And now for something completely different… Since man cannot live by vintage alone I’m starting the New Year off big — literally! — by offering up a modern watch, albeit one with a definite neo-vintage feel. It’s an oversized diver crafted in sandblasted steel by Vintage VDB, a small manufacturer located in Erfurt, Germany.
This is one of only 40 examples in this blasted configuration, truly living up to that much-abused term Limited Edition. But that’s not all that makes this “No Limit” stand out — it’s a real beast at 46mm wide x 56mm long x 17mm thick, as rugged as they come. And unlike most of Vintage VDB’s offerings it has long, conventional lugs that make it a bit more versatile for average sized wrists in my opinion. Of course, if you’re already a fan of oversized divers like Panerai, Kaventsmann and Ennebi Fondale you will pull this bad boy off with aplomb.
This handsome model also features a lot of carefully chosen details with definite allusions to famous Blanpain, Omega and Rolex/Tudor tool watches. To wit: A really great looking matte black dial with applied luminous-filled markers. Cool red accents including the reverse printed “No Limit” badge. White-on-black date at “3”. Brushed steel luminous-filled sword-and-dagger hands with classic Rolex-style “dot” sweep seconds hand. Plus, all the Luminova on the dial & hands has really nice creamy vintage-style patina added. That all ads up to something of a modern classic in its own right to my eyes.
This uncommon VDB Vintage “No Limit” comes complete with box, card and extra strap and is available at a significant savings over the factory’s MSRP, which already represents remarkable value for money when you consider the impressive construction and high quality ETA movement ticking away inside that huge mass of steel. So if you’re looking for a tough-as-nails military-inspired diver in a jumbo modern package, look no further. The “No Limit” has got your name on it.
A classic 1960s psychedelic two-hit wonder, Spirit roared out of LA in 1968 with the exceptionally propulsive, catchy and self-assured “I Got A Line On You”, one of the great hits of the decade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjKTPh2FEqk
Featuring stinging guitar work by their shaggy frontman, the perfectly named Randy California, and the inspired backbeat of middle-aged bald-headed powerhouse Jack Cassidy, Spirit put hard rock front and center in their classic hippy come on. “Line” eschewed their usual mystical, trippy approach for straight ahead power pop and enhanced by by their eclectic visual appeal as a unit the result was a Top 25 hit in the USA.
But the band was simply too idiosyncratic for any sustained pop success, constantly experimenting with word poems and extended musical meditations with titles like “Fresh Garbage” that pleased the faithful but not the masses. They did have one more great hit up their sleeves, California’s beautiful “Nature’s Way”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V0Vu_utUZY
Released in 1970 and channeling the justifiable environmental concerns of the counterculture into one epically lovely and well constructed ballad, “Nature’s Way” is another all-time great by the band. It could also be seen as Spirit’s swan song, as they would only make a limited commercial impact after that. But in addition to these two stone classics, Spirit produced a lot of worthwhile music during their halcyon days at the crossroads of the death of the 60s and dawn of the 70s. If you’re an aficionado of that particular period of Rock history and like the way the band comes across on these two hits you could do worse than to explore further with a greatest hits package. Spirit may be an acquired taste but their music still packs a heady, distinctively organic punch unlike so many of the other ersatz studio creations of the period. There’s never any doubt whatsoever that this was a real band along the lines of a Jefferson Airplane and not a manufactured product like the Association. And that makes Spirit well worth delving into if the psychedelic era is your scene.
The hits just keep on coming as we count down the 12 Days of Christmas. On offer now is this handsome and oh-so-funky early 1970s Longines Ultra-Chron model with unusual water resistant square “compressor” case and sparkingly stunning metallic blue dial.
All original down to the unique square convex acrylic crystal and in overall Excellent vintage condition, this Ultra-Chron has great wrist presence. In fact it wears a heckuva lot like a 3/4 scale Heuer Monaco! Chances are their two-piece snap-together steel cases were made by the same Piquerez factory, as well.
Under the hood purrs a high-beat in-house Longines caliber 431, one of the great Swiss watch manufacturer’s last exceptional self-produced movements before the quartz revolution forced them to outsource. It all adds up to a lot of unique style, tradition and downright blue beauty in this cool steel package, poised and ready to make a major impression this Holiday Season. And all for well under a grand. Better pounce if you want to put it under your tree!
As the Holiday Season enters full swing it’s best to arm yourself with some classic vintage wrist wear that’ll get you to the parties on time while also showing off your unique sense of style once you arrive. And here’s just the sort of distinctive watch to help you make an impression when you’re out and about this December: a fantastic Longines Conquest automatic from 1960.
