For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by mechanical watches. I grew up in a time before smartphones and smartwatches, when watches generally fell into two categories: digital and mechanical. I followed in my father’s footsteps and was instantly drawn to mechanical watches.

I loved the idea of having something on your wrist that required nothing more than being worn to function. It would simply work. While I admired mechanical watches, I never fully understood how they worked. That changed when I stumbled across this fantastic page by Bartosz Ciechanowski.

Bartosz goes into incredible detail, explaining what each component inside a watch does and how it interacts with the others. He does not rely on words alone. The explanations are supported by stunning, colour coded 3D visuals that make the mechanics come alive.

While I am on the subject of mechanical watches, I also recently discovered a brilliant YouTube channel called Wristwatch Revival. The host, Marshall, restores watches in his free time, and his videos are a joy to watch. One standout was his restoration of the Rolex Deepsea, which had been damaged in the fires in LA.

Another favourite of mine is this video featuring a Rolex GMT from 1958.