Do you know
that black holes can affect time?
that Stonehenge is a giant calendar?
that the Oracle Bones of the North China Plain predict the phases of the moon?
that the Pyramids are giant compasses?
how Jonathan Swift knew that Mars had two moons when he wrote Gulliver's Travels?
that the effects of black holes are described in the story of Alice in Wonderland?
that an atomic reactor existed 2 billion years ago in Equatorial Africa?
that an electron on the other side of the galaxy can deflect a billiard ball?
that Schrodingers cat is both alive and dead?
Derek York fathoms these and many other mysteries of time and space in In Search of Lost Time. A reflection of York's obsession with time and its measurement, the book discusses the mind-bending universe of the special and general theories of relativity, the ghostly world of quantum mechanics, and the unpredictable haunts of chaos.
It explores the pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, and the South China plain; the universities of Cambridge, McGill, and Chicago; the Patent Office in Berne; and back to the Ethiopian desert on the banks of the Awash River. Companions to share and illuminate the path range from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland to J.B. Priestley's Dangerous Corner. It also presents the father of master-spy Kim Philby in the Empty Quarter of Arabia, the fantasist Velikovsky in the clouds, and Newton, Darwin, Rutherford, Einstein and the great Earth scientists of this century who fathomed the depths of lost time and discovered the age of the Earth.
Written in an engaging, nontechnical style, this book will delight and amaze all who encounter it."

Paul Newman wore his Daytona Rolex 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 travelled the world conducting firsthand interviews and diving into exclusive collections to gather the never-before- told stories of 76 watches, complete with stunning original photography of every single piece.

The beauty of carriage clocks and their accompanying cases is an integral part of their design, but one aspect-their intricate movements-also displays solutions to mechanical problems that only the genius designer could solve. In this major new work by an expert clock historian and restorer, the reader will find over 400 exquisite color and 285 black-and-white photographs of hundreds of traveling clocks, as well as the explanations of all the major designers' work from the 17th century forward. Special chapters present the work of noted clockmakers Breguet, Garnier, Vulliamy, Cole, Frodsham, McCabe, Dent, white and more. Swiss, Austrian, French, English, and a few American traveling clocks are included. Since these clocks were technically advanced, scientific instruments of their day, they first were made for royal and wealthy patrons with the finest gilt, porcelain enamel, and jeweled materials. The book displays these fantastically beautiful works of art-miniature clocks as well as full-size ones-and more common popular styles available today.

There are names in horological history that echo much more than just watches... Such is the case of Jaquet-Droz, 18th Swiss watchmakers with an international horizon, whose ceremonial clocks, prodigious androids, fashionable birdcages, pocket watches with moving scenes or collector's snuffboxes remain the stuff of dreams for passionate enthusiasts. Today, the Maison Jaquet Droz continues to draw its inspiration from this rich heritage in order to reinterpret techniques and aesthetics, pushing back the boundaries of watchmaking and representing a perpetual source of fascination for collectors. Based on the latest research on the subject and published on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-2021), this book offers a deep dive into the history of characters with a captivating journey. Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in what was then the principality of Neuchatel, Pierre Jaquet-Droz founded a watchmaking workshop and developed it through a combination of technical, artistic and commercial skills enabling it to reach international markets. His son Henry-Louis developed the family business and further diversified production, a significant portion of which found its way to China and its dignitaries, devotees of luxurious and ingenious mechanical marvels. This richly illustrated book aims to enable a rediscovery of their mechanical masterpieces as well as those of the Maison Jaquet Droz, whose rebirth and recent history are recounted here. These splendid historical and contemporary pieces embody a love of technical challenges and a taste for artistic refinement, adhering as much as possible to the sources of inspiration offered by nature. The Worlds of Jaquet Droz thus reveals part of the expansive universe of pre-industrial watchmaking while drawing parallels between past and present productions.

Stan Bray introduces the fascinating world of horology to the complete beginner. This book explains the terminology of the clockmaker and provides general details of clock construction including layout of wheels and escarpments, a number of the latter being described. Making of wheels, pinions, escarpments, plates, pendulums, weights, cases, hands and faces is described. The necessary tools and equipment are described with details of how to make specialized items and choice of most suitable materials for their construction.

