Gear Patrol

Last year HABRING² — a small Austrian independent brand spearheaded by Richard Habring, creator of the Valjoux 7750-based rattrapante complication for IWC — won the Sports Watch of the Year award from the Grand Prix d’ Horlogerie de Genève for its Doppel 2.0. Not content to rest on his laurels, Habring’s upped the ante with the Doppel 3 (~$8,800), a limited-production gem.

Despite being from Seattle, land of Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, Tully and more than a handful of artisanal brewers, I didn’t come by my coffee habit honestly. The bitter drink didn’t cross my lips during college, despite the frequent all-night cram sessions wrought of a sporadic (home) work ethic. Coffee would have certainly improved the 12-mile bike commute in the cold Seattle drizzle at 0525, timed to maximize sleep, yet arrive before NROTC drill practice.

Officer Candidate School (OCS) introduced me to new depths of sleep deprivation — short sleep periods combined with intense physical activity turned us into zombies shuffling along. Military formations became an exercise in intense concentration, especially after I fell asleep standing up, only catching myself, and the platoon sergeant’s unfavorable attention, short of smashing my face into the parade deck. It never occurred to me to get a cup of Joe at the mess hall; the Bunn was situated directly in front of the area where the staff sat, a place to be avoided for danger of unwanted haranguing from the collective hyenas bent on finding your smallest flaw.

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With the folks and Park & Bond celebrating a year under their (bridle leather) belt, we decided to spend an afternoon perusing their latest wares for another Shopped roundup. Over the past year, the e-tailer has put together an impressive collection of brands and an equally impressive inventory of stylish features and interviews, published under…

First came paper with lines and grids. Now Doane Paper has doled out a new trio of hand-crafted leather goods for you traditional scribes. Shrouded in genuine Horween Chromexcel leather, DP Leather Works come in three offerings: 4 Barrel Pen Holster, Flap Jotter Cover, or Notebook Cover. All less than $70. Each are crafted in…

Pack the summer itinerary with projects from Handy Dad ($17) and you’ll quickly rise the “world’s coolest dad” rankings. With projects ranging from skate ramps to zip lines, Davis an extreme sports athlete and host of HGTV’s Over Your Head, covers 25 awesome projects that take anywhere from a few minutes to an entire weekend…

Just because winter is upon us, doesn’t mean we are abandoning our desire to produce perfectly smoked barbeque. Next time you are standing outside, hands numb and freezing, attempting to feed wood chips or pellets into your favorite smoker, consider an alternate option: The Smoking Gun ($99) smoker. This petite 2 pound package uses an…

Urban Daddy brand manager and Kempt writer Randy Goldberg alerted us to this great looking fall basic. Available in heathered brown and black colorways, the Life After Denim’s Military Blazer ($138) is surprisingly affordable given its distinct styling. The additional buttons also make it slightly more capable of keeping you warm as the season progresses…