Each week, our staff gathers their favorite finds from around the internet and recommend them to you right here. These are not articles about watches, but rather outstanding examples of journalism and storytelling, covering topics from fashion and art to technology and travel. So go ahead, pour yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up, and settle in.
"A Collector's Rare Treasures Set Records at Sotheby's" - The New York Times
Certain items in the collector world are legendary, either by scarcity, unique provenance, or some combination of both. The "Plate Block of 4 Inverted Jenny's,?the ?933 US Gold Double Eagle,?and the "British Guiana One-Cent Magenta?are not just rare; they are the rarest. This past week, Sotheby's auctioned all three in a single sale.As both an amateur numismatist and philatelist, I literally fell out of my chair when I first read that this small selection of three items would be offered in a single auction. Even more shocking was that all three items heralded from the collection of one person: Stuart Weitzman, famed founder of the eponymous footwear empire.It's unbelievable and borderline comical to even consider that these holy grails sat in the collection of one person. Outside of say, a major museum it would seem nearly impossible. That said, I do hope these special pieces eventually find their way to major institutions for public display. Future generations should be afforded the opportunity to view them in person with the same awe that I had when I first read about them as a child.
-Myles Kusaba, Category Manager ?Luxury Watches
"Ticket To Ride: Stephen Goldblatt" ?American Cinematographer
In the movie industry, the people behind the camera have fascinating stories to tell. Take Stephen Goldblatt, for example. You've likely never heard of him (I sure hadn't) but he's responsible for the cinematography on such films as Lethal Weapon, The Pelican Brief, and The Help. He even shot the two worst Batman movies (this isn't a debate) in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. So I was amazed to find this piece in American Cinematographer, detailing Goldblatt's life before movies. This article looks at the unlikely circumstance which found Goldblatt ?then a young photographer ?shooting promotional photos for The Beatles' The Beatles (aka the White Album) in 1968 London. Check this out for the killer photos, but stay for the story.
-Danny Milton, Editor
"On Sneakers" ?The Paris Review
I don't know a writer out there who is better at welcoming a reader into the arms of a story than Hanif Abdurraqib. This essay, in particular, is about sneakers and basketball, two things that I am only mildly interested in but by the second graf, I was in that reading vortex that you get into when a piece is really engaging. He teases out emotions, moving from basketball to grief, the Seattle Supersonics to funerals. In a year that has seen a ton of renewed MJ discourse, Hanif offers something new.
-Nora Taylor, Deputy Editor
Bo Burnham: Inside ?Netflix
Following a five-year hiatus from performing live, Bo Burnham has released a new special, Inside, which he wrote/shot/edited from home over the past year. If you've never seen his comedy, it is quite hard to describe. Fascinating layers of wordplay, both silly and sardonic, meticulously choreographed and generally accompanied by a disarming piano ditty.
As NPR's review put it: "Burnham has made the first piece of pandemic culture that I would show to someone in 20 years and say, 'I'm not a comedian and I can't write songs, but the inside of my head was like this guy sitting at a keyboard in his underpants trying desperately not to lose it.'" With hopefully brighter days ahead, take an evening and listen to Bo's brain. You might find something that resonates.
-Brad Slavin, Advertising Manager
"The Leg At The Bottom Of The Sea" - Outside Online
Few things capture my imagination like finding misplaced and possibly valuable objects while scuba diving, you know, treasure hunting. In this wonderful narrative from David Kushner for Outside, we get a chance to experience that rush, but not within the guise of finding sunken treasure. Rather, this is the story of two Florida divers finding a lost prosthetic leg while diving in the waters off of Panama City Beach. Serving as an introduction to the high-stakes world of salvage diving along Florida's Treasure Coast, follow along as a father and son duo come across a lost prosthetic and endeavor to find the original owner, who, as it turns out, has an amazing story all his own.
-James Stacey, Senior Writer
*Lead photo via Outside Online (linked article). All images via linked sources.
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