Watches, Pens, and the Craft of Analog Living
Ellen Ashford · July 1, 2026
Open the second drawer of my writing desk and you’ll find an old cufflink box doing double duty as a watch tray — eleven pieces inside, not one of them over $200, and right up front sits a $45 Seiko 5 I almost passed on because I figured anything that cheap had to be trouble. … Read more
Ellen Ashford · June 29, 2026
$340 changed hands across a department store counter, and in return I got a shiny full-retail watch and approximately zero useful knowledge. I pointed at something in the case, paid for it, and left feeling like I’d joined a club I hadn’t actually earned entry into. No mentor, no roadmap, a budget I hadn’t really … Read more
Ellen Ashford · June 28, 2026
Nearly every beginner walks into a vintage watch purchase assuming that a clean-looking dial and a confident seller are proof enough of originality — and that assumption is exactly wrong. It’s why I once stood frozen in front of a tray of watches at a Portland flea market, listening to a seller swear up and … Read more
Ellen Ashford · June 23, 2026
Every January, when the new notebook goes on the desk and I dig through the pen cup for something worthy of page one, I run into the same infuriating snag: a refill that’s *supposed* to fit and somehow doesn’t. It’s happened to me more times than I’ll admit out loud. A proper pen refill compatibility … Read more
Ellen Ashford · June 21, 2026
Don’t buy a Hobonichi Techo expecting an ordinary notebook — that’s not what you’re paying for, and misunderstanding it will cost you money and patience. For three straight Januarys I watched the planning world work itself into a frenzy over this slender Japanese import, and for three straight Januarys I scoffed and reached for something … Read more