First, it was vinyl, and now it’s CDs. In this episode, our team discusses why physical media is suddenly on the rise in the heyday of music streaming.
FiiOWelcome to Know Your Stuff, a podcast where we unbox trends in consumer culture, one topic at a time.
In this episode, our Tech and Audio Editor Tucker Bowe talks with Managing editor Jack Seemer about why physical media – including Vinyl, and even CDs – is regaining popularity among music fans.
Guests:
Background Reading and Referenced Articles
The podcast is produced by our Director of Video and Platforms, Mykim Dang.
For more information on Gear Patrol or Know Your Stuff, visit the Gear Patrol Podcast Hub and our About Us page.
`;e.insertAdjacentHTML(i,s)}return document.getElementById(t)}_repeatDynamicAds(t){const i=[],n=this._removeRecipeCapExperiment.result&&t.location===d.Recipe?99:this.locationMaxLazySequence.get(t.location),s=t.lazy?A(n,0):0,o=t.max,r=t.lazyMax,a=0===s&&t.lazy?o+r:Math.min(Math.max(s-t.sequence+1,0),o+r),l=Math.max(o,a);for(let n=0;n=o;i.push(e({},t,{sequence:s,lazy:r}))}}return i}_locationEnabled(e){const t=this._clsOptions.enabledLocations.includes(e.location),i=this._clsOptions.disableAds&&this._clsOptions.disableAds.all||document.body.classList.contains(“adthrive-disable-all”),n=!document.body.classList.contains(“adthrive-disable-content”)&&!this._clsOptions.disableAds.reasons.has(“content_plugin”);return t&&!i&&n}constructor(e,t){this._clsOptions=e,this._adInjectionMap=t,this._recipeCount=0,this._mainContentHeight=0,this._mainContentDiv=null,this._totalAvailableElements=[],this._minDivHeight=250,this._densityDevice=h.Desktop,this._pubLog={onePerViewport:!1,targetDensity:0,targetDensityUnits:0,combinedMax:0},this._densityMax=.99,this._smallerIncrementAttempts=0,this._absoluteMinimumSpacingByDevice=250,this._usedAbsoluteMinimum=!1,this._infPageEndOffset=0,this.locationMaxLazySequence=new Map([[d.Recipe,5]]),this.locationToMinHeight={Below_Post:Ae,Content:Ae,Recipe:Ae,Sidebar:Ae};const{tablet:i,desktop:n}=this._clsOptions.siteAds.breakpoints;this._device=((e,t)=>{const i=window.innerWidth;return i>=t?”desktop”:i>=e?”tablet”:”phone”})(i,n),this._config=new ae(e),this._clsOptions.enabledLocations=this._config.enabledLocations,this._clsTargetAdDensitySiteExperiment=this._clsOptions.siteAds.siteExperiments?new be(this._clsOptions):null,this._stickyContainerAdsExperiment=new Se,this._stickyContainerRecipeExperiment=new Ce,this._removeRecipeCapExperiment=new ue}}function Pe(e,t){if(null==e)return{};var i,n,s={},o=Object.keys(e);for(n=0;n=0||(s[i]=e[i]);return s}class Oe{get enabled(){return!0}}class Ee extends Oe{setPotentialPlayersMap(){const e=this._videoConfig.players||[],t=this._filterPlayerMap(),i=e.filter((e=>”stationaryRelated”===e.type&&e.enabled));return t.stationaryRelated=i,this._potentialPlayerMap=t,this._potentialPlayerMap}_filterPlayerMap(){const e=this._videoConfig.players,t={stickyRelated:[],stickyPlaylist:[],stationaryRelated:[]};return e&&e.length?e.filter((e=>{var t;return null==(t=e.devices)?void 0:t.includes(this._device)})).reduce(((e,t)=>(e[t.type]||(C.event(this._component,”constructor”,”Unknown Video Player Type detected”,t.type),e[t.type]=[]),t.enabled&&e[t.type].push(t),e)),t):t}_checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(e){const t=this._potentialPlayerMap[e].map((e=>({player:e,playerElement:this._getPlacementElement(e)})));return t.length?t[0]:{player:null,playerElement:null}}_getOverrideElement(e,t,i){if(e&&t){const n=document.createElement(“div”);t.insertAdjacentElement(e.position,n),i=n}else{const{player:e,playerElement:t}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyPlaylist”);if(e&&t){const n=document.createElement(“div”);t.insertAdjacentElement(e.position,n),i=n}}return i}_shouldOverrideElement(e){const t=e.getAttribute(“override-embed”);return”true”===t||”false”===t?”true”===t:!!this._videoConfig.relatedSettings&&this._videoConfig.relatedSettings.overrideEmbedLocation}_checkPageSelector(e,t,i=[]){if(e&&t&&0===i.length){return!(“/”===window.location.pathname)&&C.event(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`PSNF: ${e} does not exist on the page`)),!1}return!0}_getElementSelector(e,t,i){return t&&t.length>i?t[i]:(C.event(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`ESNF: ${e} does not exist on the page`)),null)}_getPlacementElement(e){const{pageSelector:t,elementSelector:i,skip:n}=e,s=R(t),{valid:o,elements:r}=s,a=Pe(s,[“valid”,”elements”]),l=M(i),{valid:c,elements:d}=l,h=Pe(l,[“valid”,”elements”]);if(“”!==t&&!o)return C.error(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`${t} is not a valid selector`),a),null;if(!c)return C.error(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`${i} is not a valid selector`),h),null;if(!this._checkPageSelector(t,o,r))return null;return this._getElementSelector(i,d,n)||null}_getEmbeddedPlayerType(e){let t=e.getAttribute(“data-player-type”);return t&&”default”!