Today in Gear: Your Week Starts Here

You’ve heard of the Toyota Land Cruiser, but are you ready for the Lunar Cruiser? Working in concert with Japan’s space agency, Toyota is working on creating a new vehicle that can handle the Moon’s surface, with ambitions for use on Mars. It’s a move that’s not just rooted in society’s recent interest in commercial space travel (which, as of now, has been isolated largely to billionaire businessmen), it’s also aligned with Toyota’s history of diversification; the Japanese firm has invested in everything from motors to urban housing, and sees investments into space-adjacent technology as paramount for future-proofing its business and developing new tech. While the Toyota is following in the footsteps of General Motors — who co-produced the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 lunar rovers — this new initiative should be a giant leap for Toyota Cruisers when it inevitably launches in the late 2020s. Lunar ambitions or not, we’re highlighting a few products that have us excited for what’s next, including Snow Peak and Rumpl’s new fire-resistant blanket, a sure-to-sell-out-ASAP Salomon sneaker and Swatch’s transparent new watch series. This is Today in Gear.

The Spinnaker Bradner is back and better than ever.

Spinnaker

Inspired by the utility, aesthetics and legacy of nautical watches, Spinnaker prides itself on making detail-oriented watches that perform on and off the water. This includes the Bradner, which has a compressor style 316L stainless steel case that houses a unique three-dimensional, internal bi-directional turning bezel, along with improvements like an upgraded water resistance (now up to 180 meters), improved luminosity on the hands and index markers and a retooled leather strap.

Pro-Ject’s Automat A1 Turntable makes it easy to be an audiophile.

Pro-Ject

In an age of iPhones and Spotify streaming, sorting out a record player can seem… well, archaic. Pro-Ject’s Automat A1 Turntable simplifies the process with an elegant (and affordable!) turntable that prizes simplicity and ease-of-use. Made in Germany, it comes installed with a Ortofon OM10 cartridge and, as the name implies, is a fully automatic turntable.

Snow Peak and Rumpl team up once again on an upgraded fire-resistant blanket.

Wyatt Coxen

As part of its ongoing Takibi collection — which centers on spending time outside with loved ones around a fire — Snow Peak has teamed with Rumpl on an exclusive version of Rumpl’s signature down blanket. Made with a proprietary blend of naturally fire-resistant fibers, the blanket is a blend of cotton and polyester without the need or use of a synthetic chemical coating. The blanket goes on sale at both Snow Peak and Rumpl online shops on February 10. For more info on Snow Peak’s Takibi collection, check it out below.

End. and Salomon drop new desert race-inspired edition of the XT-Wings 2.

End Clothing

Take it from someone who has simply tried to buy a pair of Salomon sneakers in the last 2 months: When you see a pair of Salomon sneakers you like, don’t hesitate, buy them. This collab between U.K. retailer End. and Salomon is exactly what I mean. Using the XT-Wings 2 (a precursor to the popular XT-4 and XT-6 models), this edition is inspired by the six-day-long Marathon de Sables, an ultramarathon hosted in the Sahara Desert. The shoe launches on February 5, with End. taking entries now.

New year, clean slate: Swatch watches go completely clear in new release.

Swatch

Starting the new year with a clean slate, Swatch epitomizes the possibilities of a new calendar year with its suite of completely clear watches. Completely transparent from front to back, the collection includes four models: the Gent, New Gent, Skin and Bold. Each model feature quartz movement and a bio-sourced plastic case. With the pricing maxing out at $120, we could see this being a fun, relatively affordable alternative in your watch rotation — without going completely overboard.

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