Introduced into a skeptical American marketplace early in the twentieth century, the wristwatch soon caught the consumer's imagination. It was not long before American watch manufacturers adopted the form and brought their ingenuity and creativity to bear on the style and design of the wristwatch. Fifty years of innovation and beauty follow, and this beautiful book brings you the story in word and picture. Illustrated with over 600 full color pictures, the authors have traced the history of the American wristwatch. Their original research brings life to some of the persons who influenced its development. Design periods are defined and the watches they engendered are amply illustrated giving the reader knowledge that is valuable, both for the appreciation and the collecting of these wristwatches.

This book complements available one-make books on domestic synchronous clocks. It is also a history of science book that sets British domestic synchronous clocks, their manufacturers and technology in their social context. Part I covers the historical background, British domestic synchronous clock manufacturers and brands, how synchronous clocks work, domestic synchronous clock cases, practical advice on the servicing of domestic synchronous clocks and analysis of the marketing and reliability of British domestic synchronous clocks. This analysis provides an explanation of the rise and eventual fall of their technology. Part II contains galleries of a selection of British domestic synchronous clocks and of the movements with which they are fitted. There is a front and back view of each clock, together with a brief description. Views of each movement include views with the movement partly dismantled, together with a brief technical description of the movement. This profusely illustrated book is primarily for fellow enthusiasts and is based on an extensive archive of information on domestic synchronous clocks, their movements and their manufacturers. Current electrical regulations mean that professional clockmakers are reluctant to repair synchronous clocks. In fact, provided that they have not been mistreated, synchronous clocks are usually reliable, and quite easy to maintain.

An exciting area of collecting for clock and watch enthusiasts is literally opened up with this book. On the outside the automatic wristwatch is like its counterpart, but once the case is opened a different world appears. Here 200 watches are shown, each with three photos to show the dial, and the complete and partly disassembled movement. The book introduces all the Swiss manufacturers and provides an historical overview of the development of automatic watches from 1926 to 1978. Information on the functioning mechanism and construction of each design is offered along with the data needed to locate the watches chronologically.

The grandfather clock, an entirely new kind of furniture, first appeared in the late seventeenth century. From then on, with its long case to protect pendulum and weights, its rugged movement and large, clear indication of time, it has been a success story right up to the present day. Virtually none of these clocks is beyond repair and often the work required is within the scope of inexperienced owners. This is the first full-length book to cover repair and restoration of these attractive and often valuable antiques, including their casework. The first part outlines how to clean and service the clock 'works' and also how to refurbish the dial, while in the second part restoration or casework, both structural repairs and finishing, is considered. The illustrations are of two actual clocks (one eight-day and one thirty-hour) and work proceeding on them. The last part of the book sketches common variations from these particular examples. Armed with this book and appropriate tools (for work on both movement and case), the owner of a dilapidated grandfather clock will be encouraged and given the know-how to restore it to life as a useful and attractive clock and a prized possession.

Wrist chronographs are mechanical wristwatches that, in addition to their normal clockwork, have a mechanism that allows them to time short-term events. They are one of the most popular collecting areas in the broad spectrum of wristwatches because they are not yet too expensive and are available in large numbers. Until now they have not been studied systematically. Now Land and Meis offer this outstanding identification book. The text deals with the dial of the chronograph and all the indications that can possibly be read from it. There is also a technical section that shows the historical development of the chronograph mechanism. With collectors in mind the authors have arranged the illustrations by the indications on the dials. Pictures of the movements are always included with those of the chronographs. This book is a particularly useful identification book for collectors, dealers, and auction houses.

