Hairspring

Hairspring's founder Erik Gustafson and enthusiast Max Braun bring you a meandering weekly-ish roundtable on watches and many other things.

Last refreshed: July 3rd, 2025 at 4:56 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Episode 7: GPH-Cheich

From stylish Italian men to Piaget and Cartier, Erik and Max warm up this week discussing the quite recent rise in jewelry watches, what is fueling the fire, and where it might be going. This leads to the second topic, which might surprise some our listeners: we each choose five modern (yes, modern!) watches from the last five years that deserve five stars. That’s right, if you’re sick of us espousing the many virtues of vintage, this is your episode. We’re talking the best of mainstream, modern...

Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 7

Episode 6: Manufactured 2024 (On Black Alligator)

Erik and Max attempt to give some genuine advice for once on how to avoid heartbreak in watch buying, excluding condition for this discussion. Broader philosophy, blind purchases, auction houses, straps, and birth year watches all make an appearance here. Then, with no attempt at a cohesive segue whatsoever, a discussion aimed to broaden horizons for everyone covering 10-ish inexpensive watches that hit like heavyweights (inspired by Target’s retail strategy, no less). Finally, an Only Wrist for...

Feb 07, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 6

Episode 5: James Bond’s Blancpain

This week Erik & Max are rewriting watch movie history, it’s literal story time. We’re covering John Wick, Le Mans, Wolf of Wallstreet, The Dark Knight, James Bond, and the watches their protagonists should’ve worn. That’s right: no Seamaster for Bond and no Heuer for McQueen, it’s a ground-up watch film history rewrite. Which all leads us to a discussion around watches in real life, and the stories you maybe haven’t heard but should. The takeaways? Mercedes Gleitze is a badass, everything a...

Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 5

Episode 4: Date-O-Nah?

Erik & Max get straight to the important topics this week: feedback from Max’s mom. From there, discussion swings wildly from the virtues of gatherings to asking, ‘can there ever be an objective rating system for watch condition?’, including stops at Lange Breguet overcoils, the Patek 2597, Lapis, Daniel Roth, and the main event: watches we should love, but just can’t seem to. From this, two very important conclusions. 1. We accept only proportional pushers in our lives and 2. If you don’t o...

Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 4

Episode 3: Reference Punts

Erik & Max are coming in hot this week, discussing our top 3 watches which have most fallen from grace in their contemporary iterations as opposed to the original vintage flavor, a discussion which holds no punches. No institution is safe, with assaults on every house from Rolex to Patek, AP, and everything in between. We cool down in the form of a chat around the differences between US and European watch culture, and why we spent the early part of this century catching up. Finally, our firs...

Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 3

Episode 2: Base 1000

Erik & Max are back for a second go, audio fixed, and covering such pressing topics as the greatest chronograph pusher of all time, early Lange, and why the 1463 isn't actually perfect. Or, perhaps more pertinently, is it possible for a large watch publication to be both successful and truly independent? Through rambling conversation and terrible metaphor, we attempt to answer both. Plus, a truly self-loathing reappearance of Only Wrist by popular demand. Mentioned Links: https://langepedia....

Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 2

Episode 1: Prototype

Are prototypes worth considering? Is Universal Genève the next 44mm Breitling for Bentley? What should you wear if you're a middle-aged insurance broker? And just WTF is going on with the market right now? Erik & Max explain as they attempt to make a podcast, if anyone is interested. This is our pre-production podcast, where the dial fits a little strange, quality is questionable, and some of the text is a bit off. Links mentioned: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/whats-the-deal-with-albino...

Dec 29, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 1

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