I want to learn as much as possible about everything and anything to do with watches. So what I'm asking is for users to help me compile a reading list. I am interested in the inventors, the brands (how they grew) their business structure and everything else. This includes businesses like crown & caliber that co-sign and help to sell a piece to the auction houses like sothebys and christies that sell pieces we can only wish to get our hands on one day. I would love to read works from horological experts as well as just ambassadors that created something cool for watch lovers to bond over and discus ( See Ben Clymer, creator of hodinkee.com). Any suggestions are welcome. I've recently become fascinated with watches, the artistry and the business side of things. I want to learn as much as I can and maybe one of these readings will spark and idea that I can turn into the next big thing. As I am very new to this pursuit my first two books that I have had and are currently reading through are…. 1.) "Revolution in time : Clocks and the making of the modern world" By. David Landes 2.) "Watchmaking" By. George Daniels
The Marine Chronometer, by Rupertt Gould..... how the really accurate stuff was developed and how it works with a detailed breakdown of all the weird and worderful ways its been done over time. Recently reprinted so you can pay $250 on the net for a used copy or order it through the local bookshop new for $85..... figure that one out!
Clocks and Culture, by Carlo Cipolla ... It sits on my shelf next to my copy of Landes' book. A fascinating book about the need for accurate timekeeping and the development of artificial light is Evening's Empire: A History of the Night in Early Modern Europe, by Craig Koslofsky. Dava Sobel's book Longitude is also a famous account of the development of the marine chronometer.