The Monthly Roundup is a grab bag of things that have caught my eye, whether it be something interesting, a good deal spotted, or something new on the horizon.
Hario V60 Size 02 Filters
Back in January I reported that Hario had decided to switch to the thicker paper, tabbed, size 02 bleached filters. I haven't really looked to deep into something I can't control, but as luck would have it, the last two orders I've placed from this seller on Amazon have shipped the old, tab-less, thinner style with draw down times more in line with what's expected from the V60. It just so happens, that this is one of the cheaper prices as well, it's a win win.
KW H.A.S. Height Adjustable Springs for Magnetic Ride Suspension
Last month I reported on a sale from MSS kits and their height adjustable spring kits for the Audi RS3 with magnetic suspension, and how the cost has always been the turn off with their kit. Well, KW has also developed a kit at a much lower price, and these are starting to hit the states. So, I will be watching the forums closely and see what the feedback is. MSRP is $649 with details from Supreme Power here.
Anti-reflective double domed Sapphire crystal, Super Luminova, no date, killer design, and 300M water resistance! Photo from Unimatic, click through to their website and to order.
I was going to make this post about some killer independent releases as of late, but since it appears the new Halios Seaforth GMT is already sold out, I'll shift focus to a watch that still appears to be attainable. The Unimatic watches are very interesting in that they are very familiar, with a lot of traditional diver design cues, but entirely unique and fresh at the same time. Regardless of how you view them, they're very cool and offer quite a lot of bang for the buck. I could very easily see this as being an everyday go-to in replacement for say, a Seiko SKX in a collector's lineup, or just a very cool watch in general for anyone that wants to veer from the main path, and I think that's a good thing. Here's a 1 of 400 watch with 300M water resistance, a hacking Seiko automatic caliber, two straps, and some absolutely killer looks for 525EUR here.
Versalab M3 Espresso Grinder
I always felt the Versalab M3 Grinder was missing from the Best Single Dose Espresso Grinder Options roundup. The main reason I did not include it at that time is because I had never used or seen one used, or been able to substantiate enough trusted feedback and reports, and the whole premise of this site is discussing the decisions I have or would make myself or recommend to others. Well, this always kind of bothered me because it always seemed like the M3 has had a cloud of confusion and misinformation surrounding it, and as a result, is often left out of posts like mine, or considerations when shopping for a high end single dose espresso grinder, even though it was the first in this category, dating back to the early 2000's.
The Versalab M3 is borderline modern art on the counter.
So, I reached out to Versalab, and started a discussion as to why that is, and one thing lead to another and I recently received a bench unit for some testing and discovery of my own. John Bicht, the inventor, engineer, designer, and creator of Versalab is a classic engineer type, that has quietly been making improvements to the precision of this unit over the years, but has not necessarily had the social media or advertising backing to get that word out. And with many of the posts regarding the grinder dating back several years, I'm hoping to give it a fresh look and see what it can do. Keep an eye out here and the @meticulist Instagram for reports, findings, and some head to head comparisons.