==t||(t=this._videoConfig.relatedSettings?this._videoConfig.relatedSettings.defaultPlayerType:”static”),this._stickyRelatedOnPage&&(t=”static”),t}_getMediaId(e){const t=e.getAttribute(“data-video-id”);return!!t&&(this._relatedMediaIds.push(t),t)}_createRelatedPlayer(e,t,i,n){“collapse”===t?this._createCollapsePlayer(e,i):”static”===t&&this._createStaticPlayer(e,i,n)}_createCollapsePlayer(t,i){const{player:n,playerElement:s}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyRelated”),o=n||this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0];if(o&&o.playerId){this._shouldOverrideElement(i)&&(i=this._getOverrideElement(n,s,i)),i=document.querySelector(`#cls-video-container-${t} > div`)||i,this._createStickyRelatedPlayer(e({},o,{mediaId:t}),i)}else C.error(this._component,”_createCollapsePlayer”,”No video player found”)}_createStaticPlayer(t,i,n){if(this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated.length&&this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0].playerId){const s=this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0];this._createStationaryRelatedPlayer(e({},s,{mediaOrPlaylistId:t}),i,n)}else C.error(this._component,”_createStaticPlayer”,”No video player found”)}_shouldRunAutoplayPlayers(){return!(!this._isVideoAllowedOnPage()||!this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyRelated.length&&!this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyPlaylist.length)}_determineAutoplayPlayers(){const e=this._component,t=”VideoManagerComponent”===e,i=this._context;if(this._stickyRelatedOnPage)return void C.event(e,”stickyRelatedOnPage”,t&&{device:i&&i.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{});const{player:n,playerElement:s}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyPlaylist”);n&&n.playerId&&n.playlistId&&s?this._createPlaylistPlayer(n,s):Math.random(){C.event(e,”noStickyPlaylist”,t&&{vendor:”none”,device:i&&i.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{})}),1e3)}_initializeRelatedPlayers(e){const t=new Map;for(let i=0;ie-t))}filterUsed(){this._map=this._map.filter((({dynamicAd:e})=>!e.used))}reset(){this._map=[]}constructor(){this._map=[]}}class ke extends De{}try{(()=>{const e=new G;e&&e.enabled&&(new we(e,new ke).start(),new xe(new F(e),e).init())})()}catch(e){C.error(“CLS”,”pluginsertion-iife”,e),window.adthriveCLS&&(window.adthriveCLS.injectedFromPlugin=!1)}}();
“Unscrewing and operating a standard crown under water would release the pressure on the gasket and may affect the water resistance,” a Ball rep tells me. “Thanks to our mechanism, we’re relieved of this constraint, and we can operate the inner bezel in a dive without affecting the water resistance.”
The watch also features a reworked dial that’s cleaner and more legible. The wavy texture of the original dial is gone, as is the day complication. The date has been moved from 4:30 to 3 o’clock and now has a cyclops magnifier.
Notably, there is also a lot more of Ball’s signature tritium gas lume on the new watch, especially on the indices and fully lumed bezel. The new Ballistic Diver features a total of 48 micro gas tubes, which is also 12 more than the current-generation non-Ballistic Engineer Master II Diver.
Inside, the watch maintains the technology that originally accounted for its bulletproof nature — and then some.
The movement is still protected by the Amortiser anti-shock system and can withstand 5,000 Gs of force (or more, by the sound of it), and it is still water resistant to 300m. But its anti-magnetic resistance has been improved. While the original was only capable of resisting magnetic fields of 60 gauss, the new Ballistic Diver can withstand up to 1,000 gauss thanks to the movement’s protective Mu-metal shield.
Dedicated tinkerers can even upload and run their own code on the watch via a micro-USB port on the rear of the device, which is also used for charging. Clayton and his team have even included a proprietary I/O port that will connect to future products, including “breadboard interfaces, development enclosures, and robotic systems” and “an enclosure replicating the main chassis of the original Apollo guidance computer.”
The company is also teasing future miniaturized circuit board designs that DSKY watch owners can install and program into the watch.
Of course, the wrist computer can also serve as a count-up/down timer, alarm, and stopwatch and show the time and date in various formats. Integrated GPS functionality also allows the watch to automatically adjust the timezone and free roaming, waypoint and spot fix GPS navigation options.
Apollo InstrumentsApollo Instruments is now taking pre-orders for the DSKY Moonwatch in black and brown strap options. A deposit of £240.00 (~$302) will reserve a spot in line. A remaining balance of £409 (~$515) will be collected immediately before the watch is ready to ship. As of right now, though, Apollo Instruments isn’t sharing exact details on when units will ship, though it is apparently targeting Q1 of 2025.
The company also has clarified that the DSKY Moonwatch isn’t a limited edition, although given production constraints, it’s likely to remain rare for quite some time.
As it has attempted to increasingly differentiate itself from parent brand Seiko in recent years, Grand Seiko has become recognized for a handful of trademark traits.
There is the acclaimed Zaratsu polishing, of course, the proprietary Spring Drive movements, the iconic 44GS case and, arguably above all else, the beautifully intricate textured dials that take inspiration from the natural beauty and culture of Japan.
A few of these dials, like the Snowflake and White Birch, have reached iconic status among collectors, and there’s always excitement about which new dial pattern will break out to become the next Grand Seiko classic.
