Overview

Is a watch ever a work of art? Is a watchmaker ever an artist? To answer these questions and many more, Michael Clerizo spent months listening to eleven of the world's most renowned watchmakers. In mansions, villas, shops and ateliers of all sizes these extraordinary individuals told their stories. We hear of lives mastering the skills of mechanical watchmaking, and crowned with the success of finding others willing to buy and treasure their work. These men also speak fervently of their common goal: ensuring that the mechanical watch continues to thrive in a world dominated by disposable quartz watches. The book's many photographs offer a retrospective exhibition of the watches of George Daniels, Svend Andersen, Vincent Calabrese, Philippe Dufour, Antoine Preziuso, Franck Muller, Aniceto Jiménez Pita, Alain Silberstein, Marco Lang, Vianney Halter and Roger Smith. In addition, twenty other remarkable watchmakers and workshops from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Holland, Finland, Ireland and Hungary are introduced and illustrated. Also included are a technical glossary, suggestions for further reading, and a list of specialist websites and magazines.

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9780500514856

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Reviews

This lavishly illustrated book takes the reader beneath the exquisite faces of these handsome objects and shows the even more exquisite nests of springs, gears, flywheels and escapements that make them tick.

Takes readers into the minds and workshops of the most celebrated modern watchmakers of our era.... Full of lush photos and watches to lust after.

'The author's literary portraits of these watchmakers are intimate and appealing - but equally compelling are the photographs of the mechanical marvels that these engineer-artists have designed' - The Wall Street Journal 'If you are a bit seriously interested in independent watchmaking and watchmaking in general, you will have to read this book. It is not just there to look impressive ... it is there to be read and consumed by the fanatical watch lover' - Robert-Jan, fratellowatches.com

The kind of read you don't want to put down too often, the kind you're tempted to sit up in bed with for a night of anecdote and insight. Brings beautifully to life the fabulous creations of watchmakers Beautifully illustrated...would raise the horological IQ of your coffee table collection more than a few points Beautifully illustrated would raise the horological IQ of your coffee table collection more than a few points The kind of read you don t want to put down too often, the kind you re tempted to sit up in bed with for a night of anecdote and insight. Brings beautifully to life the fabulous creations of watchmakers Clerizo has an ear for the lively anecdote and colorful detail. Lavishly illustrated This lavishly illustrated book takes the reader beneath the exquisite faces of these handsome objects and shows the even more exquisite nests of springs, gears, flywheels and escapements that make them tick. Takes readers into the minds and workshops of the most celebrated modern watchmakers of our era.... Full of lush photos and watches to lust after.

Author Information

Michael Clerizo is the author of Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking and George Daniels: A Master Watchmaker and His Art. His work has appeared in numerous watch magazines and specialist websites. He is best known for his articles in the Wall Street Journal and was a contributing editor at WSJ Magazine from 2010 to 2023. He has also presented several segments of CNN's Timeless.

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