Wristwatch Handbook The

'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.

Complete Price Guide to Watches is the most reliable and convenient guide available. This annual book is a miniature encyclopedia with over 1,200 pages, over 10,350 watches listed with current values, and more than 7,850 illustrations. American and European pocket watches, wrist watches, and even comic character watches fill this comprehensive guide. It also includes tips for collectors and historical information, as well as guidelines for grading and appraising watches. There are thousands of price changes, and once again a handy index that appeared for the first time in the 2006 edition. With this handy pocket reference, collectors can make on-the-spot judgments about identification, age, quality, and value. Complete Price Guide to Watches has become the professional standard for watch collectors and dealers. 2007 values.

Over a short ten-year time-span, Hodinkee has positioned itself as the preeminent and most distinguished destination for modern and vintage wristwatch enthusiasts. Exiting a career in finance, Ben Clymer decided to fuse his horological and writing passions in order to start a blog discussing everything from new products to vintage wristwatch auctions. Titling his endeavor after the Czech word hodinky, which means ‘little watch,’ Clymer sought to create a platform that was casual and accessible to all levels of enthusiasts—within a few years The New York Times dubbed him the “High Priest of Horology.”

“I’ve paged through stacks of books on the history of watches. . . . But I hadn’t come across a book that actually moved me until I picked up A Man and His Watch. The volume is filled with heartfelt stories.” —T: The New York Times Style Magazine "There are a bunch of beautifully illustrated watch books out there, but A Man & His Watch by Matt Hranek is more than that. It speaks to the nature of watches as deeply personal items." —Gear Patrol, Coffee Table Books Our Staff Can’t Live Without Paul Newman wore his Rolex Daytona every single day for 35 years until his death in 2008. The iconic timepiece, probably the single most sought-after watch in the world, is now in the possession of his daughter Clea, who wears it every day in his memory. Franklin Roosevelt wore an elegant gold Tiffany watch, gifted to him by a friend on his birthday, to the famous Yalta Conference where he shook the hands of Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill. JFK’s Omega worn to his presidential inauguration, Ralph Lauren’s watch purchased from Andy Warhol’s personal collection, Sir Edmund Hillary’s Rolex worn during the first-ever summit of Mt. Everest . . . these and many more compose the stories of the world’s most coveted watches captured in A Man and His Watch. Matthew Hranek, a watch collector and NYC men’s style fixture, has traveled the world conducting firsthand interviews and diving into exclusive collections to gather the never-before-told stories of 76 watches, completed with stunning original photography of every single piece. Through these intimate accounts and Hranek’s storytelling, the watches become more than just timepieces and status symbols; they represent historical moments, pioneering achievements, heirlooms, family mementos, gifts of affection, and lifelong friendships.

The Watch is the most popular book on vintage and contemporary mechanical watches, appealing to both beginners and experts. In the decade since it was published, the international audience of watch lovers and watch collectors has grown exponentially. It’s time for The Watch, Thoroughly Revised. For this new edition, the original author, Gene Stone, is joined by Stephen Pulvirent of Hodinkee.com. Together, they have thoroughly revamped the book to reflect the current state of the watch world, with the addition of new brands, new models, and more focused and nuanced coverage of the traditional brand leaders, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, and TAG Heuer.

Photographs of over 500 watches manufactured in Russia and the USSR during the second half of the 20th century, with explanations of their styles, workings, and manufacturers. Poljot, Wostok, and Slava wristwatches are covered, along with a sampling of pocket watches, deck watches, and marine chronometers. Watch faces commemorate all the great moments of Russian and Soviet history.

The electrification of the watch led to massive upheaval in the watch industry as mechanical chronometers built by Old World masters developed into electromechanical devices mass produced in Asia. In nearly 600 images and in-depth text, this book retraces the often circuitous paths that led from the electromagnetic pendulum clock to the modern quartz wristwatch. This well-researched volume focuses on the period between 1950 and 1985, but it also covers the long process of electrifying big clocks, which goes back to Alexander Bain's 1841 patent for an electrically operated magnetic pendulum clock. But the crowning achievement of this process was the further miniaturization of the timepiece into the modern quartz wristwatch. Follow the many different technical developments in Switzerland, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States and see detailed images of components, schematics, and complete wristwatch movements from hundreds of makers, including Bulova, Hamilton, Omega, Rolex, and Seiko. This is an ideal book for horologists as well as those interested in the history of science and industry.