This book wants to be an introductory book to those who have always been wondered how their precious watches work but never dared to ask. In this technical but yet easy to understand work, wrist watches are covered in an orderly way to have eventually an idea of not only the complex watches mechanisms but also the most important watch models and companies. It is not a substitute for the more advanced and detailed books about watches but this book will serve the curious minds well.
'The Wristwatch Handbook' provides the reader with a comprehensive anatomy of the mechanical wristwatch; every conceivable function and form. It is the foundational text for the novice and the reference book for the seasoned enthusiast. Where other books about watches focus on advising the collector, on a single brand, or on a timeline of key historical figures and events, 'The Wristwatch Handbook' takes a detailed look at mechanical wristwatch complications (functions) and leaves no stone unturned. The reader will gain the ability to identify a complicated watch from twenty paces and perform a top-to-bottom assessment of even the most exotic timepiece in a matter of seconds. Despite the functional obsolescence of the mechanical wristwatch (our phones, computers, even microwaves tell more accurate time), there are more varieties of mechanical watches available than ever before. Today, innovation is no longer exclusively preoccupied with accuracy; pioneer manufacturers are also exploring friction reduction, anti-magnetism, scratch resistance, dial decoration, exotic materials and so on.
* A complete, informative primer on how watches work. Accessible for the amateur and meaty enough for the aficionado. What is a beautiful watch? How do you make a good choice? The Magic of Watches explains how and why these little objects are so precious, fascinating and exciting. The book presents paradoxes: why a one-million-dollar watch might be less precise and more fragile than one that costs 15 dollars. It comes back to the origins of the measurement of time: how did we go from the water clock to the wristwatch? The Magic of Watches is unique: it focuses in detail on the basics in order to understand and love watches better. Contents: 1. Welcome; 1.1 Why a book, why this one; 1.2 Why watches are magic; 1.3 How to use this book; 1.4 The first mission: To tell the time; 1.5 The challenge of measuring time; 1.6 The quartz revolution; 1960s); 1.7 Fantastic plastic (1980s); 1.8 The wristwatch, from instrument to artifact; 1.9 "Smart," or connected, watches (2010s); 2. Buying; 2.1 Ten reasons why you should get a watch; 2.2 Choosing; 2.3 Key elements; 2.4 Secondhand; 2.5 Selling your watch; 2.6 Knowledge; 3.Care; 3.1 Setting; 3.2 Maintenance and care; 3.3 Service and after-sales; 3.4 Repairs; 3.4 Travel; 3.5 Insurance; 4. Anatomy; 4.1 Display; 4.2 Indications; 4.3 Functions and complications; 4.4 Movement (Caliber); 4.5 Case; 4.6 Bracelets and Straps; 4.7 Materials.
More than a fashion accessory or means to tell the time, the wristwatch has become a statement of identity; politician or celebrity, scientist or sportsman, what you choose to wear on your wrist speaks volumes about who you are. The World's Most Expensive Watches presents some of the most extravagant, intricate, collectible, decadent, or just plain interesting modern-day timepieces that sit at the top of the price spectrum. Starting at a threshold price of about $200,000, it is a trip through the last decade or so of watches whose values soar incredibly to prices of $5 million dollars or more. Additionally, there is a selection of notable watches that yielded extremely high prices at auction - many of which are historically relevant. A stunning collection that is both informative and entertaining; with detailed descriptions of individual watches and articles that usefully deconstruct the price tag with an explanation of the relevance of craftsmanship and complexity of design, as well as the importance of exclusivity, prestige and collectibility. Prepare to be impressed by a larger-than-life-look at some relatively small items that command not only huge prices but kudos and respect, in all areas of a global society fascinated with using accessorizing to create identity.
The early 2000s were an important period, spanning a time when mechanical watches had quite rightly retaken their place in the world market. We all may have a digital device in our pocket that is more accurate than a mechanical watch, but a timepiece has soul, personality, and history. The collection in this book is a step into the world of vintage watch collecting, with a range of photographs, intricate research, and accessible reference material that will intrigue both the casual and avid enthusiast. The collection showcases some of the most interesting, luxurious, and functional 20th-century (1930-1980) mechanical timepieces ever to be produced, including Heuer's Autavia, Rolex's Submariner, Gallet's MultiChron, Zenith's De Luca, and the Universal Space Compax.
Have you always contemplated starting a business because your idea is not innovative enough, or lack of resources, or too much competition? Is your aspiration to turn your passion and hobby into a profitable business? Do you love watches and dream of having your own watch brand? If you answered Yes to all or any of these questions, then this book is a good start. By no means this book guarantees success, but what it does guarantee is equipping you with the valuable information and positioning you in a more advantageous position to become successful! Learn all the trade secrets directly from the source how to launch and operate a Watch Company with great success.
The watch has long been a favorite of the design world - both as an indication of the wearer's style and as a test of the designer's ethos and aesthetic. From the early efforts of Le Corbusier and Louis-Francois Cartier to the advent of the digital era and the arrival of the smartwatch, the Design Museum examines the 50 most important and eye-catching examples of all time.
Two wealthy and powerful men engage in a decades-long contest to create and possess the most remarkable watch in history. James Ward Packard of Warren, Ohio, was an entrepreneur and a talented engineer of infinite curiosity, a self-made man who earned millions from his inventions, including the design and manufacture of America’s first luxury car—the elegant and storied Packard. Henry Graves, Jr., was the very essence of blue-blooded refinement in the early 1900s: son of a Wall Street financier, a central figure in New York high society, and a connoisseur of beautiful things—especially fine watches. Then, as now, expensive watches were the ultimate sign of luxury and wealth, but in the early twentieth century the limitless ambition, wealth, and creativity of these two men pushed the boundaries of mathematics, astronomy, craftsmanship, technology, and physics to create ever more ingenious timepieces. In any watch, features beyond the display of hours, minutes, and seconds are known as “complications.” Packard and Graves spurred acclaimed Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe to create the Mona Lisa of timepieces—a fabled watch that incorporated twenty-four complications and took nearly eight years to design and build. For the period, it was the most complicated watch ever created. For years it disappeared, but then it surfaced at a Sotheby’s auction in 1999, touching off a heated bidding war, shattering all known records when it fetched $11 million from an anonymous bidder. New York Times bestselling author Stacy Perman takes us from the clubby world of New York high society into the ateliers of the greatest Swiss watchmakers, and into the high-octane, often secretive subculture of modern-day watch collecting. With meticulous research, vivid historical details, and a wealth of dynamic personalities, A Grand Complication is the fascinating story of the thrilling duel between two of the most intriguing men of the early twentieth century. Above all, it is a sweeping chronicle of innovation, the desire for beauty, and the lengths people will go to possess it.
An accessible, design-savvy collector's guide to the world of unusual, rare and dazzlingly retro watches. Retro Watches is a popular, accessible collector's guide for anyone who wants to make a statement with the watch they wear, but who wants to choose a timepiece that is very different from the 'classic' and very mainstream watches by the major Swiss brands. It brings together the most intriguing, visually striking and 'out-there' watch designs from little-known but influential watch brands, along with overlooked but brilliant pieces from the major players. One hundred watch models are featured, specially photographed for the book and accompanied by accessible, informative texts discussing the watch's design, its intriguing features, and its rarity and value. The book also dives into the cultural and fashion history of watch design and the many innovations from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
In Marking Modern Times, Alexis McCrossen relates how the American preoccupation with time led people from across social classes to acquire watches and clocks, and expands our understanding of the ways we have standardized time and have made timekeepers serve as political, social, and cultural tools in a society that not merely values time, but regards access to it as a natural-born right.
