“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear.

The Sigma BF: Minimalism Meets Photography

This week Sigma announced a brand new camera, the BF, which is “stripped to the essence but packed with power” according to Sigma. In an age where every generation of cameras has more than the last, the BF stripped away everything they deemed unnecessary. Looking at the BF, you won’t find a normal grip, a hot shoe, or even an SD card slot, as the BF comes with 230GB of internal storage. The BF does feature a singular USB-C port, through which you can download your images and charge the camera, if you wish. The BF’s L mount allows for compatibility with many lenses, including 9 matching Sigma lenses.

Apple’s Newest iPhone: The 16E

Much like the Sigma BF, Apple’s newest iPhone, the 16E, offers consumers a minimalist and cheaper option among their current offerings. Maybe it’s better described as a “basic” iPhone, the 16E features a single camera, a 60hz display, and a cheaper price point, coming in at $599 for the 128gb model. While creating the 16E and removing certain features, Apple also decided to remove Magsafe, much to the dismay of many. Some fans may enjoy this new, simplistic offering, but  as the Verge puts it, “Eh, it’s alright”.

Lost Gear Saves Duo

In early January, 15 year old Levi Dittman found himself stranded on a cliff, 60 feet in the air while hiking Red Mountain Trail, a 13.5 mile route near Ivins, Utah. While attempting to get to another ledge Levi threw his backpack across, but was unable to reach it before getting rescued after being stuck for 12 hours. Nearly two months later, a father and son duo set out to hike the same trail, before they also became stranded. As the father describes it, they were woefully underprepared, until they found a backpack, the very same one that Levi left when he was rescued. While they might have survived without this pack, it certainly helped to keep them alive and comfortable while they waited for rescue. Thankfully, both of these stories have a happy ending, but it’s a stark reminder to always communicate where you’re going, when you expect to be back, and prepare for the worst.

MoonSwatch 1965: Celebrating 60 Years of History

In the 1960’s, Nasa began testing for its upcoming manned space missions. This testing, completed on March 1st, 1965, eliminated all but one watch, the Omega Speedmaster. Now, for the 60th anniversary of being declared “Flight Qualified for Manned Missions”, a new MoonSwatch variant has been announced. Debuting on March 1st, the Moonswatch 1965 edition aims to celebrate the legacy forged by the Speedmaster, while also being affordable for a wide audience. This new model features a white dial, grey bio-ceramic case, a grey velcro strap, and subtle nods to 1965 and the 60th anniversary inside the sub dials.

Parker Posey, Profiled in the New York Times

If you happen to be an elder millennial or squarely somewhere in the middle of Gen-X, you may have opened whatever social media apps you’re clinging too sometime in the last few weeks and wondered aloud, “Did I time travel to 1996?” What else could explain the 1990s indie movie icon Parker Posey appearing at the center of popular culture? Well, for one, she’s part of this season’s ensemble of “The White Lotus,” the Mike White run anthology series now in its third season. It’s appointment television for many, and is exposing Posey to a younger generation that may have missed her the first time around. In this New York Times profile, Amanda Hess spends a considerable amount of time with Posey and discusses, among other things, her early years making indie films, the Parker Posey “character” that she developed in those early roles, and how her career has shifted in a changing filmmaking landscape. 

RIP, Skype

Skype, Microsoft’s virtual telecom platform, has been around for literal decades. It’s rightly seen as a pioneer, it walked so Zoom, and FaceTime, and of course Teams, could run. Now, according to ArsTechnica, it appears Microsoft is officially closing its doors. All the details on how Skype users will be migrated over to Teams (it’s logical and inevitable replacement) are in the linked AT article. It should be a smooth transition for most – this isn’t exactly shocking news. Still, it feels like a kind of monumental moment in tech when you consider just how many have used Skype over such a long period.