Wrong, compromised and lonely
A Prodigal Week № 4
It’s Friday. It’s six o’clock. It’s time to down tools, pour yourself a drink and look back at what A Prodigal Week it has been. Here’s your bite-sized helping of news and views.
WATCHES
It’s wrong but it feels so right
I’ve never liked quartz and I’ve never liked Grand Seiko. So, what I’ve chosen as the watch news of the week may come as some surprise to you. But here it is. The new Anniversary Grand Seiko Quartz GMT, a commemorative piece celebrating Grand Seiko's 140-year history.
Flying in the face of trendy watch nerds everywhere, Grand Seiko has never appealed to me. Yes, I’ve heard everyone rave about the quality and the workmanship. But that couldn’t change the fact that the watches just always look cheap to me. Somehow though this Quartz GMT works. I love the finish and colour of the dial, I love the crown at 4 o’clock and I love the way the 24-hour bezel sits on the esoteric case. And, deep down in places I won’t talk about at parties, I like knowing that quartz is the best way to create the most accurate watch movement. It’s a tool designed to do the job better than anything else.
Before we move on, and continuing the theme of ‘plot twists you couldn't have seen coming’, now I’m going to go properly high brow on you and recommend this week’s episode of In Our Time, the BBC’s historical discussion programme. Called Longitude, much of it is about how John Harrison invented the marine chronometer - mostly by being ignorant enough to think he could. Sounds a lot like the team here at Prodigal Towers.
CARS
The middle of the road
In an upcoming episode of Prodigal Persiflage, Eric and I debate our wildly different approaches to buying cars. He prioritises the driving experience above all else. I like some home comforts and practicality thrown in with my impressive 0-60 times. This week, Alpine - Renault’s soon to be high-performance electrified sub-brand - may have settled our argument with the limited edition of its A110, the Legende GT.
Along with the driver-focused, light-weight agility we’ve come to expect from this awesome little thing, the Legende GT edition also comes with a smart saddle brown interior, a high-spec stereo and a soft-touch suede roof lining, contrasted with gloss carbon trim elements. Compromise never looked so good.
I can’t move on to gadgets without first drawing your attention to Autocar’s glorious video review of the Audi RS e-Tron GT. Rory Reid is one of the best automotive journalists on YouTube, the e-Tron is the sexiest EV on sale today, but the real star here is the cinematography. Enjoy:
GADGETS
Music to a loner’s ears
Described by Naim as "the ultimate music source for headphones," the Uniti Atom Headphone Edition is a "just add speakers" music streamer especially for listeners who like to shut themselves off from the world and focus on the music.
If you’re a bit antisocial like me, that should be music to your ears.
In case you missed it…
⌚️ Why I buy watches, what stuck, what didn’t, and why. If you’ve never been interviewed about your watch choices, in terms of introspection, it’s not disimilar to visiting a psychiatrist - or, if Eric Drosin is doing the interviewing, a proctologist.
Have a listen >
✈️ My obsession with IWC Pilot’s watches is laid bare in the first of a new series, The Wish List, in which we explore the dozen or so pieces I’m clamouring to add to my watch box.
Discover the list >
⌚️ Vintage Rolex collecting can be a dangerous, murky way of life. I asked Eric Drosin to share his story. It’s a riveting tale of bravery, treachery and a perfectly-coiffed rascal of a watch dealer.
Have a listen >
Welcome to the weekend, folks.
Having owned and sold within 4 months a GS SBGN 03 (“explorer” style), I can only say this trendy watch nerd could not bond or love it. Loved the looks, admired the accuracy but ultimately replaced with a Tudor BB GMT which despite its limitations is far more likeable. I could not get over the quartz and people assuming it was a Seiko. Shallow I know