Turning 20 doesn’t happen every day. On the occasion of GMT Magazine’s 20th anniversary (and WorldTempus’s upcoming 20th anniversary in 2021), the team here has embarked on an ambitious project: summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book in a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book.
Why is this an ambitious endeavour? The Millennium Watch Book aims to explain what exactly has happened in watches in the last 20 years, a period in which the industry has vastly evolved. It took more than a year of research, created and written with the contributions of over 25 industry experts who know this industry inside and out, all encompassed in a larger than life format (well, more like A5) and 300 pages. The cover was designed by the renowned watch designer Eric Giroud—the man behind MB&F’s most ambitious watches as well as designs from Harry Winston, Vacheron Constantin and even Tissot, just to name a few—and who perfectly represents the change in watch design starting at the dawn of the new millennium. If you’re a watch enthusiast looking to deepen your knowledge of watchmaking and what (and who) has shaped it in the last 20 years, this is the book for you. And even if you’re in the industry, this book encapsulates the dynamic, ever-evolving context that has indelibly shaped the timepieces that we know and love.
The Millennium Watch Book is available exclusively now for pre-order at a discounted rate on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with delivery aimed just in time for the holiday season. In the coming weeks, WorldTempus will be exclusively sharing excerpts from the book, to give you a taste.
Only a few days left to get an additional 10% discount on the Millennium Watch Book. To obtain your code, fill in the information requested in the dedicated area to the left of the article.
To get you started, here’s an amuse-bouche: a little summary to give you details on 5 of 20 total thematic chapters covered in The Millennium Watch Book (and you might even see some familiar names of those who write for WorldTempus!).
One year, one watch
An avid collector who writes WorldTempus’s “Pourquoi Pas” features, Serge Panczuk chooses one watch for every year in the last 20 years. A horological retrospective of this first turn of the millennium, Panczuk provides us details on the watch, the historical context it was released is, all with his trademark humour.
The ups and downs of the chronograph
A regular WorldTempus contributor and veteran of the watch industry, Olivier Müller takes us through the roller coaster development that the chronograph has gone through. No movement has gone through more upheaval in the last 20 years than the chronograph—from extra-precision to its reattribution Louis Moinet’s invention, the chronograph remains one of the most coveted movements of the 21st century.
High jewelled triumphs
In this chapter written by another veteran watch journalist (the first female watch journalist in the U.S, in fact!), Roberta Naas takes up through the beautiful triumphs of high-jewellery watches—no watch is off limits when it comes to creative diamond and gemstone techniques.
The golden age of independents
Regular contributor for WorldTempus, David Chokron tells us about the explosion of independent watchmakers—brands and creators who have shown boundless creativity, providing fresh diversity to the watchmaking industry.
The push for complications
Editor-in-chief of WorldTempus, Suzanne Wong talks us through the 21st century push for complications, both in creativity and innovation in a time of can-do and sky-is-the-limit attitudes.
Who’s Who
In the largest chapter of The Millennium Watch Book, we name the 80 industry players, from CEOs to Creative Directors to retailers and independent watchmakers, who have indelibly shaped the last two decades of watches, written by those in the industry who perhaps know them best. You’ll be able to read exclusive excerpts from this section and see some of the names chosen by the book’s Editorial Committee.