With the release of the washi-inspired dial on the new SBGJ283, I think that the next blockbuster dial may have arrived.
Washi is a traditional Japanese craft where artisans handcraft paper made from mulberry trees. This paper has been produced for centuries and is distinctly Japanese. Think of a Japanese lantern, shoji screen room divider or calligraphy paper, and what you’re picturing is made of washi.
The paper has a delicate, textured appearance, which makes it the perfect source of inspiration for Grand Seiko’s artisans who frequently create delicate, textured dials.
Because the designers care about the deployment mechanism, they also care about the rest of the tool
Borrowing their mechanism from rifles, they utilize a side-mounted, spring-loaded lever for tip deployment. However, that lever has to be purposefully shifted into place for this to work. The tension of the spring prevents the lever from sliding unintentionally.
That means they’re much less likely to accidentally deploy and don’t require a second hand to prepare them for use (as with a cap). They also have a fidget-friendly bonus: They’re fun to play with.
Bolt-action pen deployments are somewhat unusual mechanisms. Designers don’t typically employ them by accident. Bolt-action pens are, as a result, designed mainly by people who love what they do.
This often has a trickle-down effect on the rest of the pen’s design. Because the designers care about the deployment mechanism, they also care about the rest of the tool — the materials, the cartridge compatibility, the overall style, and so forth.
As such, the pens are often produced to a higher quality than plastic clickers you’d get in a bulk box at a big-name retailer. That’s not to say disposable ones aren’t good — some of the best pens ever made are mass-produced. It just means bolt-action pens are usually higher quality overall and are made to last for years.
You can argue all day about which watch is the most iconic in the world. Is it the Rolex Submariner? The Omega Speedmaster? But there’s no arguing over which iconic watch is the most affordable. That title undoubtedly belongs to the Casio F-91W.
The ubiquitous and dependable digital watch can often be had for less than 20 bucks, but its impact has been vastly greater than its price tag. The F-91W’s modest black styling and robust functionality have reliably served everyone from billionaires to U.S. presidents to, um, global terrorists.
Recently, Casio expanded the F-91W line to make the watch more of a fashion item. Back in July, the brand launched the new F-91WB “Pop” collection featuring cleaner dials, bio-based resin straps and four monochromatic colorways: white, black, blue and gray.
Now, Casio has slyly launched another new color for the F-91WB, and it could end up being the most affordable hype watch ever.
The new watch was spotted by G-Shock news site G-Central, which located it on the Indian version of Casio’s website. As of this writing, it’s the only official Casio reference to the watch online, lending a good deal of mystery to the release.
Like the other F-91WB models, the new reference F-91WB-2A2 boasts a monochromatic look, a bio-based resin strap and the new cleaner dial, but what makes it stand out is its color.
Sometimes, EDC knife designers find inspiration in strange places. For instance, we stumbled upon a knife a few days ago that was designed to resemble a fictional airship from a video game. Another knife from earlier this year was made with mythical mermaids in mind.
But Dirk Hofmeister’s Böker Plus Hermod Folder might take the cake. Not only did he draw inspiration from an interesting source, but that inspiration resulted in a unique locking mechanism I’ve never seen before — and I’ve been collecting knives for years.
If you’ve looked at the Böker Plus Hermod Folder and thought, “That looks an awful lot like a hand grenade,” you’d be right. The small explosive devices inspired both the lattice pattern on the handle and the pull pin near the pivot. However, the pin is more than just a style choice; it serves a unique function.
With the blade closed and the pin in place, the knife can’t be opened. That’s because the pin serves as a forelock, blocking the blade from moving when slotted into place. It works the same when the knife is opened, adding an extra layer of security and preventing unwanted slips of the blade.
Better still, that’s not even the knife’s sole locking mechanism. In addition to the cotter pin, the knife is equipped with a classic liner lock. As such, the knife can be used normally even without the pin in place.
Boker and Civivi and Spyderco, oh my.
SpydercoEvery product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more
For knife lovers, few time vortexes are more powerful than what starts as a quick deal search. Once you start poking around the web, you’ll quickly see lots of tempting offers out there.
But let’s be real, there’s a lot of junk out there, too. So it helps to lean on retailers and brands you trust to make sure you don’t end up with something you find yourself putting on eBay a few days later.
With that in mind, we’re seeing a bunch of good-looking Blade HQ deals on knives from brands that true fans respect. See a few of our favorites below, and check out the retailer’s general sale page to do some deal hunting of your own.
