Instagram and iconic imagery, quite a chicken and egg situation. Do we stage our photos in a certain way to mimic those images that have burrowed a special part in our hippocampus, or is it that we are drawn to images which we then think of as iconic depending on our tastes?
Bit of a random thought for 2 am as I lay awake thinking of our latest half-watch harvest. The image in question was from the @theticktockcollector. It was the usual brilliance from him, a pocket, cuff, and half-watch shot all in one made to look effortless but at a glance, you can see work has gone into the lighting and exposure.
His vintage Submariner is flanked either side by the cuff and pocket of a grey bomber jacket accenting the colours of the case and bezel perfectly. The image resonates, invoking thoughts of another bomber jacket/watch combo, that wore by Ryan Gosling in the epic movie Drive.
Anyone who saw the film can recall the iconic off-white jacket, but only the watch geeks amongst us can remember the watch, a Patek. I’d love to tell you the reference of the watch, but I can’t, nor can I tell you what it costs, sadly it was just a beautiful prop never to be made a production model, shame. I don’t know if I love the ticktock’s image because it reminds me of the iconic image in Drive, or is it the other way around and the post have made me appreciate the movie combo more, either way one pays homage to the other in my mind’s eye.
We see a similar pattern emerge in the latest installment of #HalfwatchTuesday. We see accounts cite other friends as inspiration in an attempt to push their creative juices to the maximum and the results are amazing. Also showcased this week were the expert use of light and reflection, so without further ado here are this week’s top pics.
This beauty from @Lar5erik (who currently has the most liked half-watch post on our Instagram page for his Tudor Submariner image from two weeks ago) received special attention,. Such is the nature of the guy he mentioned the Ticktock in his message. As per usual the shot is perfect, but the use of bubbles adds an extra dimension that elevates it above the norm. The Seiko Tuna has never looked so good. It will become the standard of such pictures.
If Lar5erik’s picture is one of the best of it’s kind, then this stunner from @brunopcandeias is the best picture of a particular watch I have seen, namely the Seiko Mini Turtle. The crisp image with the changing background makes it a winner. The Mini Turtle is still a totally underrated piece but a favourite in my personal collection, it’s hard to believe a watch over 42mm wears so well even on small wrists. Perhaps the fact it’s price hasn’t dropped yet prevents it from receiving the love shown to its SKX cousins.
Next up we welcome @Rustybin5 for his first and well-deserved spot in the top pics. We love the use of light and reflection to help compose a shot, but never have we seen the sapphire of one watch used to show the half dial of another, or another two? Excellent inventiveness from Rusty, check him out if you like Tudor or want to get your mind changed about Steinhart.
Talking of reflections how is this epic shot from @i.razvan to make it two weeks in a row. We loved the level of distortion in the reflection of the Oris 65 diver, keep up the good work.
Is there a better combo than watches and coffee? Well @watchbatpigeat doesn’t think so. Here is his epic shot of… well a watch and coffee obviously. But what a shot it is, full of perspective and depth, love that bit of bokeh and flecto just to set it off. Well done.
Framing a shot can be an art form in itself, careful use of props can make or break that perfect shot, @macrocarag is something of master at it. This week he used a great selection of NATO straps placed with great precision to nail this shot. Time well spent bud.
(editors note : only in reading this article did it note that it was Nato straps, I thought he just had a rather colourful suit collection A.K.A @isaacthejeweller from a previous podcast)
Talking of using props, kudos to @tick_and_sticks for hitting a hole in one with the help of his putter. I can see more sporty half-watch shots coming soon.
Last up for the top pics is @watchexposure with a truly beautiful shot of the Farer Eldridge. We love the deep brown cut with the sharp blues of the seconds and subdial hands, just perfect.
Shout Outs.
First up thanks to @BarkandJack and @emg_watches for their great submissions and continued support, we truly appreciate it and love your posts.
A quick shout out to Mas Watches who submitted another great post and go live on Kickstarter on Friday. Good luck guys.
We welcome the guys at @pageandcooper to the Half-watch Tuesday movement with a truly stunning picture of the new Corsica Blue Autodromo Group B, such a beautiful piece.
Finally, we would like to do a different type of shout out, this time not for huge account, or someone we have followed for ages or even a brand but a single guy who has been quietly bashing out half watch post after post, trying new things and showing improvement with every week, we really appreciated the effort taken in this Christopher Ward c60 trident lume shot. @raz121165 shows us that effort trumps almost everything else. We salute you for your endeavor and willingness to get better shots.
As per always, there is that tinge of sadness we could mention everyone, we do try and acknowledge every post. We really feel part of a wonderful collective of creatives and like-minded watch lovers, the half-watch crew; we have been amazed at the level of imagination on show. Some of our favourite posts will appear daily on the Instagram page, be sure to look at the profile page as well as individual post as we like sandwiching images together. Look forward to seeing you in week 9 whether you are an old friend or new.
Omair & Nic
@jumpingjalapeno
@a_second_after_midnight