Featuring one of the most unique dial layouts in the vintage watch world, this Conquest has a most distinctive original “sunken track” dial with eccentric bar & coffin markers and date at “12.” Its also got a long-lugged all stainless steel screw down case for good water resistance in the event of snow showers or cocktail mishaps.
Aside from its remarkable wrist presence — you’re as likely to see someone else wearing this as you are to catch Santa coming down the chimney — this Longines is powered by one of their best-ever movements from back in the day, their own in-house caliber 291. It featured a boatload of technical innovations at the time. But all you need to know is that its been recently serviced, runs like a top and is good to go for many more New Years to come.
Style, rarity and pure class on the wrist — all for just a tick over $1k? Ho ho ho, indeed.
Scott Weiland has passed away while on tour at the age of 48 (the New York Times Obituary is here). Best known as the lead singer for 1990s hit-making machine Stone Temple Pilots, Weiland had a strong and versatile rock voice, a flamboyantly aggressive stage presence and a penchant for dark lyrics. But he was also a long time substance abuser, including periods of serious heroin use, and that definitely compromised his abilities on stage if not in the studio. In fact, he was kicked out of STP more than once and also by the “supergroup” Velvet Revolver (basically Guns ‘n Roses without Axl Rose), the band he joined in 2002 after he was booted by STP for the first time. In later years he revealed he had been sexually assaulted as a young boy so if he went looking for something strong to numb that pain while appearing to live the “glamorous” drug-fueled life of a rock star who could really blame him?
A distant sixth behind Nirvana, Soundgarden, Screaming Tress, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains in the rankings of the biggest Grunge Heavyweights, Stone Temple Pilots were also seen by many as opportunistic California carpetbaggers as opposed to genuine practitioners of Seattle’s own proud hometown music genre. But on any given single or any given concert performance STP could really rock it and in fact they brought a pleasingly tacky and grandiose arena-oriented feel to the scene. Their first two (and best) albums, Core (1992) and Purple (1994), show such a dichotomy of sonic approaches — Core almost like parody version of Pearl Jam with a harder edge and nastier themes and Purple departing comfortably for polished power pop territory — that the distinct impression is not so much a band wedded to a particular genre but rather a band without a real identity yet still making music so well-crafted and executed that they can’t help but churn out huge hits. So much so that for some of us who were young and impressionable in the 90s, STP’s music is indelibly part of the soundtrack of our youth right alongside their more highly regarded rivals.
And if Weiland’s voice was not really a match in distinctiveness when pitted against Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, Mark Lanegan, Layne Staley or even the shrieking of Kurt Cobain, he was nonetheless a top-notch rock frontman with the ability to cover a wide range from laid back nasal to growling bellow to belted out ballad. Those first two STP albums hold up remarkably well some 20+ years later despite — or maybe because of — their lack of stylistic similarity. And Scott Weiland’s formidable vocals are a big reason why. If his subsequent career and life was something of a mess and neither he or the band could ever match those heights again, well, that’s hardly a unique story in Rock ‘n Roll history is it? The simple fact is that Scott Weiland had the chops and sheer will to make himself into a rock star, performed like a rock star and definitely lived like a rock star. It’s also a fact that his chosen vocation probably killed him before he turned 50. It’s sad but certainly not unexpected. Weiland lived longer than most people thought he ever would and a hell of a lot longer than his contemporaries Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley. Nobody ever said rock stars are promised a ripe old age, particularly those who don’t change their wicked ways. And once again, for the umpteenth time, we have proof of that. But what else would Scott Weiland have done with his life if not live fast, die young and leave a pile of hit records behind? Would he — could he — really have done it any differently?
Saw Steely Dan live not too long ago and this song has been bouncing around my brain since then. Don’t let the highly refined sounds fool you — this is one dark & paranoid mofo!
From 1976’s The Royal Scam, the Dan’s fifth studio album, “Don’t Take Me Alive” features the typcial tight musicianship, tricky song construction and world weary lyrics the group’s fans treasure so dearly. There’s also the requisite killer guitar solos, this time from studio ace Larry Carlton. Between his searing licks here and on “Kid Charlemagne” you can see why he was one of the most in demand session guitarists in his day. And with lyrics like “Got a case of dynamite/I could hold out here all night” the song is steeped in that creeping dread and burnt out neurosis so specific to the dystopian 70s. Is the protagonist a refugee from the Weather Underground making a last stand? A lone renegade fleeing familial discord under Shakespearean circumstances? Both and neither? Let your imagination fill in the blanks while Donald Fagan’s uniquely evocative singing voice dovetails with the elusive meaning as perfectly as on all the best Steely Dan tracks. Besides, once this song gets its hooks in you you’ll definitely want more than one listen to figure it all out for yourself.