Civivi
Spyderco
Boker
Vosteed`;e.insertAdjacentHTML(i,s)}return document.getElementById(t)}_repeatDynamicAds(t){const i=[],n=this._removeRecipeCapExperiment.result&&t.location===d.Recipe?99:this.locationMaxLazySequence.get(t.location),s=t.lazy?A(n,0):0,o=t.max,r=t.lazyMax,a=0===s&&t.lazy?o+r:Math.min(Math.max(s-t.sequence+1,0),o+r),l=Math.max(o,a);for(let n=0;n=o;i.push(e({},t,{sequence:s,lazy:r}))}}return i}_locationEnabled(e){const t=this._clsOptions.enabledLocations.includes(e.location),i=this._clsOptions.disableAds&&this._clsOptions.disableAds.all||document.body.classList.contains(“adthrive-disable-all”),n=!document.body.classList.contains(“adthrive-disable-content”)&&!this._clsOptions.disableAds.reasons.has(“content_plugin”);return t&&!i&&n}constructor(e,t){this._clsOptions=e,this._adInjectionMap=t,this._recipeCount=0,this._mainContentHeight=0,this._mainContentDiv=null,this._totalAvailableElements=[],this._minDivHeight=250,this._densityDevice=h.Desktop,this._pubLog={onePerViewport:!1,targetDensity:0,targetDensityUnits:0,combinedMax:0},this._densityMax=.99,this._smallerIncrementAttempts=0,this._absoluteMinimumSpacingByDevice=250,this._usedAbsoluteMinimum=!1,this._infPageEndOffset=0,this.locationMaxLazySequence=new Map([[d.Recipe,5]]),this.locationToMinHeight={Below_Post:Ae,Content:Ae,Recipe:Ae,Sidebar:Ae};const{tablet:i,desktop:n}=this._clsOptions.siteAds.breakpoints;this._device=((e,t)=>{const i=window.innerWidth;return i>=t?”desktop”:i>=e?”tablet”:”phone”})(i,n),this._config=new ae(e),this._clsOptions.enabledLocations=this._config.enabledLocations,this._clsTargetAdDensitySiteExperiment=this._clsOptions.siteAds.siteExperiments?new be(this._clsOptions):null,this._stickyContainerAdsExperiment=new Se,this._stickyContainerRecipeExperiment=new Ce,this._removeRecipeCapExperiment=new ue}}function Pe(e,t){if(null==e)return{};var i,n,s={},o=Object.keys(e);for(n=0;n=0||(s[i]=e[i]);return s}class Oe{get enabled(){return!0}}class Ee extends Oe{setPotentialPlayersMap(){const e=this._videoConfig.players||[],t=this._filterPlayerMap(),i=e.filter((e=>”stationaryRelated”===e.type&&e.enabled));return t.stationaryRelated=i,this._potentialPlayerMap=t,this._potentialPlayerMap}_filterPlayerMap(){const e=this._videoConfig.players,t={stickyRelated:[],stickyPlaylist:[],stationaryRelated:[]};return e&&e.length?e.filter((e=>{var t;return null==(t=e.devices)?void 0:t.includes(this._device)})).reduce(((e,t)=>(e[t.type]||(C.event(this._component,”constructor”,”Unknown Video Player Type detected”,t.type),e[t.type]=[]),t.enabled&&e[t.type].push(t),e)),t):t}_checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(e){const t=this._potentialPlayerMap[e].map((e=>({player:e,playerElement:this._getPlacementElement(e)})));return t.length?t[0]:{player:null,playerElement:null}}_getOverrideElement(e,t,i){if(e&&t){const n=document.createElement(“div”);t.insertAdjacentElement(e.position,n),i=n}else{const{player:e,playerElement:t}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyPlaylist”);if(e&&t){const n=document.createElement(“div”);t.insertAdjacentElement(e.position,n),i=n}}return i}_shouldOverrideElement(e){const t=e.getAttribute(“override-embed”);return”true”===t||”false”===t?”true”===t:!!this._videoConfig.relatedSettings&&this._videoConfig.relatedSettings.overrideEmbedLocation}_checkPageSelector(e,t,i=[]){if(e&&t&&0===i.length){return!(“/”===window.location.pathname)&&C.event(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`PSNF: ${e} does not exist on the page`)),!1}return!0}_getElementSelector(e,t,i){return t&&t.length>i?t[i]:(C.event(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`ESNF: ${e} does not exist on the page`)),null)}_getPlacementElement(e){const{pageSelector:t,elementSelector:i,skip:n}=e,s=R(t),{valid:o,elements:r}=s,a=Pe(s,[“valid”,”elements”]),l=M(i),{valid:c,elements:d}=l,h=Pe(l,[“valid”,”elements”]);if(“”!==t&&!o)return C.error(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`${t} is not a valid selector`),a),null;if(!c)return C.error(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`${i} is not a valid selector`),h),null;if(!this._checkPageSelector(t,o,r))return null;return this._getElementSelector(i,d,n)||null}_getEmbeddedPlayerType(e){let t=e.getAttribute(“data-player-type”);return t&&”default”!==t||(t=this._videoConfig.relatedSettings?this._videoConfig.relatedSettings.defaultPlayerType:”static”),this._stickyRelatedOnPage&&(t=”static”),t}_getMediaId(e){const t=e.getAttribute(“data-video-id”);return!!t&&(this._relatedMediaIds.push(t),t)}_createRelatedPlayer(e,t,i,n){“collapse”===t?this._createCollapsePlayer(e,i):”static”===t&&this._createStaticPlayer(e,i,n)}_createCollapsePlayer(t,i){const{player:n,playerElement:s}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyRelated”),o=n||this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0];if(o&&o.playerId){this._shouldOverrideElement(i)&&(i=this._getOverrideElement(n,s,i)),i=document.querySelector(`#cls-video-container-${t} > div`)||i,this._createStickyRelatedPlayer(e({},o,{mediaId:t}),i)}else C.error(this._component,”_createCollapsePlayer”,”No video player found”)}_createStaticPlayer(t,i,n){if(this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated.length&&this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0].playerId){const s=this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0];this._createStationaryRelatedPlayer(e({},s,{mediaOrPlaylistId:t}),i,n)}else C.error(this._component,”_createStaticPlayer”,”No video player found”)}_shouldRunAutoplayPlayers(){return!(!this._isVideoAllowedOnPage()||!this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyRelated.length&&!this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyPlaylist.length)}_determineAutoplayPlayers(){const e=this._component,t=”VideoManagerComponent”===e,i=this._context;if(this._stickyRelatedOnPage)return void C.event(e,”stickyRelatedOnPage”,t&&{device:i&&i.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{});const{player:n,playerElement:s}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyPlaylist”);n&&n.playerId&&n.playlistId&&s?this._createPlaylistPlayer(n,s):Math.random(){C.event(e,”noStickyPlaylist”,t&&{vendor:”none”,device:i&&i.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{})}),1e3)}_initializeRelatedPlayers(e){const t=new Map;for(let i=0;ie-t))}filterUsed(){this._map=this._map.filter((({dynamicAd:e})=>!e.used))}reset(){this._map=[]}constructor(){this._map=[]}}class ke extends De{}try{(()=>{const e=new G;e&&e.enabled&&(new we(e,new ke).start(),new xe(new F(e),e).init())})()}catch(e){C.error(“CLS”,”pluginsertion-iife”,e),window.adthriveCLS&&(window.adthriveCLS.injectedFromPlugin=!1)}}();
It sure seems like 2024 has been the year of insulation innovation. Just last week, we covered the release of a unique alpaca-based insulated jacket meant to serve as an alternative to both traditional goose and synthetic down.
