GIFT GUIDE – Horological Books

Looking for the perfect last-minute gift for a horologically minded person on your holiday gift list? Look no further – these books make for perfect presents and won’t put as deep a hole in your pocket as a watch would.

WORLDTEMPUS - 22 December 2011

Elizabeth Doerr


Watchprint.com has it all and can deliver quickly. If you are still uncertain as to what to get your esteemed watch geek this holiday season, have a look at these interesting books. 

“A Passion for Watchmaking” by Peter Speake-Marin and Olivier Marguerat details this independent watchmaker’s journey and collection © Speake-Marin

A Passion for Watchmaking

Peter Speake-Marin is nothing if not passionate about his vocation. This fact becomes entirely clear in his book about his work, “A Passion for Watchmaking.” If you ever wanted to know more about this English watchmaker working in Switzerland – now as the head of his eponymous brand – this book will instantly make you an expert. 

“Some companies make products which tell the time and have various unique selling points which can be linked with design or innovation of some form. Then there are those watchmakers that make watches that are a representation of who they are. These individuals make authentic watches because their drive is born from the soul rather than simply from a cash incentive,” one of the jacket flaps reads. This pretty much sums up the essence of Speake-Marin’s work, which is uncommon, luxurious and artful. 

Including a rare look behind the scenes, this book is richly illustrated with more than 300 images on 304 pages. It is available for 75 Swiss francs on Watchprint.com

____________________________________________________

“Jewels of Time,” written by Worldtempus contributor Roberta Naas, takes an in-depth look at the art of the female timepiece © Farameh Media

Jewels of Time

A new release this fall published by The Curated Collection is Worldtempus contributor Roberta Naas’ “Jewels of Time.” This 304-page book richly illustrates the current world of luxury watches for women and how their designs have been inspired by art, architecture and fashion. Imagery that includes photographs, sketches, and in-depth interviews with designers and watchmakers make this a book a real treasure for fans of decorative timepieces that also uniquely captures the parallel growth between women’s roles and wristwatches in the twentieth century. 

Naas has this to say in her foreword: “Just as I pioneered in a then-man’s world, the 20th century was one where many women pioneered — it was a century of exploration, of growth in literature, arts and culture. It was a century of civil rights, gay rights and women’s rights. This was a time when women finally got to hold center stage and simultaneously when wristwatches were enjoying their birth and growth. The parallel growth of women’s roles and wristwatches throughout the 20th century is an interesting and intense one — one in which, as the century progressed, women’s watches played an ever more vital and visible role.”

A large hardcover book with a dust jacket and more than 200 images, this feast for the eyes retails for 53 Swiss francs ($65). 

____________________________________________________

Watchmaker Reinhard Meis revises and extends his epic tome in a fourth edition comprising two volumes for a total of 916 pages © A. Lange & Söhne

Great Timepieces from Saxony

A former product developer of the so-called LMH brands (IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne), watchmaker Reinhard Meis has also authored six books – one of which was recently updated and extended to two volumes covering the history of Germany’s premier watch company: A. Lange & Söhne. 

Investing eight years to revise and extend this tome now in its fourth edition, Meis describes the complete history of the German watchmaking dynasty beginning with its days in Dresden and the entire scope of its truly royal watches extending over the course of about 200 years. 

The first volume comprises sociopolitical and historic foundation and gives an account of early watchmaking in Saxony. The second volume deals solely with Lange’s extensive work and traces the entire history of the brand.

Boasting more than 2,700 illustrations, this encyclopedic work is already available in German language for € 298. The English edition will be available within a matter of weeks.

____________________________________________________

A collector and expert aficionado puts the A. Lange & Söhne line Pour le Mérite under the microscope © Peter Chong

Pour le Mérite

Lange & Söhne is the subject of a second very high-quality book released this year: “The ‘Pour le Mérite’ A. Lange & Söhne Collection” by Peter Chong. 
Founder of the Lange Owners Club and longtime watch collector, Chong has written and photographed this book as a talented aficionado would, paying close attention to aesthetic details and candidly revealing the microscopic beauty of his subjects, which comprise the Pour le Mérite timepieces of Lange’s collection. 

This book is strictly limited to a total of 1,100 copies in four different editions ranging from top deluxe (200 only for owners of the original Pour le Mérite Tourbillon) to 701 “regular” copies. Content comprises intimate narration by collectors and their journeys through detailed technical descriptions of the watches and the first documentation of the disassembly of a modern luxury wristwatch equipped with a chain-and-fusee mechanism. 

This 240-page linen-encased hardcover book boasting 200 original (mostly never-before-seen) photographs can only be ordered directly from Chong with prices ranging between S$680 (Singaporean dollars) and S$780 depending on the edition plus delivery. The text is bilingually printed in English and German.

____________________________________________________

“The Mastery of Time” by Dominique Fléchon administers a scientific and historically-minded look into horology © Flammarion

The Mastery of Time

Historian, expert and member of the FHH Cultural Committee Dominique Fléchon delivers 456 pages of watch history. Combining the scientific with the historical and even the human aspect, this book really offers something for everyone – from the professional to the newbie. It is not extremely technical in terms of explanation, but it does contain facts that will surprise and entertain even the most seasoned aficionado.

Profusely illustrated and offered in a large hardback version with thick, luscious semi-glossy paper, this artfully designed book is divided into six parts: the beginnings of timekeeping; the transition from clock to watch; the quest for precision; the industrial revolution; the practicality of wristwatches; and the luxury era from the year 2000 to now. Priced at 99 Swiss francs, it is available in French and English editions.

 ____________________________________________________

“12 Faces of Time” provides a unique look into the life and work of 12 independent watchmakers © Ralf Baumgarten

12 Faces of Time

This book written by Worldtempus editor Elizabeth Doerr and photographed by Ralf Baumgarten sticks out from the crowd thanks to its originality. Its premise is to tell the stories of twelve independent watchmakers and invite the reader into each of their microcosmic worlds for a little while. Some of the watchmakers like Philippe Dufour, Vianney Halter and François-Paul Journe are very well known, while others like Kenji Shiohara, Ludwig Oechslin and Volker Vyskocil are largely unknown. 

Having been described as a “love letter to independent watchmaking” by the International Herald Tribune, “12 Faces of Time” is certain to please lovers of great photography, artful designs and unusual stories. Each page boasts atmospheric black-and-white photography and manageable amounts of text. It is available from Watchprint.com for 107 Swiss francs.

____________________________________________________

 
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s fifth artistic yearbook is fully dedicated to the Reverso © Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre Yearbook 5

This fifth edition of the Le Sentier-based brand’s annual book naturally revolves around the Reverso since this year is the 80th anniversary of the cult timepiece. This large-format art book celebrates the timepiece using artistic means provided by Italian quick-change artist Arturo Brachetti, Russian journalist Eduard Dorozhkin, French art historian Joël Busca and American photographer Mary Ellen Mark. “From backstage at the Bolshoi to Icelandic volcanoes via Argentina and Africa, it strives to lift the masks and reveal all,” is how the company describes the creatively aesthetic content. “Duality always brushes with identity. How can one distinguish between a set of twins? Metamorphosis and shocks in the primary elements: duality produces an echo and mirror effect that generates meaning. As jubilant as the Reverso, this publication takes pleasure in overturning, surprising, seducing and toying with what is visible and predictable.”

This 128-page opus published by Jaeger-LeCoultre and usually only distributed in the company’s own boutiques – including its e-boutique – can also be ordered from Watchprint.com for 105 Swiss francs.