u/MrDagon007

(Posted this previously in r/lowendgaming)

For context, my main computer is a Mac, I have only a few games on it. Last year around Black Friday I bought an N150 based mini pc on amazon for only $157 (16gb RAM, 256 gb ssd but they sent me the 512gb one 😅 ), now a lot more expensive with the memory pricing crisis. Anyway that purchase was because it was sometimes handy for me to have a pc, and also for the kids.

So I have also been adding games to it, mostly during GOG or Steam sales. And I found that it is a pretty ok machine for my interests: catching up on a few classics, plus it tends to run several creative indie games, adventures and many strategy games well. some 3d games require turning the visual settings down. Sure, not the latest games, but lots of timeless fun.

Screenshots of what is currently installed:

https://postimg.cc/gallery/SM7GtBt

Just back from the SF action thriller Hope by Na Hong-Jin, the talented Korean director who previously brought us brilliant films like The Wailing, etc.
This one is an SF blockbuster (apparently the most expensive Korean film so far), and what a ride it was. It begins with a police agent checking out a mauled dead cow, with incomprehensibly big slash marks on its carcass. That’s all you need to know, and I recommend to skip the trailer as it shows too much.
The first hour is truly a masterclass in suspense and action film making, on the level of the recent Mad Max films, really that good. And so tantalising- it takes like 45 minutes before the cop (and we!) can actually see what causes all the mayhem.
There are funny moments as well, plenty of profanities, and towards the end the action picks up again towards an unforgettable finale.
All actors are great - the scared yet brave cop is believable, and he is over classed by the bad-ass female officer. Michael Fassbender and his real life wife Alicia Vikander also have a role, and it is funny how they are used. No spoilers.
I read some complaints that the special effects are not on the level of current Hollywood blockbusters. Frankly, I didn’t mind that much since the direction is so strong that you are sucked into the rollercoaster ride.
Finally, this is clearly the first part of the story. Some people may not be happy with the non-conclusive ending.
Must watch in the cinema.

Saw this at the Hong Kong watch show. Found it quite fun. A modernist, compact, solar field watch with a gimmicky but fun crown protector. Titanium, it was featherlight.

I have this Citizen since a while and find it really cool.
I remember that I had tedious issues getting the time right in my hometown. It will not sync to the japanese radioclock here. Anyway it is now perfect for local wear.
Now I am thinking of wearing it or maybe a unimatic gmt, also titanium on a holiday trip.
My problem, i had understood that I only need to pull the crown out one click and then turn to move the hour hand in steps of one hour forward or backward. But it doesn’t work. What happens instead is that the date changes.
I don’t know what to do. Does anyone have insight?

2 Chinese watch brands that did a kickstarter a few months back for 38mm dressy watches with an original design, both now delivered. I find them really quite lovely and nicely made for their affordable price point. What says you?

This just arrived, from Chinese brand Baltany’s first Kickstarter campaign. It is the 4128 Mother‑of‑Pearl Guilloché Edition, a dressy watch with a Mother-of Pearl dial featuring a  Guilloche radial pattern, and a small seconds at 9' clock driven by the HZ5015A micro-rotor movement.  
The watch comes in a few colour variants (also black, blue and white MOP). I found its design, a kind of mix between art-deco and modernist styling, immediately attractive.
The Hangzhou microrotor movement has blue screws (a kickstarter stretch goal) and looks quite nice as budget movements go. Alas, the seconds don’t hack, but that is not a big deal for me.
Dimensions will suit many wrists: 38mm diameter, 44mm l2l, 20mm lug width, a hair under 10mm thick, sapphire crystal.
Watch looks nicely finished, certainly for the kickstarter price, and the guilloche on the MOP makes it shimmer in a lovely way as you turn your wrist. Strap is pretty decent as well.
The brand is mainly known for well executed homages of classic styles, for example Omega’s pie pan dials. I love that this watch shows their own design direction. Recommended affordable dressy option, with less neutral style than most.

This is #31 from a limited series of 99 with a titanium case. It already exists in a non-limited sandblasted stainless variant. Some impressions:

POSITIVE:
- A modernist field watch with an immediately attractive, crisp design. Not quite Bauhaus, rather more Brutalist, which grew out of Bauhaus anyway :-)
- Featherlight at 53g (head only), thanks to the titanium case.
- 300m WR is good enough for anyone, helped by a big, protected screw-down crown.
- A G-Shock-like elastomer ring cradles the movement for shock absorption, a rare feature among microbrands.
- Swiss Ronda 515.24D quartz GMT fits the rugged concept well.
- Long-lasting lume.
- Inner AR coating on the sapphire works well.
- A GMT window instead of a hand keeps the dial truly minimalist, and it still finds room for a date window at 6.
- Subtle and unassuming on the wrist, yet there's something special about it — even non-watch people notice it.
- Monobloc case, with the bezel forming part of the case, adds to the sturdiness.
- Wears beautifully on my 7.5" wrist. It isn't big, yet it looks sharp.
- Ruggedness is certified to MIL-STD-810H, (I had to look this up) the US military's environmental durability standard (shock, vibration, temperature, humidity), which is confidence-inspiring.

