- A fantastic reference work for the novice or the seasoned watch
enthusiast- Fully illustrated with 470 color photographs-
Brand-Agnostic. Features a vast array of timepieces from over 90
manufacturers Despite the functional obsolescence of the mechanical
wristwatch (our phones and computers tell more accurate time) the early
21st Century has seen a boom in the development, production, and
appreciation of all things horological. Whether it is presented to the
collector as an alternative investment, as a feat of micro-mechanical
technology, or as a showcase of artisanal mastery, the mechanical
wristwatch has never possessed more forms, functions or facets than it
does today. The Wristwatch Handbook is written from the epicenter of a
renaissance, a place in time between the Quartz revolution and the rise
of the smart device - where the mechanical wristwatch is the antidote to
the microprocessor and the permanent buzz of your inbox. From the
multi-axis tourbillon, to the split-second chronograph, to the sidereal
sky chart, The Wristwatch Handbook covers it all and does so with more
than 470 rich illustrations from over 90 of the World's leading brands.
The book is separated into two sections. The first section provides the
reader with a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical movement.
Its chapters explore power, transmission, distribution and regulation
illustrating the basic concepts before considering the innovation and
complexity that takes place further toward the cutting edge. From the
fifty-day power reserve, to the constant force mechanism, and the
1,000Hz mechanical escapement, section 1 will allow the reader to
understand and appreciate what is happening beneath the dial of their
watch. Section two allows the reader to take this understanding and
apply it to the vast range of complications (functions) that exist in
modern horology. Each chapter showcases a distinct category of
complication. For example, the regatta timer, pulsometer, and monopusher
chronograph join a host of others in a chapter entitled 'Recording
Lapses of Time'; The power reserve indicator, dynamograph, and crown
position indicator are featured in a chapter for 'Power and Performance
Indication'; The moon phase indicator, annual calendar, and planetarium
can be found in the 'Astronomical Complications' chapter. Once the
functional categories are exhausted, the final three chapters explore
whimsical complications that have little regard for practical function,
novelty time indication, and the 'super-complicated' watch - a rare
breed of timepiece that houses an intimidating host of complications
featured throughout the book. Upon completion of The Wristwatch Handbook
the reader will be able to identify even the most exotic complication
from across the room, and be able to share their appreciation and
understanding of what makes it so useful and compelling. The Wristwatch
Handbook is brand agnostic, using only those watches that most aptly
illustrate the given subject-matter. As a consequence the book places
equal emphasis on the classic and the cutting edge, on watches produced
in large volume or exclusive runs, by industry-leading technology or at
the hand of a master. In doing so the book provides an unparalleled
range of watches from over 90 brands, allowing the reader to determine
for themselves which brands, complications, and styles they will build
their collection from.