Twentieth century Russian wristwatches are too costly for many native buyers, but they are still inexpensive for Western Collectors, and are becoming extremely popular. Watch faces commemorate all the great moments of Russian and Soviet history-from Yuri Gagarin's space flight to the Summit meeting between Gorbachev and George Bush-and celebrate Russian culture with images of native costumes from Chechnya to the Ukraine. Collectors have long clamored for a definitive reference and this new book will satisfy even the most avid enthusiast, with photographs of over 500 watches manufactured in Russia and the USSR during the second half of this century, and 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. This book is a must for serious collectors in the growing field of Russian timekeepers.

With a foreword from Jean-Marie Schaller, founder and creative director of Louis Moinet, this book introduces some of the most elegant watches the horological world has to offer, including several one-of-a-kind pieces that have never before appeared in print. Many of these ateliers handcraft both the watches and their complicated mechanical movements in-house. The level of expertise and craftsmanship involved is truly dazzling. Featuring such stunning timepieces as the 15.48 Driver Watch, the Andreas Strehler Time Shadow and the Antoine Preziuso Chronometer, Tourbillon of Tourbillons, this expertly curated collection of watch profiles will catch the eye of any true enthusiast. Steve Huyton looks beyond the price tag, featuring affordable options of particular artistic merit as well as pieces from the luxury end of the scale. Discover the hidden gems of the watchmaking business - 60 independent artisans counted among the finest makers in the world. Includes the work of: Hajime Asaoka, Felix Baumgartner (Urwerk), Aaron Becsei, Vincent Calabrese, Konstantin Chaykin, Bernhard Lederer (BLU), Masahiro Kikuno, Vianney Halter, Antoine Preziuso and Andreas Strehler, among others.

A long-awaited reprint of an important illustrated reference work on the general history of the watch from 1500 to 1980. When Watches was first published in 1965 it quickly gained for itself a reputation as the foremost general history of the subject and, following the expanded edition in 1979 which covered recent years past 1830, this has remained unchallenged in horological history. In this long-awaited reprinted edition, collectors and horological students can again make use of the reference illustrations and history in this work as approached by the leading horology historians and clockmakers of the twentieth century. Clutton and Daniels write expertly on the vast history of watches, through the changing tastes and styles of collectors and makers, as well as imparting their own knowledge on various technical aspects within the watches. The expansive historical section encompasses both decorative and mechanical aspects of mid-sixteenth to late twentieth century watches, including those by George Daniels himself, detailing the rich history behind more modern designs and fascinations. These later years include a variety of semi-experimental escapements, as well as covering the development of the precision watch and work leading to it by Ferdinand Berthoud and Pierre Le Roy, discussed alongside John Arnold in England, to satisfy the technical-minded collector. Horology and collecting have grown with the changing technologies, and watches continue to be produced to an exceptional technological standard. Precision watches from the 1730-1930 period are covered in detail, as well as high standard Swiss and American watches of the last hundred years; these highly complicated watches benefit greatly from having both colour and mono illustrations to clarify the details. For a truly comprehensive understanding of escapements, photographs of these have been included alongside a critical approach to this essential mechanism. Since its first publication, Watches has provided an essential work of reference and history behind some of the most renowned minds and creations. Now reprinted for a new generation of collectors and students, and featuring over 600 illustrations, the technical and decorative elements of historical watches can be studied and enjoyed once more.

With Wristwatch Annual, collectors have at hand a wealth of information on the latest offerings from today’s most important watch producers, from Swiss mainstays like Rolex and Patek Philippe to the maverick independent brands springing up across Europe and the U.S. The book is arranged alphabetically by producer, and the movement, functions, case, band, price, and variations of each pictured watch are fully described. This year’s edition, like its predecessors, will feature a variety of additional articles on independent watchmaking, key personalities in the watch world, and the technical aspects of horology. An illustrated glossary and a primer on watch care help acclimate the reader to the world of fine timepieces.

