Watches, Stories, & Gear: New Bags from Peak Design, a Documentary on a Brooklyn Based Calligraphy Artist, and a Baltic Review from the Archives

You’ve got to hand it to A24: year in and year out, they surface interesting and unexpected independent horror movies that we often just don’t see coming. Also, they just really know how to cut a trailer. The trailer for Backrooms dropped recently, and while it’s based on a webseries that had a legion of devoted fans, it’s all new to us, so we’re incredibly intrigued. You can watch it below, and while we don’t have a great sense of what’s going on, it seems to involve Chitwel Ejiofor’s character stumbling into a maze of interconnected rooms, exploring them, and freaking himself and everyone else out. We’re in. 

From the Archive: Our First Baltic Review

Baltic released their latest watch this week, their first worldtimer, with a stone dial. It got us thinking about the brand’s history, how far they’ve come, and the dramatic evolution from their first pieces to the watches they’re making today. So here’s a flashback to the very first Baltic (actually a pair of Baltics) reviewed for the site: Zach W’s take on the HMS and Bicompax 001 from nine years ago, almost to the day. In the intervening decade, these watches have become microbrand classics, the type of affordable watches that were, for a time, on everyone’s list to recommend and own. Do you, or did you, own an HMS or Bicompax 001? Let us know in the comments. 

The Horological Society of New York Raises Over $1 Million at its 160th Anniversary Gala

The Horological Society of New York marked its 160th anniversary in style recently, hosting a black-tie gala at The Plaza Hotel that also served as a meaningful fundraiser for the organization’s mission. The night brought in over $1.2 million, with a record $450,000 earmarked for scholarships and support across watchmaking schools and independent makers, a notable increase from last year’s event. The charity auction run by Sotheby’s which was the evening’s centerpiece featured many notable lots, including  a signed F.P. Journe Octa Réserve De Marche Wall Clock hammering at $200,000. 

You can find out more about the Horological Society of New York, and become a member yourself, right here.