As I'm reading it I am struck with how straightforward the descriptions are written, particularly as there is such a depth of detailed information. It doesn't overwhelm, but builds one step at a time. Erich wrote that he wanted a book that would meet the desires of a novice through to the most detail oriented collector, which is no easy task. I think he pulled it off, at least for the first 30 pages that I have read thus far. It's quite interesting how he strips the earliest version of the movement and demonstrates how it works. For the serious collector, there are side by side photos of components such as wheels that identify what differences to look for in each succeeding variation.
One curious side-line was his photograph of an actual Omega microfiche from the archive. We've heard of Omega's archive but this is the first detailed example of what kind of information is available and the challenges in decoding it. It shows the extent to which the author wants to involve and have the reader understand the process of researching the book.
I think he knows his audience well. It's not hard to imagine an expert in one esoteric subject at a cocktail party who gets excited when talking about the detailed minutiae of his subject while not noticing how his audience is receeding. This is not that person. Instead, Erich seems very approachable and engaging, bringing just the level of detail to make me want to know more, which in this example is reading on.
I just wish there was a similar book on Seamasters.
