe what they're calling a uh alp |
| Everett | ine white. Okay |
| Unknown | . Uh which is different than polar for sure. Or |
| Andrew | Arctic. Or uh ye |
| Unknown | ah. Uh alpine uh with this really lovely glossy white dial and black plated hands and indices and then the night edition which is this glossy super deep bottom of the earth |
| Everett | glossy black dial |
| Unknown | with really really bold silver hands and markers. Um, tons of loom, tons of loom, 9075, unsurprisingly, uh, which is the movement that Jack Mason has rode this current wave on. Um We've got sort of uh |
| Everett | built in the USA designed in Tex |
| Unknown | as prominently on the back because that's you know one of Jack Mason's Jack Mason's thing. Hey, we're building these watches here. We're designing them here. Of course, we've got this fantastic Japanese movement, and that's displayed proudly that you so that you can see it |
| Everett | . Um, gosh, this |
| Unknown | is really just great, great bracelet. Uh, micro adjust. Jack Mason is doing everything exactly right with these watches, assuming you like the style. Assuming you like the style. |
| Andrew | This is a very 60s, 70s tool watch, like kind of height of the divers tool watch feel. |
| Everett | 1099 pre-orders are |
| Unknown | open now, shipping February |
| Everett | 27th. Interesting thing here, uh |
| Andrew | a bi-directional bezel. Yeah |
| Everett | , makes sense on a GMT. I think it makes sense on a GM |
| Andrew | T. Yeah. Yeah. But you don't see it. |
| Unknown | Yeah. You you |
| Andrew | just assume that people are just gonna jump the hand and put it where they want it. But a bidirectional bezel, 200 meters of water resistance, this thing is no bullshit. Bidire |
| Unknown | ctional bezel actually gives you a third time zone |
| Andrew | . It does. Yeah. Yeah. Or a |
| Unknown | a just a turn a rotating bezel gets you a third |
| Everett | time zone. So Yeah. But |
| Andrew | you see rotating bezels with with regularity, but not a bidirectional. So that quick adjust i is uh it's a thing. And a thing worth appreciating |
| Everett | . Yeah, you you said, you know, most people just jump the hand. Well, you can j |
| Unknown | ump the hand and use the bezel to give you a or self yourself |
| Everett | an an even a third. |
| Andrew | So any other watches you want to talk |
| Everett | about? Uh not really. Okay. Um I think the only other watch that was on my list |
| Unknown | that I thought, gosh, we should really talk about this is a Rotto watch. |
| Everett | So Rotto has d |
| Unknown | one a series of collaborations with |
| Everett | the Les Colus Suisse |
| Unknown | . Uh which is I think it is a |
| Andrew | color but licensor |
| Unknown | like Pantone. Uh, |
| Everett | but it is run by theund Fation |
| Unknown | o Le Cou Corbussier, who's a designer slash architect. Anyway, I don't know a lot about it, but um |
| Everett | they have released a set |
| Unknown | of Rotto's released a set of three watches |
| Everett | in conjunction with Les |
| Unknown | Colours Les Corburcier Cor Cor |
| Everett | busier. Um fu |
| Unknown | ck man. I just want to play that on re |
| Andrew | peat. Uh and |
| Unknown | and and you know what? I don't know anything about the buildings that these are homages to I don |
| Everett | 't I don't really know anything about the historic color palettes |
| Unknown | that these are drawing colors from |
| Everett | but what I can say is |
| Unknown | I do know about watches and these are good ones. |
| Andrew | Yeah these are fun. These |
| Unknown | are very they feel very much to |
| Everett | me like swatches |
| Andrew | . Or like IFL watches or But they're made |
| Unknown | out of badass rotto ceramic. Yeah. Uh each of these is using three or four colors from this historical color palette. Which is to say they're using a color, one color for the case and dial, and then three separate colors, notable colors from this color palette for the hands, and each of them has three differently colored hands: hour, minute, and seconds. Um, there's a white version with th |
| Everett | ree different blues. There |
| Unknown | is a black vers |
| Everett | ion with a orange, green, and y |
| Unknown | ellow handset. And then there's |
| Everett | my favorite, which is this gra |
| Unknown | y on gray. And it comes with like |
| Everett | a white, a coral |
| Unknown | , and a light b |
| Everett | lue handset |
| Unknown | . I like all of these i would wear |
| Everett | any of these um |
| Unknown | these are really really attractive wat |
| Everett | ches is 40 millimeters by 10 four |
| Unknown | um I'm not gonna talk about all the col |
| Everett | ors because that doesn' |
| Unknown | t really matter. This is they all are powered by the Rotto R763 automatic, which |