Hot on its heels, another contender has entered the fray, albeit with a very different approach. Outlier’s Adown(ventile) Skijak is the world’s first jacket made with “down fabric.”
Outlier’s Adown(ventile) Skijak hinges on its innovative insulation, called Thindown. This insulation is the world’s first “down fabric.”
Unlike traditional down, which is loose and billowy, Thindown is denser, thinner and more breathable. It offers similar warmth and comfort, even in freezing temperatures, but can be cut and sewn like regular fabric.
It’s also made differently. Instead of goose feathers or plastic, Thindown is made from used pillows, duvets and other jackets, making it a true 100-percent post-consumer recycled product.
Named after its original quartz watch from 1969, Seiko’s modern Astron line still represents the pinnacle of the brand’s neverending quest for greater accuracy in watchmaking.
Today’s Astron models are the most accurate watches the brand makes thanks to their implementation of GPS technology that enables the watches to remotely sync to an atomic clock and automatically set themselves to the exact time. They were also the world’s first solar GPS watches, which means they draw their energy from light and rarely require a battery change.
The timekeeping prowess of Seiko’s Astron watches is impressive, but most people today aren’t buying a watch solely based on accuracy. If they were, mechanical watches probably wouldn’t even exist. In order for a watch to be desirable, it also has to look good, and Seiko just released a new pair of Astron models that look downright amazing.
Japan’s cherry blossom trees are world-famous, but when we picture them, we typically think of their bright pink hues coming alive in the sunlight on a spring day. (Grand Seiko has previously used this for inspiration to great effect.)
But for its latest limited-edition watches, Seiko found a more unorthodox source of cherry-blossom inspiration.
Earlier this year, Vosteed released its Corgi Pup, an ultra-tiny EDC knife with a button lock, dual-flipper deployment and sub-six-inch total length. It was a compact everyday carry masterpiece I thought needed no improvements.
Thankfully, I was very wrong. The brand has since unveiled the Vosteed Corgi V, an evolution of the Corgi Pup that’s been refined with numerous functional and stylistic improvements.
While the overall silhouette of the original Corgi Pup remains, the Corgi V has numerous upgrades, some of which are more obvious than others. The biggest is probably its locking mechanism.
Whereas the older version had a button lock separate from its ceramic ball-bearing pivot, this new one combines them. The Vanchor lock (one of Vosteed’s proprietary systems) is a simple push-button housed in the pivot. Depress the button, and the blade will swing free. Deploy the blade fully, and it will lock into place. To disengage, you just push the button again.
To go with the new lock, the deployment has also changed. Instead of a dual-flipper, the Corgi V has a single top front flipper and a new Wheeler deployment on the reverse side. But the real beauty of the Wheeler is in how it pairs with the Vanchor Lock.
The Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver (CASD) from Nivada Grenchen ranks as one of the most versatile chronographs ever.
First debuting in the 1960s, the acclaimed “super chronograph” combined a hitherto unknown combination of features. It had the depth rating of a dive watch, a tachymeter for calculating speed, a dual-scale bezel capable of tracking elapsed time and a second time zone, and it even squeezed a regatta timer onto its chronograph minutes register.
When Nivada was revived as a brand in 2020 after decades of dormancy, it was the CASD that led the charge, and today the Chronomaster ranks as Nivada’s flagship line.
The Chronomaster has nothing left to prove, clearly, but Nivada recently made the watch even more versatile by introducing a very unique feature: interchangeable bezels.
I should begin by saying that this is not the first time a watch has featured an interchangeable bezel system. Innovative Swiss independent brand Formex launched its own version for its Reef dive watch back in 2021, and Nivada itself had a ladies watch with a similar system back in the 1960s. That short-lived collection, the Colorama VI, served as the inspiration behind Nivada’s new take on the feature.
This is the first time I’ve seen such a feature used in a chronograph before, however, and it makes perfect sense that the CASD would be the chrono to debut interchangeable bezels. After all, the watch already does so many other things, might as well add this to the pile.
Within a couple of weeks, 2024 will be over, and it will be time to reflect on all that’s happened over the past year in the world of watches.
Although the year hasn’t quite ended yet, I think it’s safe to say that one of the industry’s hottest trends in 2024 — if not the hottest — has been the triumphant return of natural stone dials.
