Books for under the Tree this Christmas

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Books for under the Tree this Christmas - Christmas Book
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True to tradition, WorldTempus has made its list of recommended reading for the watch enthusiast

The Millennium Watch Book – Tourbillons

Granted, a book can no more be judged by its cover than by the number of its pages (in this case, 200), but the figures for this particular tome - more than 12 months in preparation, ten themed chapters illustrated by over 700 photographs and weighing a hefty three kilos – are impressive. The second volume in the Millennium saga is on its way to becoming the contemporary reference work on the tourbillon, which celebrated the 220th anniversary of its invention in 2021. Twelve leading experts and international journalists have penned a fascinating account of the mechanism, its history and how it has evolved, patents, the main contributors, contemporary interpretations, an analysis of the pre-owned market and the 50 standout tourbillon watches. All in all, a fabulous rediscovery of the tourbillon. Order your copy from www.the-watch-book.com 

Books for under the tree this Christmas

Investing in Wristwatches: Rolex

It’s common knowledge that certain collectors buy watches also (and perhaps principally) as an investment. This book breaks a taboo: a luxury watch is something we purchase for the pleasure it gives, but only an idiot turns down the opportunity to make a profitable investment at the same time! Renowned Rolex specialist Osvaldo Patrizzi and Mara Cappelletti have written this guide to one of the three or four brands which anyone looking to invest in watches cannot ignore: Rolex. The result is a major reference work that examines some 390 watches, including the vast majority of key Rolex models. They are listed per reference number, enabling a comparative analysis of price at auction and how their value has evolved from the 1980s to the present day. Full details here

The Worlds of Jaquet Droz

Anticipation ran high in watch circles for this monumental work, already regarded as the authorised biography of a most singular manufacturer: Jaquet Droz. The author, Sandrine Girardier, is an eminent specialist. A historian and museum curator, currently for the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in La Neuveville, Switzerland, she obtained her doctorate summa cum laude in 2018, having presented a thesis on Jaquet-Droz. This 250-page volume traces the history of a visionary family firm, specialists in automata and creators of a mechanical poetry that is now rarely encountered in watchmaking. Full details here

AHCI: The Independent Spirit

Written by this author, this book documents the career of the foremost independent watchmakers who make up the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), established 35 years ago by Vincent Calabrese, with intimate portraits of F.P. Journe, Ludovic Ballouard, Vianney Halter, Antoine Preziuso and Bernhard Lederer, a recent GPHG winner, among other now famous names. Full details here

Omega Seamaster Vintage

Despite having grown up in the shadow of its “sibling” the Speedmaster, born the same year, the Seamaster remains a highly collectible watch with a long and remarkable career of its own. Its strengths – the sheer number of models, variations and subtleties – are also what might deter a newbie collector from taking the plunge. Help is at hand from Alberto Isnardi, who has selected the most iconic examples with an additional section on chronographs and military models. All the featured models are at least 25 years old (hence “vintage”). Full details here

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