VOL. 01 A FIELD REFERENCE FOR THE WATCH-CURIOUS OCT 2026

The WatchLife Journal

Everything worth knowing about watches, straps and the gear around them. Measured, explained, illustrated. For first-timers and lifers alike.

START WITH THIS ONE

Strap taper,explained

Taper is how much a strap narrows from the lugs to the buckle. It is written as two numbers, such as 20/18 mm: 20 mm at the watch, 18 mm at the buckle. A 2 mm taper is standard. More...

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Start here.

Never owned a serious watch? Start with the parts, the movements and the words people throw around.

01 Anatomy of a watch Case, crown, lugs, bezel: what every part is called and what it does. Coming soon
02 Movements, decoded Mechanical, automatic, quartz and solar, side by side. Coming soon
03 Your first serious watch → How to choose one you will still love in ten years.

Ten chapters.

NEW GUIDES EVERY MONTH
01 Straps & bracelets Types, lug width, taper, pins, leather, care. READ NOW 02 Living the WatchLife A watch lover's day, the community, the meet-ups. READ NOW
03 Fit guides by watch What fits a PRX, a Speedmaster, a Tank, a Janata. COMING SOON
04 Watch fundamentals Anatomy, movements, water resistance, case size. COMING SOON
05 Care & ownership Servicing, magnetism, travel, insurance. COMING SOON
06 Wearing & styling Pairing, etiquette, dress codes, occasions. COMING SOON
07 WatchLife gear Boxes, winders, folios, pouches, tools. COMING SOON
08 History & icons The wristwatch, the quartz crisis, the icons. COMING SOON
09 Collecting & culture Grails, microbrands, vintage, regions. COMING SOON
10 Watch media Magazines, podcasts, channels, fairs. COMING SOON
The toolbench

Measure once, fit for life.

Lug width finder
How to measure the one number every strap starts from.
Strap size guide
Wrist size in, strap length out.
Glossary A–Z
Every strap term, one line each.
Strap Finder
Try straps on your own watch.
Word of the week
Bombé
bom·bay · noun · French for “domed”

A padded strap with a raised, rounded centre. Use it at dinner; sound like you know things.

Open the glossary →

Lessons in enthusiasm

All stories →
Robert Redford: The Modern Man of His Time
Sep 2025
Robert Redford: The Modern Man of His Time
Big News for Our Watch Fam: You Can Now Try HEllO Straps In-Store at Just In Time, Pune!
Jul 2025
Big News for Our Watch Fam: You Can Now Try HEllO Straps In-Store at Just In Time, Pune!
Your Guide to Water-Friendly Leather Watch Straps
Jun 2025
Your Guide to Water-Friendly Leather Watch Straps
One good read,
every fortnight.

New guides and stories. No discount codes in this one, promise.