Watch collecting and the search for the white whale Life&Style In the world of watch collecting, time does not stand still. That’s the joy of it: you never know what might be the prize of tomorrow, says Andy Blackmore In the 1996 Christmas special of Only Fools and Horses, lovable Cockney Derek Trotter was still dreaming of getting rich. “This time next year, Rodney, we’ll [...]
The search for Nigel Farage’s elusive wristwatch Life&Style We investigate the mystery of Nigel Farage’s wristwatch. Could the so-called man of the people really wear a £40,000 Patek Philippe Calatrava? Andy Blackmore starts digging and finds a surprising answer… Sometimes the watch we wear tells more about us than we would care to admit, far more than any session with a psychologist. With that [...]
Watch out, Burnham watches Looking for an insight into the kind of person Andy Burnham really is? You could do a lot worse than checking his wrist, says Andy Blackmore. If you think it’s been a long time since we had a hip PM, think no longer, for the new inhabitant of No10 wears his credentials on his wrist. [...]
A photography expert’s guide to the best images from the World Cup July 21, 2026 After a thrilling World Cup, City AM Picture Editor Andy Blackmore ranks his favourite images from the tournament. Aside from war, about the only other human experience that spans such a wide range of emotions is sport. Of all the sports, perhaps football is the most emotive, and photographers at the World Cup hold the [...]
This is what proper British pub lock-ins used to be like July 14, 2026 If you’re under 60, you’re unlikely to have experienced a proper British pub lock-in. But there was a time when it was a cornerstone of a good night out, a rite of passage and a membership to an illicit club. Andy Blackmore tries to remember the good old days A few decades ago, this country [...]
How to become a (successful) vintage watch collector July 13, 2026 Every watch obsessive has a dream: mine is a 1964 Rolex Daytona 6239. Sadly, even addiction has boundaries and the only way I’ll ever own one is if I sell my house. Thankfully, I can console myself with the knowledge that there are other less-coveted timepieces that, even in these interconnected times, occasionally fly under [...]
A matter of loaf and death: How to bake the perfect sourdough December 23, 2025 Standing in silence here at Bread Ahead in Borough Market, awaiting our instructions, you could have heard a pin drop. I am here taking a sourdough masterclass and attempting to breathe life into my creation, not to mention keeping my mother – the flour-and-water starter used to make sourdough – alive. Thankfully, the air here [...]
Why did an AI Chatbot try to convince me Charlie Kirk was alive? October 2, 2025 On the day of Charlie Kirk’s funeral, the AI model Claude went full Colonel Kurtz on me, accusing me of spreading fake news and having a full-blown mental health crisis. In a piece of writing I had referenced the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk and asked Claude to check my grammar. It replied saying: “The Charlie Kirk reference needs clarification [...]
‘Always say yes to a bag of testicles’: A defence of offal June 26, 2025 Like a character straight out of a Carry On film, the Turkish butcher leaned forward, looked my partner in the eye, and, with a heavy accent and an evil glint, said simply: “Testicles. Testicles.” Then, by way of explanation: “Sheep’s balls.” Though things had taken a surreal and vaguely vulgar turn, his strange sales pitch [...]
AI will spell the end of photography May 31, 2025 In focusing on art as a product, we overlook the artist’s role — AI isn’t just a tool, it’s a dangerous force that threatens to erase human creativity, intent, and presence from art entirely, says Andy Blackmore Reading Lewis Liu’s essay on Marcel Duchamp’s impact on the artistic world, arguing that art is simply a [...]