The trend began in earnest last year in the luxury space, with Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Girard-Perregaux all launching new references featuring the types of exotic stone dials that were popular half a century ago. The high-end trend continued into this year, with watches like the $55,000+ stone-dial Mirage from newcomer Berneron drawing significant buzz.
But over the course of the year, a funny thing happened: stone dials became democratized. At seemingly record-breaking speed, a luxury watch trend found its way to the affordable market — and in an uncompromised form, no less. Brands like Baltic and Zodiac started throwing exotic natural stone dials on watches regular people can afford, and now Bulova has joined the party with its own unique trio of trendy stone-dial watches.
Bulova’s stone dials are the result of its second collab with Complecto, a New York-based organization that aims to increase watch enthusiasm in underrepresented communities by helping brands reach more diverse audiences.
The collab consists of three new references of Bulova’s Super Seville, itself a new release that debuted only a few months ago. The Super Seville is already a very cool watch oozing with retro style thanks to its combination of an integrated bracelet with a fluted bezel and cyclops date window. The watch also features Bulova’s superb Precisionist quartz movement that beats at a whopping 262 kHz, giving the watch’s seconds hand a perfectly smooth sweep.
Gear PatrolThese are the products that defined 2024.
Important products aren’t always good or bad. Often, they fall somewhere in-between, all the while offering perspective on where a particular industry has found itself … and where it might be going.
This is the spirit driving the 12th annual GP100, Gear Patrol‘s mighty, end-of-year roundup collecting the year’s most relevant releases from tech, motoring, style and watches, outdoors and more.
Our team spent months filtering through thousands of new products, going hands-on whenever we could, to identify the innovations and updates that left the biggest marks on their respective industries. And no, not always to a better, let alone conclusive, end.
This year, we also decided to do something we’ve never done in more than a decade of publishing the GP100: rank our winners.
Admittedly, the process wasn’t scientific, or even always fair. How does one compare the significance of a car to a pair of sneakers? That said, our editors were indeed guided by a few basic tenets, including novelty, popularity and impact on culture at large.
You might not agree with our selections. You definitely won’t agree with the order. But maybe, just maybe, you might agree with us on this: products have never been so dynamic, exciting and downright important to our lives.
We will reveal the winners in batches of 20 over the course of the week. Bookmark the collection page to stay on top of the countdown or check back here daily for updates. To see last year’s winners, follow this link.
These days, collaborative products are fairly commonplace, even in the EDC knife world. Whether it’s two brands, a brand and an artisan, or two artisans working together, the designers and craftspeople usually synergize on every facet of the product.
Bestech’s latest blade release, however, takes a very different approach. Instead of its designers working together throughout the process, the Bestech Excentric is what happens when they split the work right down the middle, literally.
The creation of this knife began at this year’s IWA OutdoorClassics exhibition in Germany. There, Grzegorz Grabarski of Kombou Designs and Toni N. Tietzel of TNT Knives met and immediately hit it off.
They knew they wanted to work on a knife together from that moment. However, how they chose to approach their collaborative design was highly unorthodox.
Tietzel, a grind specialist, crafted the blade, giving it an unusual tanto shape and highly stylized compound grind. Then, he passed it off to Grabarski, who championed the handle, blessing it with biomechanical curves reminiscent of H.R. Giger’s artwork.
One material that’s gained popularity in the watch industry over the last number of years is ceramic, with the material frequently being used to craft bezels, cases and occasionally bracelets.
The main draw for ceramic is its high scratch resistance and strong resistance to fading and corrosion. Because of these properties, a ceramic watch will show wear less than nearly any other material, meaning your ceramic watch will still look brand-new — unfaded and scratch-free — basically forever.
But ceramic, like other materials, isn’t perfect. Its biggest drawback is that it’s brittle. It won’t scratch, but it can crack or shatter, making it more susceptible to breakage than metal materials when dropped.
If someone could craft a form of ceramic that wouldn’t shatter, it just might be the perfect watchmaking material. And that’s exactly what avant-garde Swiss luxury brand Urwerk has created for its new UR-230 Polaris watch.
To craft its proprietary new material, Urwerk encased sheets of woven ceramic interwined with layers of fiberglass in a polymer base, with the fiberglass providing the ceramic with the necessary shatter resistance without interrupting the other properties that make ceramic so great.
“The usual ceramics are hard, but it’s also what makes them a liability,” says Urwerk cofounder Felix Baumgartner said in a press release. “So we decided to develop a ceramic, by and for ourselves. Thanks to the glass fibers it contains, it doesn’t break.”
Regarding ultra-compact EDC, no knife hits like WESN’s aptly named Microblade. Not only is this incredibly small flipper blade built exceptionally — more like a full-sized knife than a novelty — but its design makes it much more useful than many other knives in its class.
In an exciting development, WESN has just given us yet another reason to love the Microblade. The brand has released a new, premium, limited edition called the WESN Ridgeback Microblade.
Thankfully, the Ridgeback Microblade retains the same silhouette and size specs as its less-premium counterparts. For reference, it has a 1.5-inch blade and 2.25-inch handle, which combine for a total length of 3.75 inches and a weight of only one ounce.
However, it does have some significant material and style swaps. For instance, the D2 blade steel is replaced by much higher-grade Böhler M390 steel, renowned for its wear resistance.
The most obvious change is the handle. This one still has a smooth titanium scale on the frame lock side, but the presentation side is now made from hammered titanium instead of smooth titanium or G10.
California has some of the strictest knife laws in the country. Many styles of EDC knives, including OTFs (short for out-the-front), are banned outright.