The history of Rolex is inextricably linked to its founder Hans Wilsdorf, who took the first steps in the world of Swiss watchmaking as he dreamed about a timepiece that could be worn around the wrist. This experimental research led Rolex to achieve its highest goals in both technological innovation and in the use of the finest materials alone. Its models have been photographed on the wrists of political leaders, sports champions, and film and fashion celebrities, transforming each Rolex into a fully-fledged status symbol, a synonym of elegance and precision. Including essays with a historical and technical slant, in-depth descriptions of the most representative pieces and a brief glossary, the pages in this book sparkle with golden hands, diamond-studded dials and patent-leather watchbands, illustrated in period photographs and macro-detail. The volume ends with a chapter dedicated to the most amazing auctions that saw the sale of the Geneva-based company's vintage watches. (Reprinting 10.02.2020)

The Academy of Independent Creators in Watchmaking (Academie Horlogere des Createurs Independants, AHCI) is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2020: that's over one-third of a century of total independence, creativity, exhibitions, and sharing watchmaking craftsmanship. Here, AHCI, the oldest organisation in the world devoted to protecting independent, artisanal watchmaking, presents an inside portrait of its members and candidates. They share their most iconic creations and their knowhow, give guided tours of their workshops, and offer a glimpse into their own private world. This dive into the beating heart of independent watchmaking is for all lovers of creativity and authenticity, be they connoisseurs of fine craftsmanship or experienced collectors willing to take the road less travelled.

Navitimer. A mysterious name at first glance. It is in fact a contraction of two words, which correspond to the two major functions of a revolutionary watch: NAVIgation and TIMER. A chronograph designed for airborne navigation. But much more than that, an exceptional destiny, shaped by extraordinary and visionary actors. From the very beginning of its existence, in 1884, Breitling specialised in time measurement, namely the design of timers and chronographs. It was in the 1930s that the foundations of a close relationship with the world of aviation and aeronautics were laid, under the aegis of Willy Breitling. These ties have remained unbroken ever since. In 1952, in collaboration with the AOPA, the largest aeronautical association of the time, Breitling launched the development of the Navitimer, which offered what no other watch manufacturer had ever proposed: a chronograph combined with a slide rule for aircraft pilots. The Navitimer was available only to AOPA members in 1954, and then marketed to the general public in 1955. For 70 years now, the Navitimer has enjoyed glory, flown into space and weathered crises, integrating numerous evolutions without ever losing its original DNA. It has appealed to several generations of professionals, celebrities and lovers of exceptional watches, undoubtedly earning its status as an icon of watchmaking history. This second book in the Watch Stories series, dedicated to the history of emblematic timepieces, traces its heroic and unique destiny from its creation to the current models.

Many clock repairers carry out excellent work but avoid cutting their own wheels and pinions, fearing it is too complicated and involved. This book, written by an experienced clock and tool maker, dispels those fears and gives a step-by-step guide to an extremely satisfying aspect of horology. This book is written for both the amateur and professional involved in the making and restoring of clocks, and for anyone who intends to start building up a workshop and requires a guide to the equipment and how to use it.

A beautiful book for those who love fine wristwatches. In Time in Gold, the histories of the seventeen leading luxury wristwatch companies of Switzerland are presented together for the first time, Beautifully illustrated with color and black and white photographs, Time in Gold contains over 450 important and elegant watches by these fine makers. 200 years later, the resulting wristwatches are among the most exquisite in the world today. The following companies are each presented as separate chapters: Audemars Piguet Blancpain Baume & Mercier Breguet Gerald Genta Cartier Vacheron Constantin Chopard Girard-Perregaux Corum IWC Ebel Jaeger-LeCoultre Rolex Patek Philippe Piaget Ulysse Nardin

This book describes the construction of two different clock projects - an eight day regulator clock and a month going regulator clock - and features full-page fully-dimensionalised working drawings supported by detailed photographs. It also includes instructions and plans for constructing glazed wood cases for each project. It is intended for model engineering hobbyists with basic facilities to enable them to venture into the field of horology by building their own precision clocks which can become treasured family heirlooms. The term 'regulator' simply describes a precision clock. Every clockmaker and repairer needs such an instrument to use in regulating his repair and new work. The typical English regulator, as described in the first section, beats at one second intervals and will run for eight days between winding. The second project is a month going regulator clock, an equally high precision type which will run for a whole month between winding. This book is based on a popular series of popular articles originally published over many years in Model Engineer magazine.

