Ryan SchmidtThe Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches

This is a spectacular introductory technical survey of modern mechanical wristwatches, packed with excellent photos, diagrams and concise explanations of the basic functioning and wide range of technical variations available. It cannot be hardly recommended enough. If you're interested in modern luxury watches, you should buy this book before you spend any large amounts of money on a watch—it will give you a lot of information that will allow you to much better spend your money.I do think the book has two relatively minor shortcomings, however. One is that not all the information in it is quite accurate. It's definitely better than 95%, but just skimming through the text I can find myself saying "huh, not quite" ever so often. For example, I can recall separate passages where first the hairspring and then the tourbillon are described as part of the escapement (they're not!). The material on the detent escapement is not quite adequate; it lists Arnold and Earnshaw as its inventors (neglecting to mention Le Roy and Berthoud's contributions), and the description of the actual escapement is quite lacking, and could really have used a diagram. In a sense these sorts of mistakes sound like they stem from the fact that the book trades depth for breadth—it covers a ton of topics, but superficially and unsystematically.The second shortcoming is related to one of the book's strengths, which is that the excellent and copious photos and diagrams used to illustrate the concepts have been very obviously supplied by modern watch companies. This is both a blessing and a curse—I have been quite delighted to see manufacturer-supplied diagrams of some of their unique complications that I've wanted to know about for years now, but at the same time some concepts that would be better illustrated with more generic diagrams or photos of historical watches are instead illustrated with modern makers' manufacturing materials. The material on the detent escapement is again a good example—instead of a diagram of a basic spring or pivoted detent escapement at all and photos of historical marine and pocket chronometers, we're treated to manufacturer-supplied photos of a 2016 Bvlgari L'Ammiraglio Del Tempo Minute Repeater.Nevertheless the breadth of information in this book and its focus on present-day watches is hard to beat.

This volume explains how watches developed and how they work using beautiful and detailed graphics.

For watch collectors, this book is a finely honed balance between excellent technical information and photographs of beautiful watches and the movements that make them tick. The technical information of such constant force devices as remontoir d’égalité and résonance in movement is both enlightening and fun to read without the mind-numbing detail engineers find important to supply. To even outline all of the nuances of watchmaking and innovations in mechanical watches found in The Wristwatch Handbook would take pages of review. Most importantly, for me at least, is that it is very well written. It flows nicely and in an episodic fashion so that you can pick it up and read about some wristwatch feature and look at the accompanying photos, learn a bit, and put it down. At a later time, you can pick it up again and go to an entirely different section an look and learn about some other wristwatch feature.Published in 'coffee table' format, this book is certainly one that could grace any living room, but the pictures and text actually make it worth reading as a book about wristwatches. In fact, it can be used as both a look-up (e.g., "What's a retrograde?", "Is a tourbillon better than a standard escapement?", "What is an escapement?"), and a picture book to browse and find more temptation than Odysseus in passing the isle of the Sirens. (Heed Circe's counsel and lash yourself to a masthead lest you are tempted to rush out and spend junior's college savings on a new watch.) All in all, this is a remarkable book with photos and drawings of the clearest and highest quality. If you're a watch collector, your collection will be much enhanced by the wisdom of this book.

This is a fascinating, beautiful, and extremely interesting book. Absolutely amazing photos and excellent detail. The one thing I was very surprised about, is there are two watches included that are very sexually graphic. Depicting sexual acts. This should be disclosed in the description of the book. Aside from that, it’s a fantastic collectible book.

Great joy to read. Definitely my bible. Well organized by esp complications with many beautiful explained examples. Clear labor of love. If you’re a collector, at any stage, you will enjoy it and be inspired.

Will buy one for myself! Very impressive, weighty, formidable & elegant. Exceptional photography!

An outstanding reference. It explains everything, from the very basics of watch function to the most extraordinary pieces ever created.This book is essential to the library of every collector for a few key reasons:1) It doesn't limit itself to the same, (boring), overpriced swiss companies - watches from smaller, entry level brands that many may not realize have contributed significantly to horology, like Oris, Longines, and Sinn, to other, more fashion-oriented companies, like Bell & Ross, are displayed in the book.2) The book isn't a Rolex fanbook - while Rolex is mentioned, and rightfully so - for its contributions, as the book progresses to higher level complications, Rolex is mentioned less and less - also rightfully so. As the company's biggest complication is a meager yacht timer, the book is then able to introduce you to watches that truly transcend the extraordinary.3) This book will explain the very basic mechanisms of movement, and mention and introduce you to the most obscure levels of haute horology.Truly, worth the buy.

A book good for introductory knowledge of watches.