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The Watch: A Twentieth Century Style History

by Alexander Barter

A decade-by-decade history of twentieth-century watch design

Regular price $33.27 USD
Regular price $55.46 USD Sale price $33.27 USD
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Hardcover New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A decade-by-decade history of twentieth-century watch design

Organized by decade, this illustrated history traces how watches evolved alongside twentieth-century design and economic change. Alexander Barter covers the wristwatch’s early ascent, the effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash on watch production, and the later disruption of electronic timepieces alongside renewed interest in mechanical watches. Each chapter introduces the period’s design context before turning to particular watch categories, linking technical developments with shifts in form, texture, and style. Hundreds of color photographs—including detailed close-ups—are joined by vintage advertisements and promotional material, making the book as much a visual record of watch culture as a survey of horology.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Watch collectors and vintage-watch enthusiasts
  • Readers interested in product design and twentieth-century fashion history
  • Gift shoppers seeking an illustrated book on horology

Themes

HorologyTwentieth-century designWristwatch historyMechanical and electronic watchesVintage advertising

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Now repackaged in an attractive and great value-for-money format, this overview of twentieth-century horology combines stunning pictures of the most covetable time-pieces with the unparalleled expertise of a world-renowned vintage watch dealer.

This impeccably researched and lavishly illustrated book traces the evolution of the watch across the twentieth century. It charts the early rise of the wristwatch, shows how the cataclysmic events of the 1929 Wall Street Crash unexpectedly led to a golden age of watch production, and demonstrates how the electronic watch, which almost destroyed the traditional industry, led to a mechanical watch renaissance in the last part of the century.

Each chapter focuses on a specific decade, opening with an introduction to the era's stylistic and design highlights and then examines the development of specific genres of watches.

Hundreds of color photographs include full-page close ups that reveal intricate details of form, texture, and design. Alexander Barter's vast knowledge informs his gripping texts, which discuss the major achievements in watch technology and design. This book also includes vintage advertisements and other promotional materials, helping to give a sense of the eras in which they were created.

The perfect gift for watch aficionados, this beautiful and informative volume presents the world's finest watches with an elegance and depth befitting its subject.
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