A revolution in clock technology in England during the 1660s allowed people to measure time more accurately, attend to it more minutely, and possess it more privately than previously imaginable. In "Telling Time," Stuart Sherman argues that innovations in prose emerged simultaneously with this technological breakthrough, enabling authors to recount the new kind of time by which England was learning to live and work.
Through brilliant readings of Samuel Pepys's diary, Joseph Addison and Richard Steele's daily "Spectator," the travel writings of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, and the novels of Daniel Defoe and Frances Burney, Sherman traces the development of a new way of counting time in prose--the diurnal structure of consecutively dated installments--within the cultural context of the daily institutions which gave it form and motion. "Telling Time" is not only a major accomplishment for seventeenth- and eighteenth-century literary studies, but it also makes important contributions to current discourse in cultural studies.

One of George Daniels's central contributions to horology is his co-axial escapement. Having observed that the dominant lever escapement begins to change its rate after a year or two -- a disturbance caused by the sliding action of the impulse elements of the escapement -- Daniels set about developing a mechanism that avoided this problem. The result of his efforts was the co-axial escapement, a mechanism in which he sought to combine the strengths and eliminate the deficiencies of existing watch escapements, the lever escapement foremost among them. First devised in 1977, today it remains largely the same as fitted in watches of Daniels's own manufacture, as well as those of several wrist-watch manufacturers. This book explains the action of the escapement in terms accessible to both expert and layman, and is accompanied by a series of detailed line drawings.

During the five hundred years that horology has been accepted as a separate art only a dozen or so men have made a positive contribution to its progress. Included in this little group of masters is the illustrious name of Abraham Louis Breguet (1747-1823), the arch-mecanicien in an age of mechanics. His contribution was as brilliant as it was original and, during a period when horological fashion was the slave of science, he lifted the watchmaker's art to a new dimension of visual and technical excellence. In doing so he radically changed the whole concept of horology and transformed it into an art form that won him the adulation of Europe. The unceasing search for perfection in the performance of his products led Breguet to the invention of mechanical principles that even today, are used in the design of the watch. His influence on the appearance and style of the watch was dramatic and his most complicated examples maintained the slim, elegant appearance that was to revolutionise watchmaking. Breguet's extraordinary ability in all branches of horology achieved for him the reputation of a genius, the patronage of kings and - rarest of all - the respect of the horological world. His products have never lost favour and many, in constant use, have been handed down through generations to their present owners. The passing of the years, with their many changes of fashion, have not diminished the beauty of the proportions and appearance of Breguet's work. The Art of Breguet is the complete, illustrated history of the work of Abraham Louis Breguet by the late George Daniels who has provided a detailed study of Breguet's horological philosophy that explains so many of the misunderstood aspects of his work. He describes in detail the complexity of Breguet's art and, by so doing, supplants the mystique that has surrounded it with a clearer understanding of its function. Over one hundred line drawings illustrate the progress of technical development and each is accompanied by an analysis of the mechanism and its intended purpose. The history of the development of the internal and external appearance of the vast range of Breguet's products is illustrated in a separate section, arranged in the order of manufacture to reveal the pattern of change in appearance. Each item is accompanied by a description of its external characteristics, mechanism, period of manufacture and, where possible, the date of sale. This reprinted edition, with a foreword by Emmanuel Breguet, has been long awaited and is addressed equally to the student and to the collector of Breguet's work.

Three years ago, car designer Olivier Gamiette became fascinated with how watches work and began drawing them in his spare time. He started to educate himself on the different elements that watches possess and how to define their proportions. His goal was to not only draw credible and realistic watches, but also to have them tell time in ways he had never seen before. Thirty-four extraordinary concept watch designs later, Soon presents Gamiette's creations in all their 3D glory. Meet Sentinelle with its six rotating glass cylinders, - the futuristic Celerity with horn-like propellers, and Sublissime with its mesmerizing crisscrossing bands. You can discover these timepieces and the magic each one holds through Gamiette's thoughtful watch descriptions, in-depth design tutorials, and, above all, his conceptual masterpieces.