I'd like to purchase some watch books over the next few months (or better yet, receive them as birthday gifts from the family come August) and would love the forum's input.


All I currently have is:

Wristwatches: Armbanduhren Montres-bracelets - Gisbert Brunner & Christian Pfeiffer-Belli
The Classic Watch - Michael Balfour
Rolex: Timeless Elegance - George Gordon
(along with some smaller, general watch publications that I can't currently find)

This is the list of books I'd like to purchase over coming months, and would love further suggestions (particularly any brands with strong vintage appeal that I've missed, e.g. Heuer is another brand with which I'd like to familiarise myself):

· Doxa Sub: Forty Years 1967-2007 – Dr Pete Millar
· Longines – Daria Marozzi & Gianluigi Toselli
· Longines Watch Movements – Patrick Lindner
· Longines Watches – John Goldberger
· Omega: A Journey Through Time – Marco Richon
· Rolex: 3,621 Wristwatches – Kesaharu Imai
· Rolex Wristwatches – Jeffrey Hess & James Dowling
· Vintage Rolex Sports Models – Martin Skeet
· Universal Watch Geneve – Pietro Giuliano Sala
· Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865 – Manfred Rössler


FWIW, I see myself starting with Dowling and Hess, Sala, and perhaps Lindner (as these are where my current vintage interests lie).

Thanks in advance for any and all further suggestions.

 

Another couple of John Goldberger books about Omega are Omega Watches and Omega Sports Watches. Both not perfect but well worth the money these days as they can be found on Ebay for 30 or 40 euros

 

Thanks Cristos. Sounds like the Goldberger books are worth the price of entry, even if just for the eye candy. I know there must be many more titles out there, so I'll keep my eyes peeled. :cheers:

 

AJTT is a must for Omega enthusiast.
If you are into Speedmaster Moonwatch then apparently this is THE book to have: http://www.moonwatchonly.com/Moonwatch_Only/Moonwatch_Only_EN.html

 

Thanks guys. Already bookmarked the Speedy book website and will definitely be picking a copy up at some stage.

 

I don't think the Goldberger book "Longines Watches" is worth the money. I have it and maybe use it once or twice a year. It doesn't have much information except a basic description of watches that are pictured, and stops with one sole Flagship (an automatic date-at-12 caliber 341 - not even a single manual wind at all!) shown at the end. There are some pocket watches, chronographs, and a dozen or so military style watches, and even a ship's chronometer or two, but it's more like a random sampling of many styles.

 

Thanks Dennis. My vintage interests are pretty broad right now so I think I'll continue to do a bit of reading and pick up some stuff on Rolex, UG, and Omega to begin with. The consensus on the Goldberger books seems to be that they might be more coffee book than reference work, so I might pick them up at later dates (at the right price).

I read here in another thread that the Lindner book is the one to get for Longines. The book's title aside, does this work include plenty of images of cases, dials, etc. along with movements? I ask because I'd be lost without a good comprehensive reference. (Of course I know I can always turn to the knowledgable members of OF with any questions or concerns I might have).

 

That's the best way to describe them.

Lindner does not go into the mating of cases and/or dials to any particular movement. The entire book is about Longines' calibers and their evolution. A little deductive reasoning using the caliber release date versus the next caliber's release date combined with some experience in the brand's cases and dials can help you put 2 and 2 together to somewhat determine correctness.

However, as LouS can attest, all bets are off in the years 1958 and 1959. Don't even ask me to explain it - you'll see on a case by case (ha! I'm punny!) basis. There were factory frankens that have even fooled a few of us but were confirmed by prodding the Longines archivists.

 

So Dennis what is the Longines book to get, if I may cut in?

 

Lindner's "At the Heart of an Industrial Vocation" is the one I'm talking about with all their calibers.

I don't know of any book on Longines that's equivalent to what "A Journey Through Time" is to Omega. I rely on my notes and memory in conjunction with AtHofIV.

 

Quadrophenic-Schizophrenia

 

Longines is a righteous name that I appreciate more as time passes.

 

Well, keep that among us until we all get every model we want. Then let the word get out so when we retire from the watch game we can cash out big time.

 

Aren't we dead then?

 

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Fachbuch-Ome...584?pt=Kataloge_Prospekte&hash=item51becf8738Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

Here´s the Omega Sport Watches in English for only 30 Euros. I think that´s a great deal and if I didn´t have it I´d definitely get it.

It´s such a good deal I almost feel like getting myself a second mint NOS copy as mine is not so crisp on the edges anymore

 

I like your optimism !!!