Some brands, however, have found legal loopholes, skirting the regulations through clever design to produce completely California-legal knives. The Terrain 365 x Prometheus Design Werx CAS OTF is one such knife, and it is exceptional from tip to tail.
As mentioned, California Penal Code 21510 makes most OTF knives illegal. Possessing, carrying, or selling them can result in up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail.
So, how did PDW and Terrain 365 make the CAS OTF legal to sell, own, and carry? They kept its size below the legal limits.
Short for California Special Out the Front, the CAS OTF’s rustproof Terravantium blade measures up at just 1.925 inches, less than a tenth of an inch smaller than California’s 2.0-inch limit.
The winners of Apple’s annual App Store Awards have been crowned.
AppleEvery product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more
Two weeks ago, Apple announced the finalists for its annual App Store Awards, which honors what it deems to be the best apps (and games) of the year across its various devices. There were 45 app finalists.
Fast forward to the present day, and Apple has finally selected the winners. Below, you can find the winning apps across Apple’s six major devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro.
To learn more about the winning apps and the winning games (which we’ve omitted below) of the year, check out Apple’s news post.
AppleiPhone App of the Year
Kino is a video app that allows you to record cinema-worthy videos thanks to color presets created by professional filmmakers. According to Apple, Kino is the iPhone App of the Year “for turning everyday moments into cinematic masterpieces.”
AppleApple Watch App of the Year
Lumy is a simple yet beautiful app for photographers and nature enthusiasts who want to track the sun’s and moon’s movements. According to Apple, Lumy is the Apple Watch App of the Year “for connecting users to the rhythms of the sun and moon.”
AppleiPad App of the Year
Moises is an app for musicians and music educators. It leverages AI to play music at different speeds and keys, as well as remove vocals or instruments from songs. According to Apple, Moises is the iPad App of the Year “for elevating music practice with AI-powered tools.”
AppleMac App of the Year
Adobe Lightroom is a popular photo-editing app for creative professionals and photographers. According to Apple, Adobe Lightroom is the Mac App of the Year “for enhancing the photo editing process with AI-powered features.”
AppleApple TV App of the Year
F1 TV is an app for Formula 1 fans. It allows them to stream every F1 race and access exclusive features, including the ability to watch onboard driver cameras, listen to team radios and see real-time race data — all live during the race. According to Apple, it is the Apple TV app of the year “for transporting fans straight into the cockpit of a race car.”
MarvelVision Pro App of the Year
What If…? An Immersive Story is an immersive experience for the Apple Vision Pro. It places you in Marvel’s Multiverse and has you interacting with (and fighting alongside your favorite Avengers. According to Apple, it’s the Vision Pro app of the year “for inviting players into a new kind of Marvel experience.”
`;e.insertAdjacentHTML(i,s)}return document.getElementById(t)}_repeatDynamicAds(t){const i=[],n=this._removeRecipeCapExperiment.result&&t.location===d.Recipe?99:this.locationMaxLazySequence.get(t.location),s=t.lazy?A(n,0):0,o=t.max,r=t.lazyMax,a=0===s&&t.lazy?o+r:Math.min(Math.max(s-t.sequence+1,0),o+r),l=Math.max(o,a);for(let n=0;n=o;i.push(e({},t,{sequence:s,lazy:r}))}}return i}_locationEnabled(e){const t=this._clsOptions.enabledLocations.includes(e.location),i=this._clsOptions.disableAds&&this._clsOptions.disableAds.all||document.body.classList.contains(“adthrive-disable-all”),n=!document.body.classList.contains(“adthrive-disable-content”)&&!this._clsOptions.disableAds.reasons.has(“content_plugin”);return t&&!i&&n}constructor(e,t){this._clsOptions=e,this._adInjectionMap=t,this._recipeCount=0,this._mainContentHeight=0,this._mainContentDiv=null,this._totalAvailableElements=[],this._minDivHeight=250,this._densityDevice=h.Desktop,this._pubLog={onePerViewport:!1,targetDensity:0,targetDensityUnits:0,combinedMax:0},this._densityMax=.99,this._smallerIncrementAttempts=0,this._absoluteMinimumSpacingByDevice=250,this._usedAbsoluteMinimum=!1,this._infPageEndOffset=0,this.locationMaxLazySequence=new Map([[d.Recipe,5]]),this.locationToMinHeight={Below_Post:Ae,Content:Ae,Recipe:Ae,Sidebar:Ae};const{tablet:i,desktop:n}=this._clsOptions.siteAds.breakpoints;this._device=((e,t)=>{const i=window.innerWidth;return i>=t?”desktop”:i>=e?”tablet”:”phone”})(i,n),this._config=new ae(e),this._clsOptions.enabledLocations=this._config.enabledLocations,this._clsTargetAdDensitySiteExperiment=this._clsOptions.siteAds.siteExperiments?new be(this._clsOptions):null,this._stickyContainerAdsExperiment=new Se,this._stickyContainerRecipeExperiment=new Ce,this._removeRecipeCapExperiment=new ue}}function Pe(e,t){if(null==e)return{};var i,n,s={},o=Object.keys(e);for(n=0;n=0||(s[i]=e[i]);return s}class Oe{get enabled(){return!0}}class Ee extends Oe{setPotentialPlayersMap(){const e=this._videoConfig.players||[],t=this._filterPlayerMap(),i=e.filter((e=>”stationaryRelated”===e.type&&e.enabled));return