It’s easy for the novice collector with a limited budget to get discouraged by the skyrocketing prices of elite vintage watches these days. But even if a Rolex Daytona, Omega pre-Moon Speedmaster or Universal Geneve Tri-Compax is not doable on your budget, there are still plenty of watches out there that can give you that little bit of vintage élan on the wrist without having to skip your mortgage payment. I’ve talked about vintage Longines & Tudor in the past as great options for the budget minded collector. And now I’ll throw the Eterna-Matic KonTiki 20 into that equation, as well.
Eterna is an old name in the Swiss watchmaking industry with roots back to the mid-1800s. In 1948 they came up with an innovative system for their automatic movements by mounting the oscillating weighted rotor on 5 steel ball bearings for reduced friction and balanced efficiency of winding. This innovation was so significant that the 5 ball bearings became the company’s logo, proudly applied to their dials. And this patented system also meant that Eterna could now upgrade any suitable ebauche with their own proprietary autowind system. The company had already received a huge publicity boost in 1947 when the famed Norwegian explorer Thor Hyerdahl wore one of their watches during his remarkable 5000 mile open ocean raft adventure. Hence, the Eterna KonTiki model name was born and with it the characteristic raft logo medallion seated on the back of these models, a marketing tie-in well poised to take full advantage of the technical innovation under the hood.
Meant to signify any of their water resistant watches, the KonTiki line soon blossomed with big, military-ready dive watches in the Submariner/Seamaster mode. But in the late 1950s & 60s Eterna also produced a plethora of simple, modestly sized “civilian” KonTikis with all-steel screw down cases and oversized crowns featuring a water resistance of 130 feet. That was no mean achievement and put these new versatile dress models, dubbed the “KonTiki 20”, right up there in Rolex Datejust territory in terms of WR. Eterna chose exceptionally robust ETA movements to power these watches, essentially the same calibers as found in Tudor’s Subs and dress models of this era but again with Eterna’s own modified rotor assembly.
So what they wound up producing with the KonTiki 20 is a handsome steel watch with sporty but classic looks, a semi-quicket date function, decent size at 36-37mm, excellent timekeeping performance and superior day-to-day water resistance. And how much will all that cost you today? Considerably less than a thousand dollars. In fact, almost always well under $800. While you might pay a premium for a blue, black or more exotic dials with red chapter ring or one with its original bracelet, generally speaking an Eterna-Matic KonTiki 20 in good shape should only set you back between $400 and $600 give or take. And with their nicely proportioned, all-steel sweeping-lug cases, stout and accurate movements and pleasing dial layouts that is some serious bang for the buck.
So again we see that a vintage watch doesn’t have to break the bank to give you happiness. Just as there are different levels of automobiles for different strata of buyers, not everyone can own a Ferrari right out of the gate. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the simple pleasures that a VW Bug can give. Likewise, there’s no point in envying someone else’s high priced vintage watch if you can’t swing it. Just spend a couple of hundred bucks on something like a KonTiki 20 and enjoy it for what it is — a well made, imminently wearable timepiece with that certain retro feeling a modern watch just can’t inspire. The joy of vintage watches is that there’s something for everyone at any level of the game if you just do a little research into what is and is not worth spending your money on. Along with classic entry-level Omegas, Longines and Tudors, Eterna Matic KonTiki 20s make an excellent purchase for the beginning or budget-minded collector. And once you strap on a quality vintage watch you’ll feel like you’ve spent your money well no matter how much — or how little — you paid for it.
For November, something stylish and oh-so-cool this way comes and just in time to dress up your holidays — an exceptional circa 1960s Longines with stunning silver sunburst dial in Near Mint original condition. With the stylized, elongated 12 & 6 Arabic numerals this hand-winding classic definitely has a real Mad Men feel on the wrist. And ticking away inside the American made all steel, front-loading Star Watch Case is Longines’ own caliber 285, the last of their legendary in house manual movements.
This beautiful dress watch with semi-quickset date is so sharp that it appears it’s barely been worn in its 50 years of existence. But as I’ve just had it fully serviced, that’s ready to be rectified by the lucky new owner. Not to mention that all this vintage style comes at a very attractive price. So what are you waiting for? Get your classy on, man!
