The Watch

by Stephen Pulvirent and Gene Stone

Book Overview

The Watch is a survey of the best vintage and contemporary men's wristwatches that is as visually compelling as it is informative to read.A well-made man's wristwatch combines inspired design, technical innovation, and precise craftsmanship. Vintage watches are filled with sentiment and history, and are often passed from wrist to wrist across generations. Today, designers use cutting-edge techniques and materials to create some of the most complex...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810930935
• ISBN13: 9780810930933
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Abrams Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 2.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 9.2" x 9.6"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

I love this book

This book is like my bible. I study it and read it regularly and it always cheers me up on a rainy day when I look at the beautiful pictures of watches. Sounds like I need a life, right? Whatever, get this book!

The best watch book (FIVE STARS)

What's best about this beautiful book is that nearly everything else published about watches is sponsored by the watch industry itself. Here, finally, is an independent voice telling watch lovers, whether newbies or longtime fans, everything they ever wanted to know about the watch world. The book starts off with an extremely informative history of the watch (I had no idea that World War I was responsible for the growth of the wristwatch and the demise of the pocket watch). The meat of the book is information about the fifty brands the author feels every watch lover should know about--illustrated with some of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen. As appealing as the material is, what's more interesting is which brands are excluded from the discussion. Although the book is a celebration of watches, the most critical parts of the book are those of omission--for instance, there's nothing here about Movado's modern watches, an indication the author thinks little of them, or, in the Hamilton section, no indication that modern Hamiltons are worth buying. My favorite part of the book is the first person interviews with watch collectors, who explain how they got hooked, and what their current passions are. There's also an excellent glossary of watch terms. All in all, this is a book that belongs in every watch lover's library.

The best watch book ever

Finally, a great book on watches. What makes this book so special is that it works for everyone who loves timepieces, whether they're beginners or experts. The book is divided into several sections, including a smart introduction on "what is a watch?" and an informative history of timepieces. The bulk of the book is an interesting survey of fifty of the greatest brands of all time, from Patek to Elgin, from Audemars to Zenith. Then comes one of the best parts of the book--a very useful section on how to collect and maintain your watches, plus instructive first-person accounts from some of the world's top collectors. Finally, there's a glossary of understandable definitions of the most common watch terms. Most of all, there are over 600 stunning color illustrations, culled from auction houses, private collections, watch companies, as well as hundreds of original photographs shot exclusively for the book. All in all, this makes a great gift and a great resource guide. What a wonderful book!

Watch enthusiasts praise the book

The watch collectors have their own online forums - as do most collectors today. This book was put together partially by asking them to contribute their photos, so all the compliments about the photos being superb (and they are) is a pat on the back of the collectors who donated their time, effort, and passion about watches by giving their photos for use in the book.

Great Gift!

I really enjoyed this book! I have been collecting watches for many years and this book will take a prominent place in my reference library. Anyone with an interest in watches will find this an excellent source of information and enjoyment. It will also make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season.