Does viral breakdancer Raygun wear Casio as a go-to?
Zach BlassAfter two weeks of Paris 2024 Olympic Games content overload, by now you may have hit your saturation point. Fair enough. But the conversation around one competitor in particular still lingers – Australian b-girl Rachael “Raygun” Gunn. The 36-year-old academic’s performance during the first-ever Olympic breaking event went viral, with a social media mob immediately amassing to critique and poke fun at her routines. There has been a contingent of staunch defenders of Gunn, but the overwhelming sentiment seems to convey a belief she was not the most qualified to represent Australia in the breaking event – questioning how she was selected and the integrity of the selection.
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Everyone began to weigh in, with even Adele taking the time to discuss Raygun during one of her live performances and SNL alumni Rachel Dratch performing a parody on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Considering Gunn has recently taken to her Instagram and shared a video to try and clarify what she describes as misinformation, I am not going to wade in any further – and you’re probably already tuned into this conversation. But with her Instagram post coming to my attention, as a watch guy who is known to sport his watch-spotting hat, I was immediately curious to find out what watch or watches the world’s currently most discussed breakdancer wears.
From my quick deep dive, it would appear that more often than not Raygun opts for a naked wrist. Especially during competition, which makes sense as I’d assume there is zero benefit to wearing a watch while breakdancing. I also found that she semi-frequently sports a Whoop fitness tracker, but in terms of wristwatches, I identified two separate sets of images in the last year in which she wears a particular watch on her wrist. With my, dare I say keen, horological eye, working in conjunction with the magic of AI and Google Lens, I can say with 99% confidence Raygun is likely sporting a Casio ana-digi watch like this Vintage Series AQ-800EG-9AEF here. The caption of the initial post suggests that only the larger part of her wardrobe was supplied, courtesy of Asics, and in a later post Raygun can be seen on a panel wearing the same watch once again – so I’m thinking it is actually hers.
As you can probably tell, beyond a set of new releases we will later recap in our upcoming Last Week in Watches, it was a bit of an understandably slow horological news week. We are still in the throws of the European summer holiday time after all. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Zach and the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: freckle past the hair
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To shave one’s wrist, or not to shave. That is the question that most are probably not asking. I find this callout particularly funny, as in conversations with my mother, she routinely points out how she detests wrist shots due to the common presence of grizzly bear-level hairy arms in close-ups. We know to set our hands to ten-ten if we can, but does a shave need to be added to the list? I refuse.
Wristshot of the week: timeless tiny Tank
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Is it just me, or is there nothing more sharp and classy than a suited-up wrist with a classic-sized Cartier Tank? Images like this have to stop coming up in my feed – the temptation is too real. For the record, this is not an advertisement…
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition
After much fanfare and unexpected sell-out times, the original Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer from 2020 was bound to have a successor. Pieces with GMT hands and world time bezels helped fill in the gaps, but the original is now back in black, with a stealthy PVD-coated case and mesh bracelet, limited to 1961 pieces. It actually comes with three bracelet options: the slick black PVD Milanese bracelet you see here, as well as a pastel blue Tropic-style rubber strap and a black leather strap with pastel stitching, matching the watch’s dial.
Discover the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition in the Time+Tide Shop, either online or in our Melbourne Discovery Studio. Price: US$1,480, A$2,225
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
Mai Ikuzawa: The woman behind a sell-out TAG Heuer collaboration
In the second episode of our new Watches And podcast, Andrew sits down with Mai Ikuzawa, the daughter of Japanese race car driver Tetsu Ikuzawa, and a creative director and brand consultant who works with luxury, automotive, and fashion brands. She discusses her background, her father’s influence on Japanese automotive culture, and her current projects. The duo also touches on Mai’s lifestyle between London and the French Alps, her husband’s ski brand, Black Crows, and her creative ethos of “drive Italian, wear Japanese, drink Mexican” (referring to tequila). You can check it out on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
Every MoonSwatch released so far, ranked from best to worst
This one’s pretty self-explanatory, folks. Jamie takes the time to rank every MoonSwatch released thus far and is almost guaranteed to ruffle some feathers.
This GZLT999 Wako Edition is possibly the rarest Credor Eichi II
As a change of pace on our Time+Tide YouTube channel, I don’t talk about a new release or just any watch – I discuss the Credor Eichi II in my personal collection. To figure out what makes this Wako Ginza Edition particularly special, and potentially the rarest variant of the Eichi II, make sure you check out the video above.