As time passes, it becomes clearer that Peter Gabriel was a victim of his own massive success. After being a cult figure as leader of the pre-Phil Collins/pre-Top 40 Genesis, immediately after leaving the group he produced some of the more intriguing and idiosyncratic music of the late 1970s and early 1980s. His uniquely theatrical, art house style seemed to find its climax in the catchy but weird “Shock the Monkey” and its improbably popular video coming right at the dawn of the MTV revolution circa 1982. Surprisingly, though, Gabriel had something even bigger up his sleeves. Just a few years later, in 1986, he unleashed the bona fide mainstream smash hit album So, which featured a plethora of hit singles & videos, including the omnipresent all-time number one most-played MTV video, “Sledgehammer”. Produced by then-U2 helmsman du jour Daniel Lanois, it’s no hyperbole to say that So became a touchstone for a generation. Its pop culture impact was confirmed when a young John Cusack used the hyper-romantic “In Your Eyes” to woo Ione Skye via boombox in the archetypal 80s teen coming of age story, Say Anything. To the uninitiated it seemed an improbable success. But the cleverness of Gabriel was that he was perfectly attuned to the demands of MTV, having been an often-flamboyant performance art innovator for years with a penchant for the dramatic and offbeat that perfectly suited the new visual taste-setting medium. The fact that he was well ahead of the musical curve in terms of both digital production and the use of “world music” influences — see the incredible vocal solo by Senegalese singer Yousou N’dour on the aforementioned heart-melting “in Your Eyes”, for example — also seemed perfectly aligned to the prevailing zeitgeist in which David Byrne and Paul Simon were incorporating African and South American vibes into their standout 80s work, as well.
But all that radio/video play and overwhelming success led to burnout on Gabriel, as the once outside artist became a mainstream pop superstar. To be honest, I listened to so much Peter Gabriel back in the day that I took about fifteen years off from his music. But I’ve been coming back to it lately and damn if it doesn’t hold up well. And not only in that “old friend you haven’t seen in a long time” way either. No, it’s of its time for sure but definitely among the best of that time. So here are three pre-So tunes — since everyone’s heard every cut off that album so damn much — that I think are worth revisiting.
“Solsbury Hill” from Peter Gabriel I [Car] (1977):
All about Gabriel’s trepidation and hopes after splitting from Genesis, 1977’s “Solsbury Hill” from his debut solo album would have been his one-hit wonder… if he hadn’t gone on to have so many other big hits. The spiritual and optimistic tone of the lyrics highlight PG’s very good, slightly raspy Rock voice and the sterling musicianship in the service of the appealingly folksy-but-not-cloying song construction serve notice that this is a mega-capable songwriter. At the time it could have gone either way. But in retrospect the lovely, ultra-catchy “Solsbury Hill” was not a one-time flash but Gabriel’s opening salvo, laying down a marker that he was an artist to be reckoned with.
“Family Snapshot” from Peter Gabriel III [Melt] (1982):
After 1978’s perhaps overly arty and abstracted Peter Gabriel II [Scratch] failed to build upon the success of “Solsbury”, Gabriel really found something extra for his third studio effort in 1980. Nicknamed “Melt” for the disturbing Hipgnosis cover art, Peter Gabriel III is strong from beginning to end and features standout tracks with troubling psychological overtones like “Intruder”, “I Don’t Remember”, “No Self Control” and “Not One of Us”. Prefiguring Gabriel’s increasing human rights activism, an amazingly beautiful political anthem to slain South African civil rights leader Stephen Biko closes the album. “Games Without Frontiers” was the de facto hit, although in more of a cult fashion than a chart-topper. And perhaps its rather heavy handed metaphor about nations acting as children has not aged as well as the rest despite its undeniable angular catchiness. So for me the exceptionally creepy “Family Snapshot”, which not implausibly imagines a Lee Harvey Oswald-like character motivated by his loveless childhood, is the standout track. Continue reading →
This beauty by the great Chris Cornell popped up on my workout mix the other day at the gym and it’s been bouncing around my brain since then like it was brand new again.
Of course it’s not new… but it is still true. “Arms Around Your Love” comes off of the former Soundgarden front man’s 2007 solo effort, Carry On, which also featured his bruising Bond theme for Casino Royale, “You Know My Name”. It falls into that relatively rare subgenere of power ballad: the romantic advice song. It’s bloody good, though, and the hard-earned wisdom shines through every soaring note of Cornell’s preternaturally powerful voice. Play it once and you’re guaranteed to play it again. And also best to heed the man’s advice and tell your lady how much you think of her while you’re the one lucky enough to be holding her. You would’t want some other guy getting that honor, now would you?
