Jon Edwards

I work with watches & love what I do. I use this space to keep track of articles & information I find interesting.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad Two regressions that come to mind are the quality of certain materials (where speed of manufacturing is given priority over the longevity of a component) & new for the sake of new rather than better (typically for marketing or patent purposes).

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad There is some incredible work coming out of the independent scene.

By & large, things are significantly more precise today than they’ve ever been, both in terms of components & chronometry.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@NicoSpijker @raphaelschaad Don’t take it as a wholesale endorsement of either brand. I’ve picked up other items from both over the years that weren’t 100% pima cotton & they pilled/faded/wore out like most modern fast fashion does.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad @NicoSpijker As far as fast fashion in the realm of Zara is concerned, I have two words: pima cotton. (Also called supima cotton.)

Pima cotton tees from the likes of RW&CO & @BananaRepublic wear phenomenally, breathe well, & easily last for a decade plus.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad @NicoSpijker Lots of great denim available from niche retailers in Japan. While few & far between, craftspeople like Andrew Chen still exist to keep your favourite denim functional for well beyond your lifetime (kind of like a ship of Theseus) https://t.co/HgupJ3Gnv1

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@XaverFleer @KunalsLab @raphaelschaad Nope. It comes down to cheap plastics, proprietary parts, and ease of repairability. With the exception of a few luxury corporations, most consumer goods manufacturers today see repairability as a liability to their bottom line.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@abdesignn @raphaelschaad Use of grain structure for performance & reliability is an example. We’re too disconnected from the source material. Ship builders who fell their own wood to ensure the grain arcs with hull are nearly all gone. That’s not to say it’s game over, high-end carpenters do still exist.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad Good to know. While my German was sufficient to enjoy the falafel löffel poem you posted a few years back, a Swiss German doc is beyond my depth.

Thankfully the video is readily downloadable, so it’ll be a good excuse to take a few automated video translation tools for a spin.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad Fascinating. I’ve queued the interview up to take in. Thanks, Raphael.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad Perfect 👌🏼

I’m curious. May I ask where the captured image was from?

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@raphaelschaad @nicoloborghi I don’t frequent Reddit often, so can’t speak to that. Reddit has strong otaku vibes, though, so it wouldn’t surprise me.

While the watch isn’t very well resolved in that image, the hazy profiles of what can be made out bear a solid resemblance to an Oris Divers Sixty-Five.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@edwardog @jasonbrennan Shortcuts just got a bunch of new features with the latest point update, as well. Still limited for many of the things I’d like to be able to throw at it, but making solid strides year over year.

My least favourite part of the 10-100+ hours is the ephemerality of the output 😔

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@simjp @ayanonagon @tapbots Followed ✅

I haven’t done much with mine yet either. Currently at negentropy @ mas dot to

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@simjp @ayanonagon Thanks for recommending mas dot to, Ayaka. The nudge to give that instance a try was my tipping point.

I’m just using the mobile web version for now. Holding out for @tapbots to release Ivory.

I’ve found Ayaka. Where can I find you on the ancient ivory mammal, JP?

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@ei8htohms Haha 😂

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@ei8htohms ChatGPT indisputably has a better grasp on how a mechanical watch works than Dall•E

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@ei8htohms Clearly not enough content out there about escapement heaters or VOH’s Echappemetre.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@ei8htohms Given that, ChatGPT’s use of screws to adjust the pallets makes perfect sense, as many of the more astute explainer videos on YouTube employ the classic Swiss lever escapement model in which the pallets are adjusted with screws.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@ei8htohms In addition to Creative Commons & other web content, I’m fairly certain ChatGPT has been trained on YouTube’s endless abyss of videos, as well the vast array of podcast media out there, using speech-to-text.

[Jon Edwards @UnderTheLoupe]

@ei8htohms Stunning shot 🙌🏼 Almost looks like a painting.