Author Archives: tomvox1

What we’re listening to — These Days by The Black Keys

This isn’t the first Black Keys song I’ve posted and it won’t be the last. “These Days” off of 2010’s Brothers is one of their most haunting and downbeat numbers. Maybe that’s why it sticks with you. Triggered by the forlorn lyrics and beautifully morose arrangement, it evokes an instinctual sense of the one-way nature of time and that no, you really can’t go home again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3umSFd1QYGA

Suffused with longing and nostalgia for bygone days, as well as a rumination on human frailty (“Watch what you say/The Devil is listening/He’s got ears you wouldn’t believe/And brother once you go to him/It’s your soul you can never retrieve”), “These Days” is more like “Wheels On Fire”-era Dylan in its majestic, chill-inducing sense of foreboding than the Keys usual down and dirty rave-ups. But that’s what makes them one of today’s best bands — just when you think you’ve got them figured out Auerbach and Carney hit you in the gut with something so heartfelt and melancholy that it reminds you that there are many facets to the Blues and that the Black Keys, with their sweeping ambition and technical command, are among its greatest modern practitioners.

What we’re wearing — sneakers & shoes by Camper

The hardest trick to pull off in men’s footwear is to find the perfect balance between style and comfort. But when you wear Camper you can have your cake and eat it too. Not your run of the mill sneakers and shoes, Camper kicks are good looking enough to put a little zing in your outfit whether you’re wearing a suit and tie or chinos and a T-shirt. And for me, a guy who pounds the hard pavement of New York City on a daily basis, the comfort level is off the charts. Plenty of width, lots of flexibility for adjustments and heavily cushioned springy soles have made Camper my daily drivers more often than not.

Camper Motel

With a multitude of super cool styles to fit every taste or mood and quality construction built to last, collecting Camper kicks can become an obsession. And with true fit across all the models despite their European origins, when you order a size 11 you’ll always be getting a size 11.

Camper Camaleon

Not cheap but fairly priced for the use you’ll get out of them, Amazon or Camper’s own proprietary website are excellent places to purchase them if you can’t find them at your local shoe store. An excellent browsing experience, visiting Camper.com is a bit like being a kid in a candy store. Best of all, there are frequent sales and orders are fulfilled and shipped quickly so you won’t have to wait long to strut your stuff. For eye-catching style, comfort and durability Camper’s got you covered. What more could you want in a shoe?

Notable passings: RIP Marcello Pisani, 1956-2015

The Vintage Rolex world has lost a titan — the great Marcello Pisani has passed away. The legendary Italian collector and veritable encyclopedia of arcane Rolex knowledge made his mark with his unparalleled research into special issue watches such as COMEX and British Military-issued Submariners. His willingness to share what he’d learned with his fellow collectors great and small really set him apart and made him the go-to guy for technical and historic questions, as well as pinpointing those all-important identifiers of authenticity.

I first encountered Marcello about a decade ago as I began my obsession with Vintage Rolex. Through private emails and public interactions on the vital Vintage Rolex Forum I can honestly say that I learned more from Marci than from any other source. More importantly perhaps, I learned what questions should be asked and how to go about researching the puzzles that presented themselves, many of which have now been solved thanks in no small part to M. Pisani. To say he was a mentor to me is a great understatement and yet it’s absolutely a fact that I was but one star in a veritable constellation of questing collectors helped by Marci. So you can multiply his edifying influence on me a thousandfold to get a rough idea as to how many lives he influenced and how much knowledge he shared.

It’s true that in recent years we fell out somewhat, mainly due to our disagreements over the meaning of the appearance of the Underline on Rolex dials circa 1963. Continue reading →

What we’re listening to — Tree By The River by Iron & Wine

Iron & Wine is such good band with so many fine songs that they definitely deserve a good, comprehensive post when time permits. In the meantime, here’s one of my favorite tracks of theirs, “Tree By The River” off of 2011’s Kiss Each Other Clean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcZ0kAEbxsU

Kiss Each Other Clean featured a much more heavily produced sound than the stripped down acoustic vibe of their previous albums. I really liked that more pop-y feel and “Tree By The River” has all sorts of 70s singer-songwriter influences and hooks while being saved from being maudlin or trite by the penetrating honesty of the lyrics.

But for those purists who insist that their I&W be consistently bare bones here’s a take with bearded mastermind Samuel Beam solo on guitar that could have come off of any of the early 2000s albums.

A bittersweet beauty anyway you play it. And best of all the entire album is a free stream with an Amazon Prime membership. Life is good.

More I&W to come…

What we’re drinking this Spring/Summer — Davidson Brothers IPA

For the warmer months, we’re stocking the fridge with Davidson Brothers IPA. Brewed in Glens Falls, New York north of Saratoga Springs, this IPA drinks more like a straight up Pale Ale, with an emphasis on citrus notes rather than skunky hops. That makes it perfect for a hot day where you want refreshment and not heaviness on the palate. With a 5.9% ABV it’s certainly not a light beer by any means but it also won’t leave you with a hops hangover the next morning. Goes down smooth and refreshing with a full but not cloying flavor and a clean finish, Davidson Brothers IPA is a winner in warmer weather and it’s good to see another local New York State brewery turning out such outstanding, hand-crafted beer.

Davidson Brothers Brewing Company is located at 184 Glen Street in lovely Glens Falls, NY right near the winding Hudson River. Take a tour, have a tasting of not just the IPA but also an Irish Red, a Brown and a Scotch Ale, as well as some specialty brews, and enjoy some fine food & music while you’re sipping. Not a bad way to while away a Saturday if you’re up that way. Not bad at all.

