Stocking fillers for watch lovers

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Stocking fillers for watch lovers - Christmas gifts
3 minutes read
Give the gift of culture! Forget about drones and cameras and all those other high-tech gizmos – instead, why not be inspired by the passion and expertise of some of the most authoritative voices in the world of watches. These books will be as useful and informative two or three generations hence as they are today – no recharging, spare parts or firmware upgrades necessary!

 Jack Heuer, autobiography of a legend

Jack Heuer, the man who was the first to place motor racing at the service of the watch industry (rather than the other way around) tells his incredible story, from the first family-made Heuer chronographs in 1860 up to the newest mass-produced Carreras.
The book, first published in 2013, and promoted by TAG Heuer as a real-life testimony by the industry pioneer, is full of fascinating insights. Heuer’s entire history is recounted in intimate detail, even down to information about training courses and moving house. That’s both the strength and the weakness of this book. A succession of very short chapters build up a highly detailed picture of Jack Heuer’s life, but also, perhaps, contribute to a lack of perspective.

Jack Heuer The times of my life

Editor’s choice: Vincent Calabrese, from the shadows into the light

Vincent Calabrese is one of those geniuses who has spent his life outside the public eye. While his work is now taught in all watchmaking schools, he nevertheless remains in the shadows. He has always stayed away from the beaten track, and has often paid the price for his restraint.
The story starts with an introduction to the latent racism he encountered on his arrival in Switzerland, when it was inconceivable that an Italian immigrant should be capable of making a watch. It continues with his creation of exceptional movements for other brands, who chose to pull all the covers to their side of the bed and behaved abominably towards the man to whom they owed almost everything. It ends with his high-end personal creations, which fly in the face of the cautious and conservative trends of recent years. The frank and honest tone of Le Temps d’une vie (ed. Slatkine) makes this an intimate and perceptive work with a compelling sense of justice, which helps to set the record straight.

Vincent Calebrese Le Temps d’une vie

Chronograph bible

Joël Pynson and Sébastian Chaulmontet have produced the sumptuous Chronographs for Collectors, aimed at enthusiasts of this particular complication. Sumptuous, yes, but also intelligent. The book is not targeted solely at dedicated collectors – it’s also pitched at the general public. The text is simple but also richly detailed, with plenty of facts, anecdotes and statistics but no superfluous prose, reflecting the exhaustive research that has gone into each timepiece, and which has already made this book an essential reference. The breathtaking images are plentiful, appropriate and largely exclusive to this book.

Chronographes de collection

Rolex XXS

The Ultimate Rolex Daytona caused quite a stir on its release. It’s huge, it’s heavy, it comes in a wooden case and it costs... 4000 euros. Even for many dyed-in-the wool enthusiasts of the brand, it was a step too far. So, the publishers had the bright idea of creating a miniature reproduction. For just 10% of the original price, the “Dayto” is now available, complete and unabridged, to Rolex fans with shallow pockets and extremely good eyesight. It’s a comprehensive and unusual gift choice for fans of a legendary watchmaker that has fascinated collectors for 50 years.

Rolex Ultimate Rolex Daytona

Rare watches for everyone

Rare Watches – a minimalist, elegant, concise and contemporary book – does that rare thing: it shares an understanding of fine watchmaking, which all too often remains the preserve of avid collectors, with the general public. Author Paul Miquel has chosen to split his book into three parts, separating auction records and heroes’ watches from “astounding timepieces”, which includes one-off and concept watches, and ultra-limited editions.
Over its 240 pages the book covers all the usual suspects, while also introducing lesser-known but equally prestigious timepieces, including examples by Bulova, Tournaire and Agassiz. This stunning coffee table book is both eminently readable and full of fascinating information. And, while it weighs almost 4 kilos, it costs less than 70 euros. Pound for pound, you won’t do better.

Paul Miquel Montres rares

Watchmaking made easy

And finally, the year end would not be complete without some more popular works. The Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches is our 2016 laureate. It contains 352 pages of information about mechanical watches and their complications. The author, Ryan Schmidt, a watch expert for Christie’s, makes his explanations accessible to the lay reader with the aid of over 400 illustrations. At under CHF 70, it’s a bargain.

Ryan Schmidt La montre mécanique et ses complications