I read at some point that “the wristwatch” is a feature that says something about character in a handshake. The handshake itself is apparently not enough for the person who wrote this. – The statement was more in the direction of luxury watches, which would make a man in his late 30s look distinguished. I’m in my late 30s now, but I can’t warm to an Omega as a status symbol. Even though I almost fell for the product placement scene in Casino Royale. I’m more attracted to smart watches that go in the direction of the Qlocktwo W or slow!

I think I first heard about slow watches about three years ago and didn’t immediately grasp the idea behind them. Then, by chance, I became aware of slow again at the end of last year and was convinced by the slow hand that needs the whole day for one lap!

Basically, my sense of time is pretty good, but when I’m bored or stressed, I might look at my watch every two minutes. Why is that?

It practically screams at you: this is exactly what this watch was designed for! If you looked at the watch every few minutes, you would quickly notice that nothing was happening. The hand doesn’t move noticeably! “… leave it alone, Olli, there’s no point!”

This should also look good with a slow, and the manufacturers offer an extensive portfolio of around 45 watches for this purpose. The original model, the slow Jo 38, is the square version, later followed by the slow Mo 34. The numbers indicate the width of the model, with ’34’ being designed for narrower wrists.

The slow O followed that year and differs from the Jo and Mo in more than just its round case. The recessed crystal and the dial with its raised elements give the watch its own character and a noticeably more premium appearance.

All the models on offer can be customised with additional straps, so you can easily adapt the existing versions to your own liking.

Initially, I bought the slow Jo 03. The plain black model is made entirely of stainless steel and first had to be adjusted at the watch shop to correct the bracelet length. The fit for my wrist is still not perfect, but what the heck. The watch is also supposed to be water-resistant to 100 metres, which doesn’t bother me at all because I don’t wear a watch when I go swimming.

What’s a minor gripe is the protruding, rounded crystal. As a result, the numbers on the dial are somewhat indistinct when viewed from certain angles. But who cares if you don’t want to read the exact time anyway?

When the slow O came out, I didn’t need any hasty excuses to convince myself to get the O 10. The watch is almost the direct opposite of the Jo. A soft, round case surrounds the dial with raised numerals and markers. The crystal sits flush with the case and the weight is half that of the Jo. The O is also available in a heavier version with a metal bracelet.

I don’t have a preference between the two. It’s really a matter of mood whether or when I wear one. Both have their own merits. Apart from that, there is the possibility of customisation with additional straps.

You don’t commit as much as you would with an Omega, so you’re more likely to have two or three of them lying around, even though one can cost 280 euros.

The reactions when I shake hands have been mixed since I started wearing slow watches. People often ask me what’s wrong with the watch. I often reply that they just couldn’t stretch to a second hand. Now and then some people recognise the watch and are pleasantly surprised. On the whole, though, there is a lack of understanding as to how you can read the time with it… maybe I don’t want to?

Prices start at 230 euros on the slow website.

Every few years I consider whether it’s time for a new pair, and about a year ago I bought a pair of in-ear headphones. The reviews on Amazon were quite positive, the price was reasonable, but the performance was unusual and subjectively ‘mediocre’.

With both the IE 8 and my old HD 25, Sennheiser is really exemplary in that you can get replacements for most wear parts. So the IE 8 was refurbished with a new cable and the newly purchased headphones ended up in the drawer.

My HD 25 has only survived 17 years through constant patching and replacing. Only the headband and drivers are original. All the cables, and later the plugs and pads, have been replaced several times. However, I never really got rid of a loose connection on the left driver and so the question came up again recently: Which headphones could be better?

It’s a bizarre question, as I’m a creature of habit with a soft spot for Sennheiser, but I thought I’d give it a go.

After spending some time looking at what was currently on the market, I considered a few models. First there were the Nocs NS 900, the Pioneer HDJ-C70 and the updated version of the HD 25. Later, the Aiaiai TMA-1 appeared on my radar, but disappeared just as quickly.

The Nocs were my first choice, as a post by DJ Stylewarz convinced me that this thing could be good. I ordered them, and two days later they were already on their way back to the dealer. The headphones are fantastically well-made, look great and feel incredibly high quality. However, the sound failed to convince me. The strong bass made me think of the Beats, but the Nocs’ sound is not quite as bad and mushy. The bass was not the problem, but the treble and midrange were too crisp and unclean, and I did not enjoy listening to music with them.

That’s probably the point: the sound of a pair of headphones is largely a subjective judgement. Stylewarz may get on better with the Nocs than I did, and the crisp highs may be more to someone else’s taste.

Now that I’d subjectively been kicked in the teeth with the Nocs, I wanted to play it safe. While waiting for the Nocs to arrive, I had read this djtechtools article and compared possible models a bit more carefully. The Aiaiai was out because of the djtechtools review, the Nocs was on its way back, and now the new HD 25 and the Pioneer equivalent were left to choose from.

The 17-year-old Sennheiser HD 25-1 (rear) and the fresh Sennheiser HD 25-C II

The decision was made relatively quickly. The Pioneer has less punch than the Sennheiser, and Pioneer only gives a one-year warranty on the C70. This suggested to me that they were not confident in their product. Perhaps it was the creature of habit again, wanting to play it safe for the next 17 years. In the end, I just followed the summary of the djtechtools review. The Pioneer was already quite close to the sound of the HD 25, and why work with a copy that was less punchy when the original was simply excellent?

And so it proved! The HD 25-C II is an unfussy, simple, professional and, in my opinion, excellent-sounding pair of headphones that not only fits well, but also has excellent grip and isolation, and makes me uncompromisingly happy. I definitely won’t need new headphones for the next decade!

The Sennheiser HD 25-C II is available from your specialist dealer for around €175.

* The IE 8 is no longer available in the version I still have. There were two successors, the IE 8i and the IE 80. The IE 80 is the closest equivalent to my IE 8.