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — May selection, Pt. IV

Just when I though I couldn’t sneak one more watch into the month of May I get something that demands to be seen immediately. And for a change of pace it’s not another big ol’ sport diver either. Instead, it’s a classic Rolex Air-King with a special twist — a very rare “Winn-Dixie 10 Yrs Safe Driver” double name dial. This presentation watch from the great American supermarket chain dates to the early 1980s and the handsome Winn-Dixie logoed silver sunburst dial makes it a great addition to any co-branded Rolex collection and about as cool as an Air-King gets.

Whether you’re looking for something a bit more than a run of the mill AK or a way to get into double name Rolex dials at the entry level, this Winn-Dixie Air King has got the funk and the flair on the wrist to turn heads and start a conversation. And isn’t that a big part of what we want in a watch, really?

Check out the full ad including complete description and many more pictures plus a special price over at Vintage Rolex Forum’s Market section. SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — May selection, Pt. III

Closing out the merry month of May with another classic diver, this one a 1970s Scubapro 500. Sold by the legendary diving equipment manufacturer, the Scubapro 500 has become an icon to vintage dive watch enthusiasts. And this is a very fine and honest one-owner example with desirable automatic movement, lovely Mint original dial, unpolished case and original matte black elapsed-time insert with Tritium triangle secured in the big, chunky unidirectional ratcheting bezel.

Overall, this classic diver shows use but is in Very Good to Excellent vintage condition with just the right amount of tool watch WABI. And its robust ETA 2784 automatic movement with quickset date has just been completely overhauled, giving you peace of mind and years’ more faithful service.

An unmistakably masculine look with plenty of wrist presence and tremendous build quality, the Scubapro 500 makes a rugged and stylish companion for all of life’s adventures. In fact it’s such a cool watch that I’m sorely tempted to keep it for myself — so grab this great vintage diver before I change my mind.

~~Check out the full ad with many more high-res pics and complete description over at Timezone.com’s Sales Corner.~~ SOLD

What we’re listening to — Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell by The Flaming Lips

This little beauty from The Flaming Lips keeps popping up on shuffle so I figure that’s a sure sign I should be sharing it. From 2002’s slightly incoherent but often brilliant not-quite-sort-of concept album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” is one of the loveliest songs in the Lips’ impressive canon.

A companion piece in regret to the album’s angular opening track “Fight Test”, “Ego Tripping” has a bouncy, wet bass line pushed way up front in the mix, a typically quixotic Lipsian choice for a ballad about lost romantic opportunity. But when Wayne Coyne’s high, vulnerable vocal kicks in it definitively evokes that hollow, melancholy feeling familiar to anyone who’s ever hesitated when they should have made a move. “I was waiting on a moment/But that moment never came… I was wanting you to love me/But your love it never came.” Yeah, I think we’ve all been there before.

Coming directly after the amazing artistic breakthrough of 1999’s The Soft Bulletin, a verifiable masterpiece of beautifully orchestrated neo-psychedelia, Yoshimi may not be quite as consistently great an album as Bulletin. But a gem like “Ego Tripping” still shows The Flaming Lips at the peak of their powers. Best of all it’s one of those albums available for free streaming with an Amazon Prime membership, so there’s no excuse for letting the moment pass you by.

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — May selection, Pt. II

The hits keep on coming in May with this stone classic Rolex reference 5513 Submariner. With an “L” serial prefix, this watch represents the last of the line for plastic crystal Subs and the end of the road for the legendary 5513 reference. Dating from circa 1988 this beauty features a stunning gloss finish/white gold surround dial with only the handsome biscuity patina to the original Tritium luminous plots giving away its age.

With important period correct details like a valuable original 93150 bracelet with correct 580 end pieces and original bezel insert with Tritium pearl intact, this Submariner is a great way to get into the world of Vintage Rolex. And as the 5513 reference gets bumped back another iteration on the family tree by the new Ceramic Subs, this outstanding last series example is no doubt destined to become even more collectible, which seems to happen to all the historical Rolex models as time passes. Putting the cherry on top of the sundae, this classic plastic no-date Sub has just been fully overhauled by my watchmaker for years more of faithful service. Strap it on and see how good it feels to go through your life with a Vintage Rolex on your wrist!

You can view the full ad for this sexy Sub over at Vintage Rolex Forum’s Market section — check out the full description, many more pictures plus a special discount for buyers over there. SOLD

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — May selection, Pt. I

What better way to kick off May than with a special selection of cool vintage watches! First up, as I mentioned briefly in my previous post on affordable vintage Divers, the highly regarded Swiss brand Fortis was one of the many manufacturers to utilize the iconic big size twin crown Super Compressor case in the 1960s & 70s. And with their classic Marinemaster they did it in a most innovative way: they added an actual dive table printed on the dial in highly legible red and white to be used in conjunction with the inner rotating bezel. With this ingenious calibration a diver could now calculate his safe intervals for surfacing and resting based on how long and how far down he had gone right there on his wrist!

Now, you can find reissue Marinemasters made from NOS parts with Luminova dials and hands all day long. But finding the genuine vintage article from the 1970s with Tritium luminous in unpolished condition and correct crosshatch crowns? Well, that’s something else again. Best of all, this Fortis Marinemaster has just been fully serviced and is ready for years more of enjoyment for its new owner. No, it doesn’t quite fall into the “bargain” diver category. But it’s really not that expensive relative to how hard it is to find an all-original Marinemaster. Some things in life are so cool they’re definitely worth stretching a little for.

Man's Fine Life

The Return of the Well-Rounded Gentleman