Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking
by Michael Clerizo
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael ClerizoEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-11-16
ISBN: 0500514852
Number of pages: 292
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Book Reviews of Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking
Book Review: Recommended for any watch enthusiast
Summary: 5 Stars
Below is my review. I also did a follow-up interview with the Author (Clerizo), which can be accessed here:
[...].
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading a copy of Michael Clerizo's Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking. I think it is worth saying up front that I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fine watches - it was a truly enjoyable and entertaining book. Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking is filled a series of "stand alone" stories about watchmakers and many pictures of their unique watches. Specifically, via a series of interviews with each of the featured individuals, Clerizo takes the reader behind-the-scenes and into the fascinating lives of 11 different watchmakers who represent the finest that the modern day watch industry has to offer.
I enjoyed manner in which Clerizo brings out to the reader the individuality of each of the 11 famous watchmakers. The spectrum of personalities - also fully reflected in the watches they create - is quite evident as one advances through the book. From the staid and practical (George Daniels, Roger Smith, Philippe Dufour, Marco Lang), to the jovial, whimsical, and seemingly carefree (Franck Muller, Vincent Calabrese, Alain Silberstien) to the unconventional even eclectic (Svend Andersen, Vianney Halter, Antoine Preziuso, Aniceto Jiminez Pita), the diversity of talent and vision could not have been better put on display by Clerizo. Perhaps the only commonality amongst all these men is their ablity to create specactular timepieces!
Several other master watchmakers are also profiled, though to a lesser extent, in the latter pages of the book. Even so, there were a few additional names that I think could have been included in the book - Christophe Claret, Maximilian Büsser (MB&F), Jean-François Ruchonnet (Cabestan) are those that come to mind.
The book itself is substantial - 12 x 12 inches - with a beautiful cover featuring a picture of a watch movement made by George Daniels. It makes for a great "coffee table" book, sure to evoke a curious question or start a friendly conversation from even the most shy person or non-watch enthusiast who might be in your company. Most pages of the book are non-glossy white and a bronze-ish color, except at the end of each story there are several glossy pages of beautiful photos of the watches as made by each watchmaker. I think Clerizo would have been better off using glossy paper throughout the book, as the bronze/white text was sometimes difficult to read.
All in all, Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking is a well written and worthy read for any watch owner, collector or enthusiast.
Summary of Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking
Illuminates the craftsmanship and ingenuity of contemporary craft watchmaking.
The advent of quartz technology had a huge effect on traditional watchmaking. In Switzerland, in the 1970s, tens of thousands lost their jobs in the watch industry, and for a time it looked as if a 500-year-long tradition of skills would be lost forever. Today, against the odds, artist craftsmen have triumphantly brought about the renaissance of the mechanical handmade watch.The aesthetic agenda is being set by a group of remarkable independents. This book tells their story, and it is beautifully illustrated with hundreds of examples of their virtuoso work.
Here is George Daniels, who systematically set out to surpass the skills of the most celebrated watchmaker of all time, Abraham Louis Breguet. Daniels, the world?s most renowned watchmaker, has even improved upon those eighteenth-century skills by inventing a lever escapement requiring no lubrication. Svend Andersen (Denmark), Vincent Calabrese (Italy), Alain Silberstein and Vianney Halter (France), Aniceto Jiménez Pita (Spain), Marco Lang (Germany), Philippe Dufour, Antoine Preziuso, and Franck Muller (Switzerland), and Roger Smith (England) are among the other participants. In addition to the major interviews, other craftsmen and workshops from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Holland, Finland, Ireland, and Hungary are introduced and illustrated. 400 color, 30 b&w illustrations
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