t.stationaryRelated=i,this._potentialPlayerMap=t,this._potentialPlayerMap}_filterPlayerMap(){const e=this._videoConfig.players,t={stickyRelated:[],stickyPlaylist:[],stationaryRelated:[]};return e&&e.length?e.filter((e=>{var t;return null==(t=e.devices)?void 0:t.includes(this._device)})).reduce(((e,t)=>(e[t.type]||(C.event(this._component,”constructor”,”Unknown Video Player Type detected”,t.type),e[t.type]=[]),t.enabled&&e[t.type].push(t),e)),t):t}_checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(e){const t=this._potentialPlayerMap[e].map((e=>({player:e,playerElement:this._getPlacementElement(e)})));return t.length?t[0]:{player:null,playerElement:null}}_getOverrideElement(e,t,i){if(e&&t){const n=document.createElement(“div”);t.insertAdjacentElement(e.position,n),i=n}else{const{player:e,playerElement:t}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyPlaylist”);if(e&&t){const n=document.createElement(“div”);t.insertAdjacentElement(e.position,n),i=n}}return i}_shouldOverrideElement(e){const t=e.getAttribute(“override-embed”);return”true”===t||”false”===t?”true”===t:!!this._videoConfig.relatedSettings&&this._videoConfig.relatedSettings.overrideEmbedLocation}_checkPageSelector(e,t,i=[]){if(e&&t&&0===i.length){return!(“/”===window.location.pathname)&&C.event(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`PSNF: ${e} does not exist on the page`)),!1}return!0}_getElementSelector(e,t,i){return t&&t.length>i?t[i]:(C.event(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`ESNF: ${e} does not exist on the page`)),null)}_getPlacementElement(e){const{pageSelector:t,elementSelector:i,skip:n}=e,s=R(t),{valid:o,elements:r}=s,a=Pe(s,[“valid”,”elements”]),l=M(i),{valid:c,elements:d}=l,h=Pe(l,[“valid”,”elements”]);if(“”!==t&&!o)return C.error(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`${t} is not a valid selector`),a),null;if(!c)return C.error(“VideoUtils”,”getPlacementElement”,new Error(`${i} is not a valid selector`),h),null;if(!this._checkPageSelector(t,o,r))return null;return this._getElementSelector(i,d,n)||null}_getEmbeddedPlayerType(e){let t=e.getAttribute(“data-player-type”);return t&&”default”!==t||(t=this._videoConfig.relatedSettings?this._videoConfig.relatedSettings.defaultPlayerType:”static”),this._stickyRelatedOnPage&&(t=”static”),t}_getMediaId(e){const t=e.getAttribute(“data-video-id”);return!!t&&(this._relatedMediaIds.push(t),t)}_createRelatedPlayer(e,t,i,n){“collapse”===t?this._createCollapsePlayer(e,i):”static”===t&&this._createStaticPlayer(e,i,n)}_createCollapsePlayer(t,i){const{player:n,playerElement:s}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyRelated”),o=n||this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0];if(o&&o.playerId){this._shouldOverrideElement(i)&&(i=this._getOverrideElement(n,s,i)),i=document.querySelector(`#cls-video-container-${t} > div`)||i,this._createStickyRelatedPlayer(e({},o,{mediaId:t}),i)}else C.error(this._component,”_createCollapsePlayer”,”No video player found”)}_createStaticPlayer(t,i,n){if(this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated.length&&this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0].playerId){const s=this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0];this._createStationaryRelatedPlayer(e({},s,{mediaOrPlaylistId:t}),i,n)}else C.error(this._component,”_createStaticPlayer”,”No video player found”)}_shouldRunAutoplayPlayers(){return!(!this._isVideoAllowedOnPage()||!this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyRelated.length&&!this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyPlaylist.length)}_determineAutoplayPlayers(){const e=this._component,t=”VideoManagerComponent”===e,i=this._context;if(this._stickyRelatedOnPage)return void C.event(e,”stickyRelatedOnPage”,t&&{device:i&&i.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{});const{player:n,playerElement:s}=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage(“stickyPlaylist”);n&&n.playerId&&n.playlistId&&s?this._createPlaylistPlayer(n,s):Math.random(){C.event(e,”noStickyPlaylist”,t&&{vendor:”none”,device:i&&i.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{})}),1e3)}_initializeRelatedPlayers(e){const t=new Map;for(let i=0;ie-t))}filterUsed(){this._map=this._map.filter((({dynamicAd:e})=>!e.used))}reset(){this._map=[]}constructor(){this._map=[]}}class ke extends De{}try{(()=>{const e=new G;e&&e.enabled&&(new we(e,new ke).start(),new xe(new F(e),e).init())})()}catch(e){C.error(“CLS”,”pluginsertion-iife”,e),window.adthriveCLS&&(window.adthriveCLS.injectedFromPlugin=!1)}}();
While they don’t come cheap, these material choices ensure The Catch will serve its owner faithfully and fastidiously for decades.
While this knife’s name might have you thinking it’s too good to be true, it’s more straightforward than you might think. The Catch draws inspiration from the coast.
That means its moniker isn’t a reference to a hidden downside but to the concept of fishing. Looking closely, you’ll see that inspiration extending to the design.
The titanium handle scales, for instance, have a precision-machined cross-hatched grip pattern that resembles fishing nets. Furthermore, its gently curving silhouette harkens to the ebbs and flows of the ocean’s surface.
This subtlety exemplifies Quiet Carry’s exceptional, understated design language and overall production prowess.
