Watches - A Complete History of Technical Decorative Development of Watch

The long-awaited reprint of an important illustrated reference work on the general history of the watch from 1500 to 1980.

When Watches was first published in 1965 it quickly gained for itself a reputation as the foremost general history of the subject and, following the expanded edition in 1979 which covered recent years past 1830, this has remained unchallenged in horological history.

In this long-awaited reprinted edition, collectors and horological students can again make use of the reference illustrations and history in this work as approached by the leading horology historians and clockmakers of the twentieth century. Clutton and Daniels write expertly on the vast history of watches, through the changing tastes and styles of collectors and makers, as well as imparting their own knowledge on various technical aspects within the watches.

The expansive historical section encompasses both decorative and mechanical aspects of mid-sixteenth to late twentieth century watches, including those by George Daniels himself, detailing the rich history behind more modern designs and fascinations. These later years include a variety of semi-experimental escapements, as well as covering the development of the precision watch and work leading to it by Ferdinand Berthoud and Pierre Le Roy, discussed alongside John Arnold in England, to satisfy the technical-minded collector.

Horology and collecting have grown with the changing technologies, and watches continue to be produced to an exceptional technological standard. Precision watches from the 1730-1930 period are covered in detail, as well as high standard Swiss and American watches of the last hundred years; these highly complicated watches benefit greatly from having both colour and mono illustrations to clarify the details. For a truly comprehensive understanding of escapements, photographs of these have been included alongside a critical approach to this essential mechanism.

Since its first publication, Watches has provided an essential work of reference and history behind some of the most renowned minds and creations. Now reprinted for a new generation of collectors and students, and featuring over 600 illustrations, the technical and decorative elements of historical watches can be studied and enjoyed once more.

List of contents

Foreword by Jonathan Betts
Preface
Colour Plates

HISTORICAL
Mechanical 1500-1750
The invention of watches
Fusee and stackfreed
The movement and its decoration up to 1675
Mean time regulation before the balance spring
General characteristics and national styles
The balance spring 1675-1700
The movement 1675-1700
The movement 1700-1750
Decoration of the movement 1675-1700

The beginnings of the precision watch and the modern watch
The formative years of the precision watch
John Harrison
Pierre Le Roy
Ferdinand Berthoud
John Arnold
Thomas Mudge
Josiah Emery
Abraham-Louis Breguet
Thomas Earnshaw
The birth of the modern watch: Lepine and Breguet

The development of the watch since 1800
Decorative
Types of decoration
Enamel
Style of watch cases and dials up to 1750
Some unusual forms of dial
Styles of watch cases and dials 1750-1830

Performance of early watches

TECHNICAL
Introduction
Shock-proofing
Tourbillons
Escapements
Verge
Cylinder
Virgule
Duplex
Chronometer
'Échappement naturel'
Lever
Robin
Debaufre
Fasoldt
J. F. Cole rotary detent
Repeaters
Clock-watches
Self-winding watches
Stop-watches and chronographs

Monochrome plates

APPENDIX
Biographical notes
Glossary of technical terms
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index

About the author

Cecil Clutton (1909-1991), CBE, FSA had many interests from flying, early keyboard music, pipe organs, vintage cars and motorcycles. He was president of the Vintage Sports Car Club and raced for most of his life. He had a wide interest in antiquarian horology and was one of the founder-members of the Antiquarian Horology Society as well as a past master of the of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers - some watches from his very well-known collection are now housed in the British Museum. Clutton edited two past editions of Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers and, in joint authorship with George Daniels, wrote Clocks and Watches in the Collection of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.

Summary

The long-awaited reprint of an important illustrated reference work on the general history of the watch from 1500 to 1980.

When Watches was first published in 1965 it quickly gained for itself a reputation as the foremost general history of the subject and, following the expanded edition in 1979 which covered recent years past 1830, this has remained unchallenged in horological history.

In this long-awaited reprinted edition, collectors and horological students can again make use of the reference illustrations and history in this work as approached by the leading horology historians and clockmakers of the twentieth century. Clutton and Daniels write expertly on the vast history of watches, through the changing tastes and styles of collectors and makers, as well as imparting their own knowledge on various technical aspects within the watches.

The expansive historical section encompasses both decorative and mechanical aspects of mid-sixteenth to late twentieth century watches, including those by George Daniels himself, detailing the rich history behind more modern designs and fascinations. These later years include a variety of semi-experimental escapements, as well as covering the development of the precision watch and work leading to it by Ferdinand Berthoud and Pierre Le Roy, discussed alongside John Arnold in England, to satisfy the technical-minded collector.

Horology and collecting have grown with the changing technologies, and watches continue to be produced to an exceptional technological standard. Precision watches from the 1730-1930 period are covered in detail, as well as high standard Swiss and American watches of the last hundred years; these highly complicated watches benefit greatly from having both colour and mono illustrations to clarify the details. For a truly comprehensive understanding of escapements, photographs of these have been included alongside a critical approach to this essential mechanism.

Since its first publication, Watches has provided an essential work of reference and history behind some of the most renowned minds and creations. Now reprinted for a new generation of collectors and students, and featuring over 600 illustrations, the technical and decorative elements of historical watches can be studied and enjoyed once more.

Foreword

The long-awaited reprint of an important illustrated reference work on the general history of the watch from 1500 to 1980.

Additional text

It is quite simply the only decent book encapsulating the history of the pocket watch that has ever been written [...] this edition is a beautiful and faithful reproduction of the heavily revised 1979 edition.

Product details

• Authors: Cecil Clutton, George Daniels
• Publisher: Wilson, Philip Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.04.2022
• EAN: 9781781301135
• ISBN: 978-1-78130-113-5
• No. of pages: 320
• Dimensions: 250 mm x 336 mm x 34 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Antiques; TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Inventions, ART / History / General, Traditional trades & skills, History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900, DESIGN / Jewelry, History of Art, Antique clocks, watches, musical boxes & automata, Inventions & inventors, Inventions and inventors, Antiques, vintage and collectables: jewellery, Traditional trades, crafts and skills