In 2006 when the first edition of ‘The Watch’ was published, there was very little in the way of books around watches. Gene Stone, an author and ghost-writer educated at both Harvard and Stanford Universities, set about writing what eventually became one of the bestselling books about watches. Just over a decade later, Gene Stone teamed up with Stephen Pulvirent – now former Managing Editor at Hodinkee – to bring us ‘The Watch Thoroughly Revised’. After all, a lot has changed in the watch industry since 2006 with the rise of vintage collecting, auctions, online outlets and the invention of the smartwatch.
The Watch Thoroughly Revised
The book starts with a great introduction to the history of timepieces, and a chapter explaining a variety of horological complications, before it moves into exploring 50 brands within the industry. This group of 50 brands ranges from those you would expect to find – Rolex, Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe etc – alongside a range of other brands and independents which are less of a household name.
Given there are many hundreds of watch brands out there, trying to narrow this down to a group of 50 is no easy task, especially in a world where everybody has their own view! As such we will refrain from the semantics about which brands made the cut and which did not but suffice it to say the range provided is far-reaching and, in my opinion, well thought out. The authors try to describe it as “Fifty Brands You Should Know About”.
For each of the 50 brands, the chapter starts with an introduction explaining the history of the brand, or for the more modern brands or independents where this is less comprehensive, a little on why the authors consider them to be worth knowing about. The introduction to each brand is followed by some beautiful photographs of their key timepieces; some brands obviously have more photos than others, however together this all serves to help convey a real sense of the ethos of the particular brand. These are all captioned to help build a picture of how a collection or specific model may have evolved over time, too.
The nature of this book makes it really easy to pick up and put down, and particularly handy as a reference when looking to quickly get a high-level overview of a brand you may not otherwise be familiar with!
The back section of the book contains a handy glossary of terms, as well as an unexpected, yet incredibly useful section called “Buying, Maintaining, Collecting”, which will be particularly welcomed by those making their first steps into the world of horology. This section does exactly what it says on the tin, with some sound advice coming from industry experts, offering the benefits of their experience. Included here too are some blurbs containing lists such as “10 models you need to know”, “10 small independent brands to look out for”, and “7 go-anywhere sport watches” amongst many others.
In my view, this book is essential reading for anybody who is developing an interest in horology and would serve as an excellent reference book from which to build a foundation of knowledge. Additionally, I think it serves well for those with a greater level of familiarity with the industry, with whom it will doubtless acquaint many previously unknown anecdotes for the next watch meet-up!
‘The Watch Thoroughly Revised’ is well worth investing some time reading and is a book which I have referred myself to on several occasions already and will surely do so again in future.
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You might also be interested in:
- Recommended Reading: ‘A Man & His Watch’ by Matt Hranek
- Recommended Reading: “All in Good Time – Reflections of a Watchmaker” by George Daniels
- Recommended Reading: ‘The Wizard of Swiss Watchmaking’ – Interviews with Jean-Claude Biver
- Watch Stationery and Gift Ideas
- Watch Books, Watch Boxes and more at the Watch Affinity Shop on Amazon (commission earned)
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