NEUTRAL OBSERVATIONS:
- The strap is very sturdy. It starts stiff and hasn't really softened after a week; instead it has taken on the curve of my wrist.l, which now feels comfy.
- It ships in a big, sturdy waterproof case that holds two watches. Funny that rugged dive watches usually come in boxes like this, when it's the dainty dress watches that could actually use the protection!
- It's a caller GMT, which suits me, as I find it quicker day to day. If you fly literally every day, you'll prefer a traveler GMT, like the Grand Seiko quartz.
- The lugs sit fairly flat rather than curving down. You could argue for more curve, but it wears well for me. They're drilled, too, so strap swaps are easy.
- The serial number is engraved on the caseback, which is illustrated with hand tools (hammer, screwdrivers and so on). A tongue-in-cheek touch for a tool watch.
- My suggestion for a v2: add an antimagnetic inner case. It matters less for quartz than for mechanicals, but magnetism can still interfere with timekeeping while the watch sits in a magnetic field. It's why some sporty Grand Seiko quartz models have one.
- 12.3mm thick is fine for a sturdy tool watch. That said, my Sinn U50 is a svelte 11.2mm, and that's with a mechanical movement and a whopping 500m WR! Hence I wonder if the case could have been a little thinner without compromising its ruggedness.
- It's all matte sandblasted; if you prefer polished bevels, look elsewhere.

COULD BE BETTER:
- I don't mind the quartz movement, but it does make this a relatively expensive proposition for what it is — even though I like it a lot.
- Grade II titanium will likely scratch fairly soon, and that'll show on the wide, flat bezel. At this price I think they could have added a hard coating.
- On a 40mm case I'd have preferred a 20mm strap over 22mm. Since the strap doesn't taper, 20mm would have been more comfortable and visually better balanced. I assume they chose 22mm to look more rugged. The drilled lugs at least make swapping easy.
- The lume on the hands is brighter than on the dial numerals. Many brands now manage to match the two. It’s just a perfectionist detail, yet I thought it worth mentioning.
- I like the clean look of the GMT window, but it's slower to read than a GMT hand because it's so small. I don't really mind though, I like the crispness of the clean design.

CONCLUSION
A highly pleasant, crisp watch that's ready for any adventure you throw at it. I'll likely wear it on my upcoming holiday trip.

This just arrived, new Boderry field watch with an exceedingly comfy bund strap. Luminous minute ring and hands. Simple classic field watch style yet pretty with different finishes. Hz movement. Initial impressions are very good.
This is a new model that was briefly preorderable at a really good price.

Crisp, modernist take on the pilot style. A Scandinavian Sinn?
Interesting little brand whose first releases were fully aimed at government employees like firemen, military, first responders and the like. The brand typically first provides a “blank canvas” test unit to those departments for general testing and to start detailed design specs. But this is one of their own design general public watches, next to the pretty milgraph chrono.

Octagonal case reminds of my vintage Zenith Defy. General specs: 42mm nicely finished case, 12mm thick, sw330 caller gmt movment inside - mine seems to do +4s/day which is good for me, fixed ceramic bezel, 20mm strap. GMT and 12h lumes are differently coloured for quicker nighttime reading. Bracelet is nice but i am awaiting a few extra links, it is too tight out of the box. Luckily the rubber is comfy and looks nice on it as well.

First impressions on the wrist are great. It wears well and i like its original vibe. There are now 3 other colours available as well.

Quite happy with my desktop setup, well it is overkill for a desktop yet cool. And I find it honestly… pretty when it is switched on.
So what is there:
- smsl pl200t cd transport
- smsl pa200 amp.
- FIIO K13 R2R dac/preamp/headphone amp and its dedicated darkside power supply (which might improve bass a little through headphones. Maybe)
- smsl tabebuia speakers which I got at approx half price in a promotion.
Used with cd (optical) and computer (usb, high res).
All the electronics put in that lovely machined fiio metal compact rack.
Sound is utterly non fatiguing, pleasant, yet detailed enough - combination of the talents of speakers and somewhat softer sounding r2r dac.
Obviously speaker bass is limited due to small size but it sounds good for my use case . The speaker is a Wavecor design, who make good drivers. They do not compare to my main usher speakers in resolution, bass and dynamic capability, yet perfectly ok for a desktop system.
Curious to compare the amp with the nad m10 in my main system, impression is effortless neutrality.
Must also be said that this “chi-fi” system is very nicely made, every element feels premium.