Watches, Stories, & Gear: An Unusual Apple Watch Strap, A Colorful Storage Box, and A New Huckberry x Marathon Watch

Matty Extension-C Cables I am currently writing this week’s column from the comfort of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. As it stands, I’ll end 2026 with about two-month’s worth of hotel stays under my belt. And while the idea of room service and having someone else make the bed does have its perks, there is one constant I am noticing more and more the longer I’m on the road: my phone charger is either ineffectually short, or the outlet is too far away from the bed. This can absolutely be chalked up as a minor inconvenience, but one that is annoying. But, lucky for me, one that can easily be fixed with the help of the Matty Extension-C Cable. Modeled after those classic chunky extension cords that populate parents’ garages and Christmas light bins alike, these ten-foot USB-C cables offer two very important things to me – style and functionality. Coming in three colors and starting at $25 (but cheaper if you bundle!), I think they’re perfect for anyone who travels and gets a little tired of the same ol’ same ol’ white cable from Apple. Oh, and speaking of Christmas, they’d make a great stocking stuffer, if you ask me. Type 6 Strongbox Keeping with the vintage-utility theme in retro colors, the Type 6 Strongbox would go swimmingly on your desk set-up with one of the extension-c cables above. These compact boxes (measuring in at just 6.25”w x 4.25”d x 2”h) are the perfect size to store all that random junk that accumulates around the office. Once you get over the deeply satisfying color options, the true selling point is the construction of these boxes. They’re made in the US from a 22-gauge steel, aluminium data plate with a powder-coated finish, which offers a deeper, richer pigment and fuller coverage than paint – and won’t chip when banging these around your office or workshop. The heavy-duty snap latch is, of course, the cherry on top for extra security (and would undoubtedly give me peace of mind for storing all the candy I don’t want my husband to find squirreled away in my office). Tilted Apple Watch Band Boil the tar and start gathering the feathers, because I’m about to make a confession: I wear an Apple Watch nearly every day now. It’s big and clunky and not at all aligned with my personal interests or taste, but I’m on what you’d call a “fitness journey” and want to be held, at least, a little accountable. But the minute I hit my goal weight, dear Reader, it’s going straight into the Type 6 Strongbox, never to be thought of again. And because it’s big and clunky, it’s not always a practical solution for my needs (which also include having a Pavlovian reaction to every Instagram notification and Whatsapp message). If I’m typing on my laptop, I have to sort of shimmy my arm a little to read the text that pops up or crane my head this way or that. And while this is absolutely nothing I have given more than a millisecond of a thought to, there is a solution to this minor inconvenience: a tilted Apple Watch band. Rotating the watch face at a 30-degree angle towards the wearer, it allows for a more natural reading experience with less strain on the eyes to catch the notification before it disappears. They’re available in an array of color options and bundles for a relatively cheap price for something so novel on the market. This, in turn, has made me hit “add to cart” for that reason. I’ll be sure to report back to you once they arrive. Huckberry x Marathon 41mm CeraShell Arctic Navigator Watch I have to give it to Huckberry, they’re really doing it right when it comes to staying relevant and getting in front of the right audiences to keep momentum going. While many other multibrands (especially in menswear) have sort of stagnated over the years, Huckberry’s continued to gain traction through broader partnerships and a decisive brand identity that’s continued to resonate with the “I like nice clothes, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about my wardrobe or look like I’m trying too hard” crowd. The silent majority of menswear, if you will. The latest collaboration with Marathon brings this point home for me. Huckberry has taken the brand’s 41mm CeraShell Navigator, itself based on a pilot’s watch originally developed with Kelly Air Force Base in 1986, and paired the black case with Marathon’s Arctic white dial. Huckberry’s hunter orange shows up on the seconds hand, while tritium tubes illuminate the hands, hour markers, and bezel pip. The case is made from Marathon’s CeraShell, a lightweight mix of bio-sourced plastic and ceramic powder, and the watch runs on an ETA F06.115 HeavyDrive quartz movement. The Huckberry x Marathon CeraShell Arctic Navigator is available exclusively through Huckberry for $600. Fincher’s Netflix Deal Ending When it comes to directors, I think it’s fair to say I’m something of a Fincher-head. I’ve seen most of his filmography over the years (and, for God knows what reason, once gave a presentation in Spanish 4 on the Zodiac Killer, using Fincher’s Zodiac as one of my sources). Me and David? Yeah, we go way back. Funnily enough, though, I’ve never seen either of his Netflix films. But with the news from ScreenRant that his exclusive deal with the platform expires in 2027 and won’t be renewed, I may want to get my ass in gear. At least for the time being, it seems he’s going out with a bang with The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, a sequel to Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood that begins a two-week IMAX run on November 25 before arriving on Netflix December 23. In any case, it’s probably time for me to make another fake email so I can get a free trial and finally queue up Mank and The Killer.