| Everett | I believe is |
| Unknown | a power medic. I think it's just a po |
| Everett | wer matic A. Um |
| Andrew | Well we'll soon know if it has 80 hours of power reserve. Well it does have |
| Everett | 80 hours of power reserve. It's Eda, it's an Eda I mean this is a |
| Andrew | well when with a Kosk Excellence chronometer certification comes out and they test the power reserve, we'll know for su |
| Unknown | re. |
| Everett | Um these are twenty eight hundred bucks, which is a lot of money. Um, but I think with what you're getting here short of the movement, the I wish these |
| Unknown | had a better movement, but with what you're getting in terms |
| Everett | of colors and ceramic, |
| Andrew | highly, highly developed colors, |
| Everett | ceramic bracelets on these. These are really cool watches, man |
| Andrew | . You're not getting into full ceramic with a bracelet. I don't think I've seen |
| Everett | any pictures of the clasp. |
| Andrew | It might be on purpose. |
| Everett | It might be. It might be. That's obvious |
| Unknown | ly not something they're selling uh here. Um |
| Everett | But I I did want to talk about. I thought these were really cool |
| Unknown | . Uh that's really all I have to say about them. Andrew, do you have another thing you'd like to tal |
| Andrew | k I do have another thing. I got a um kitchen knife set recently. |
| Everett | Oh yeah. I I'll send you the link |
| Andrew | to it. Um Your Marlboro Miles. Because I've had I've had a bunch of chefs knives and cooking knives over my adult life, um, ranging from like Wustoff to Victor Knox to uh Henkles to Dexter Russell. Uh a brand that I have had forever is Global. I've had a six-inch chef's knife from Global for 17 years. And Global gets kind of poo-pooed in the Chef's Knife Reddits because they're a mass produced Japanese blade. But what I've found is that I really like the grip, I really like the balance, and I really like the Japanese blade style. I I've gone down a rabbit hole into like I'm I'm gonna start spending entirely too much money on um handmade chef's knives um from Japan and that's gonna suck. Um might impact my watch buying. But I I got this this uh global tekoku five piece knife block set and I think this is the most perfect knife set for any person looking to upgrade from the knife block that they got for their wedding that is totally and completely adequate. But this is it it pairs down your knives to four knives it has a meh knife block so what it comes with is an eight inch chef's knife which is a perfect length.' Youre not going you will, and if you get into like big butchering, surpass the need for eight inches. But an eight-inch chef's knife is amazing length. The balance is still really good on it. Comes with a bread knife. Everyone should have a long serrated slicing knife. A seven-inch vegetable knife, which has a curved blade and then a flat front. And a um how long is that utility knife a four and a quarter inch utility knife this thing does it all this this could be the only knives that you have in your kitchen globals keep really sharp they look really good. Uh the grip on the vegetable knife is the most interesting and comfortable grip I've ever held in a knife |
| Everett | . You said on the vegetable |
| Unknown | knife. Mm-hmm. It's kind of a |
| Andrew | a spike. Like a trying a pyram a pyramid shape almost. You gotta feel it when you go downstairs. Because most chef knife handles are you know, they're an oval, they're round, they're kind of squared off, but this being a s a different style of knife is is a fascinating ergonomic experience where I was like, oh my goodness. |
| Unknown | Yeah. Um these are crazy sharp right |
| Andrew | out of the box. They're really easy to keep sharp and you can uh sharpen them to a really, really high angle. Um such that like I don't even use my mandolin after I've sharpened these knives. Like you just don't need it. You get wafer thin slices of everything. Um, 250 bucks on these. You if you go to like the global website, it's a 500 knife block. Uh, and if you buy them each independently they're 120 to 150 bucks a piece if you're if |
| Unknown | you're kind of like thinking about upgrading |
| Andrew | your your kitchen knives from the like Henkel set that you got when you got married or like that you stole from your college apartment uh and you want a matching set of knives this is this is it you you're not gonna over the course of normal cooking come across a scenario where these knives won't get you there. Yeah, glob |
| Everett | als are really pretty and I think they uh they do a thing that um really most knives |
| Unknown | the you know aesthetically and just I'm I'm I'm a fan. I'm a fan of these. I've used your global your globals in the past |
| Andrew | . I like some. I I absolutely love mine |
