GISBERT L. BRUNNER

Updated content including the latest Rolex watches. Extended edition of the best-selling reference work by wristwatch expert Gisbert L. Brunner.

The world of watches is in transition and so-called "smartwatches" are playing a larger role. But classic timepieces with mechanical movements won't disappear from people's wrists because the ticking of a mechanical watch has been and will continue to be the heartbeat of human culture. After the success of The Watch Book in 2015, this new follow-up volume, just as beautifully done, is a must-have. Informative text and many pictures highlight 24 additional watch brands and show their unique features and quirks. However, this book includes a much broader spectrum of timepieces than the previous volume: along with many watches that fall into the "affordable luxury" segment, there are also timepieces from the chronometric creme de la creme. Along with longstanding traditional brands, the book profiles newer ones whose unusual designs and exclusive technical developments have contributed to the history of the watch. This volume also includes a helpful glossary of important terms, making The Watch Book II an absolute must for timepiece experts and collectors, as well as for newcomers to the world of watch artistry.

Volume II of The Watch Book follows on the successful and comprehensive earlier volume with a magnificently illustrated book about the additional functions and refinements of wristwatches. For centuries, so-called "complications" - any feature of a mechanical timepiece beyond the display of hours, minutes and seconds - have embodied the crowning glory of fine mechanical watchmaking. Among the earliest of these are alarm clocks and calendar movements.Moon phase displays have also been known for several centuries. Striking movements can be considered among the most complex and technically elaborate additional functions, while finishing techniques such as skeletonising, which is mainly done by hand, also characterise the high art of watchmaking. This superbly illustrated volume by watch expert and historian Gisbert L.

From stopwatches and alarms, to world clocks and calendar functions, to tourbillons that counter the effects of gravity, these so-called complications have been the crowning glory of fine watchmaking for centuries. The Watch Book - More than Time is an illustrated compendium of watchmaking that explores these most intricate elements of the horologist's craft through timing, astronomy, and striking. This volume is a unique and impressive addition to the book market and a lavish tribute to the mastery of horology.