The vintage watch train keeps rolling right along – in great part thanks to enthusiast authors like watchmaker Sébastien Chaulmontet (who co-wrote ‘Chronographs for Collectors’) and vintage forum owner Alistair Gibbons, who has just published a book on vintage watches called ‘Chasing Time.’ Find out much more about the book right here.
At Quill & Pad we love reading books as much as we love making them (on occasion). Here is a good selection of books we have reviewed and we have written, suitable for gifting or reading at any time of year.
“Eternity is the opposite of time, not its principle,” one of the main characters of ‘Signs of the Times’ says to Ferdinand Adolph Lange toward the end of this historical fiction novel by Christoph Scheuring. And if you love watches, watch history, and historical fiction, you are bound to love this book.
‘A Man and His Watch’ by Matt Hranek is full of interesting horological stories of personal histories and backgrounds to well-known figures in the watch world, semi-famous New Yorkers, and famous vintage watches. Here you can meet Paul Newman’s own Rolex Daytona, Sylvester Stallone’s favorite watch, and RedBar co-founder Adam Craniotes’ very first timepiece.
‘Cartier Magician: High Jewelry and Precious Objects’ is a book is dedicated to a new collection of high jewelry and precious objects called Cartier Magicien. It is a stunningly illustrated book and the photos and text are equally as good and enchanting. This is well worth a look!
Without our readers there would be no Quill & Pad, so at this “giving” time of year we’d like to offer a few gifts to say thank you. Entering the draw to win one of these presents is easy: all you need to do is be a subscriber to our weekly newsletter. The draw will take place at 6:00 Central European Time on Sunday, December 18. Sign up to win!
Vintage timepieces are a hot topic right now. But that is not the reason that Sébastien Chaulmontet and Joël Pynson chose to write and publish a book on vintage chronographs: Vintage chronographs, one might say, is their thing. And spreading their love of these objects and their knowledge of them is the sole purpose of this book. And it shows!
George Daniels is a polarizing and fascinating figure. Several years ago, Michael Clerizo took it upon himself to spend the amount of time with Daniels needed in order to write a detailed book about his life, and the outcome is a pure joy to read with well thought-out words, logical organization, and gorgeous photos. I heartily recommend this tome to anyone interested in horology, and as a holiday gift as well!
What strikes me again and again about Louis Nardin is his enviable energy and passion for the subject of watchmaking. ‘The Magic of Watches’ is one of the best books on the subject: it is written in easy, clear, and down-to-earth language. This would surely make for the perfect holiday gift.
Fans of the art of watchmaking are in luck: not only can they read a beautifully written and comprehensive overview of what goes into the making of a watch. Ryan Schmidt is a newly engrossed watch enthusiast – and his enthusiasm and knowledge permeates the tone of his book, a comprehensive tome called ‘The Wristwatch Handbook.’