| Unknown | and and there's there are |
| Andrew | objectively better knives in the world, but I think for it's al |
| Unknown | ways something for for day to day use |
| Andrew | for like your average person who cooks with some kind of regularity and likes nice things. This is this is the one. Andrew, |
| Everett | I have got um probably nine or ten pair of darn tough socks. |
| Andrew | Oh, how you know do you know the company Darn |
| Everett | Tough? I am aware of Darn Tufts. Uh I've got I've got two pair of darn |
| Unknown | tough skiing socks, like ski socks high that come up, you know, past my calf. |
| Everett | And then I've got like a |
| Unknown | couple of pair of like hiking, sort of thicker wool crew length. And |
| Everett | then I've got probably five p |
| Unknown | air of merino dress socks, you know, thinner not quote unquote dress socks, but dress-e socks, dress-ish soc |
| Everett | ks. And um |
| Andrew | yeah, about a year ago, I got a |
| Everett | pair of darn tough socks for my birth |
| Unknown | day. Kim got me a pair of darn tufts with roosters on them |
| Everett | . Cocks. With cocks on them. And the very first time I pulled them on my foot, uh, it tore at the heel. The le |
| Unknown | ft sock tore it at the heel. Big |
| Andrew | hobo toe. And I |
| Everett | thought, well, you know, these are expensive and they're lifetime guaranteed, and I'll have |
| Unknown | to take them back. Well, as you know, these things go, I didn't back. They've been sitting on my dresser and just they've been sitting there. This is my |
| Everett | birthday 202 |
| Unknown | 4. So it is some some sometime |
| Everett | . 14 months or so ago. Um well I had another pair of darn tough darn tufts rip in the same place this last week |
| Andrew | . Unconditionally guaranteed for life, they say |
| Everett | . And it was in the same place, and I thought, you know what? These are lifetime guaranteed. I've at the very least, I've got this one |
| Unknown | that ripped the first time I put them on. And |
| Everett | then I've got this other pair that I've worn. Like |
| Unknown | I've I've put these through their paces. And |
| Everett | so I just got on a horn and called up Darntough. And I was like, Hey, I know it's |
| Unknown | the age of the internet. I could probably look all this up, but I'm just wondering about your process and that there's anything I need to know. I'm gonna make, I think, a warranty claim at least |
| Everett | on one of these. And he was like, Well, well |
| Unknown | , you say you have two pair. Why would you you're not gonna make it on both of them? And |
| Everett | I was like, Well, one of them I've really worn. And he's like, Well, they're warrantied for life. And he's like, So you've got two choices. You can pull the form |
| Unknown | off the website, or if you if you will tell me where you're located, I can look up um retailers in your area. And I say, well, |
| Everett | I, you know, I'm in Eugene and this is where |
| Unknown | I buy him. And he says, Oh, yep, that's they're an authorized real teller. You can just take them in |
| Andrew | . That's like REI, man. I love that. J |
| Everett | ust take them in. And they know what to do. They know exactly what to do |
| Unknown | . Just they'll just give you store credit, you can get |
| Everett | two new pair. Any any darn |
| Unknown | tough. It doesn't like you don't have to worry about price or anything. You tak |
| Everett | e the two pair in, you walk out with two |
| Unknown | new pair. And so I went to Porter House, which is a place that you can shop online if you're so inclined, but it's also a local, we have a brick and mortar here. And I walked in and I said, Hey, Omar, and he said, Hey, Everett. And I said, Hey, I've got these two darn tufts that are both broken. And they sent me to you. And he was like, Yeah, go pick out two new ones. And so I got two brand new pairs of dark tops today. And I was like |
| Andrew | , that is so |
| Everett | cool. Now I I won't say, you know, oftentimes |
| Unknown | when we talk about other things on this show, we're like, this is so great. Um, |
| Everett | they're fine. This is what they said they |
| Andrew | would do when they did it and they didn't put your nuts in a vice to do it. |
| Unknown | That's right. Uh darn toughs are fine socks. I I they're not my favorite ski socks. They're not my favorite dress socks. They're f |
| Everett | ine. They're merino. They're nice. They're |
| Unknown | comfortable. Uh and goddamn when I had two of them that needed that had holes. I just got two new |
| Everett | pairs. They're in that sen |
| Unknown | se bites for life. |
| Unknown | Yeah. No proof of purchase, no not |
| Unknown | hing. Just walked in, dropped them off on the counter. One brand new pair with a hole in the heel and one not brand new pair with a hole in the heel. And |
