The WatchHardcover, 1 December 2006

The wristwatch is the only jewellery that most men will wear, although many would not want to call it that. A watch may be a practical device for the sole purpose of telling the time as accurately as possible, a complicated machine, a wearable design object, or a status symbol. Some watch wearers, like scuba divers or pilots, rely on their timepieces for safety and survival. Gene Stone's The Watch covers all these things and more. It ranges over the world of watches without prejudice, mixing the old with the new, and the expensive with the economical. It introduces the fifty major brands that any watch collector must be familiar with. Essential wisdom on buying, collecting, maintaining and wearing watches is provided. And an encyclopedic glossary offers a crash course in watch lore. Best of all are the more than 500 photographs of terrific watches, including remarkable details of dials and movements, and selected for their beauty and diversity from collections around the world.