| Andrew | guaranteed none of the four were washed. |
| Everett | Uh no, they were all clean. No, how about that? Yeah. Uh yeah. Darn |
| Andrew | tough socks. I need to upgrade my sock game |
| Everett | . You should. Yeah. Socks. I you know, the only thing about |
| Unknown | socks that irritates me is you' |
| Everett | ve got two tiers. |
| Unknown | Exactly two tiers of socks, and and really you've got more than that, but but real like you've |
| Everett | got inexpensive socks, |
| Unknown | which are socks that cost between three and four dollars per pair, that are very adequate. |
| Andrew | And the first time you put them on, they're magic. And |
| Everett | that's what 95% of everybody we |
| Unknown | ars. Because to get into the next tier, you're at like |
| Everett | 15 to 20 per pair, right? There's no like |
| Andrew | middle ground. Right? |
| Unknown | It's either inexpensive |
| Everett | or fucking expensive. Y |
| Andrew | es. And I find that frustrating. |
| Unknown | I wear Bombas dress socks for work and they're |
| Everett | pretty expensive. Uh, but man, I'll tell ya, there's nothing else that I've ever worn. I've and I've had |
| Unknown | like Pantherella dress socks, which were very, very expens |
| Everett | ive, and I like the Bombas better. |
| Unknown | They're springy, you can wear them |
| Everett | a bucket load of times. |
| Unknown | They wash well. Uh they go over the you know, I wear the ones that go over my calf they stay up |
| Andrew | that's the one right is finding the right length |
| Everett | yeah because there's not really there's foot siz |
| Andrew | es of sock but there's not leg length of socks |
| Unknown | right I I don't I |
| Andrew | either want one to like sit below my calf or it needs to come all the way up to above it. |
| Everett | Yeah, the crew length is is annoying. I'm actually, you'll laugh at me, but I didn't take my work socks off. I |
| Andrew | didn't take mine off either. Yeah, these just |
| Everett | go right up to just below my knee and they stay there all day. |
| Andrew | But that's not where they would land on me, because you're taller than me. They'd |
| Everett | I think that's where they would land. May |
| Andrew | be. I don't know. Yeah. Hey. Sam got me a pair of uh bamboo socks for Christmas. |
| Everett | I hate bamboo socks. Oh, I l |
| Andrew | oved them. Oh, interesting. Yeah. I I wear them frequently. |
| Everett | I am not a fan. The the material they breathe well, but the material I find is super slippery |
| Andrew | . A little slippery, yeah. And I do |
| Everett | not like that feeling. Oh. I d like putting it |
| Unknown | inside of shoes, I just merino or I don' |
| Everett | t mind cotton. Like a cotton polymi |
| Unknown | x, but merino, man. I've been rocking D |
| Andrew | icky's like boot socks at work for a long time. Like a really long time. And they hold up really, really well. Um and they're inexpensive. And they're inexpensive. And uh they're just like they're they're totally not noteworthy. But for the fact that they've lasted in pretty high use for seven years. I love me some bombas. |
| Unknown | I love me some bombas, I love |
| Everett | and now I love darn tough. I'm just I'm smitten |
| Andrew | . Because they uh they actually have a unconditional lifetime guarantee. |
| Everett | Though the socks I'm sort of like I'm shhmedium on |
| Andrew | anybody who upholds a guarantee without putting you through the roller |
| Unknown | , worth it. Uh And |
| Everett | rew, is there anything else you want to talk about before we go |
| Unknown | ? No. Hey folks, thanks for joining us for |
| Everett | this episode of 40 and 20, the WatchClicker podcast. Uh, do me a favor, go to our website, watchclicker.com. That is where we post written articles, reviews, etc., but and and and where we post every episode of this podcast, but I don't think anybody listens to it there. Uh, if you want to follow us on social media, you can do that on Instagram at forty and twenty underscore watchclicker or at watchclicker. Uh |
| Unknown | that's where we post photos and other news about |
| Everett | things we might be doing on the website or the podcast. If you want to support us and, gosh guys, I hope you do, you can do that on patriot.com, Patreon.com/slash fornyand20. That is how we get all the money we need to keep the show going. And it's not inexpensive. If you have ever considered supporting a podcast and you listen to us every week or once a month or whatever, maybe just go and kick a buck. It would really help us out and we'd really appreciate it. Uh also don't forget to tune back in next Tuesday, we promise, kind of, uh, for another episode of Watches Food, Drinks, Life, and other things we're like |
| Andrew | . Bye-bye. |