Dial up Your Knowledge: Must-Read Horology Books for Watch Enthusiasts

The world of timepieces is a source of abundant information, and watch aficionados are constantly looking to expand their horological knowledge. Of course, you can find insightful information on horology in cyberspace as well. But, sometimes, in-depth books, replete with beautiful illustrations or photographs, can make you fall in love with the world of watches all over again! 

GMT India has, therefore, curated a list of recently published books that make for compelling reads. You can also check out our previous recommendations on best horology books.

TAG Heuer Carrera: The Race Never Stops (2023) by Nicholas Biebuyck

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This book on TAG Heuer Carrera is an exceptional documentation of the watch’s extraordinary journey through the decades. Throughout the book, several inserts reveal the DNA of the iconic Carrera collection. There are more than 600 major references of Carrera from 1963 to 2023. Needless to say, this book offers a complete view of the collection. 

What Makes the Book Special: The book marked 60 years of TAG Heuer’s emblematic Carrera collection. Written by Nicholas Biebuyck, the brand’s Heritage Director since 2021, the book celebrates the rich heritage of TAG Heuer Carrera. In an earlier interview with GMT India, Biebuyck shared that the brand plans a follow-up revolving around the Monaco collection. 

Hands of Time: A Watchmaker’s History of Time (2023) By Dr Rebecca Struthers

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Watchmaker and historian Dr Rebecca Struthers offers a glimpse into the mysterious world of watchmaking with an elaborate personal history of watches that spans centuries and continents. The book examines how timekeeping has profoundly influenced our attitudes towards work, leisure, trade, politics, exploration, mortality as well as some extraordinary and treasured devices, each with a specific story to tell.

What Makes the Book Special: Hands of Time is an intricate and uniquely personal exploration of the history, science, philosophy, and craft of timekeeping. It truly captures the essence and value of being a craftsperson. 

The Dial: The Face of the Wristwatch in the 20th Century (2023) by Dr Helmut Crott

The Dial unfolds in three parts. The first part tells the story of Stern Frères, perhaps the most important and successful dial maker for most of the 20th century. The Stern family built an extremely accomplished company that even acquired Patek Philippe in 1932. The second part explains the many processes that are required to make a dial. Here you can learn everything you need to know about guilloche, lacquering, and applying indices. The last chapter is a detailed reference to some of the most collectible watch dials from the 20th century: Rolex Daytonas, Patek Philippe Calatravas, Audemars Piguet calendars and so on.

What Makes the Book Special: It is written by Dr Helmut Crott, one of the world’s leading experts on watches, with over 40 years dedicated to horology. In his illustrious career, he has provided expertise to leading watch auction houses, founded his own eponymous watch auction business, owned the watch brand Urban Jürgensen, and co-developed a comprehensive database focused on the output of Patek Philippe. The book is a detailed account of his knowledge of and insights into the watch world. A truly enlightening read. 

Rolex: Special-Edition Wristwatches (2022) by Peter Braun, Harry Niemann, Iris Wimmer-Olbort, Martin HauBermann

Packed with information, this book has stunning photographs. This volume also pays homage to the sought-after brand and examines what makes Rolex so special. Simply put, it offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into production: movements, cases, dials, and final assembly. It also includes a catalogue section depicting some of the classic models, along with an overview of the current collection. 

What Makes the Book Special: The book is an ode to Rolex, written by a professional team of authors, led by Peter Braun, watch expert and Editor-in-Chief of Armbanduhren and Armbanduhren Katalog, a German watch publication. It captures a comprehensive and exciting portrait of one of the most coveted luxury brands in the world. From the history of the Rolex company to an examination of its sports watches, tool watches, and complication watches, this book provides deep insights into the production of the largest Swiss watch manufacturer.

Retro Watches: The Modern Collector’s Guide (2020) by Mitch Greenblatt and Josh Sims

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Retro Watches is a collector’s definitive guide to discovering the world of unusual and rare retro watches. This guide is for people who want to wear a watch that makes a statement and who are looking for something that stands out from the crowd. It is a collection of the most intriguing, visually striking, and out-there watch designs from little-known but influential watch brands, along with overlooked yet brilliant pieces from the major players. Over 100 watch models are featured here, each specially photographed for the book and accompanied by accessible, informative texts discussing the watch’s design, history, and intriguing features; there are info panels detailing rarity, value, and other key attributes of each watch as well. 

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What Makes the Book Special: Apart from the stunning visuals and well-researched information, the book features additional breakout spreads that dive into the history of watch design and many innovations of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. These are all beautifully presented, making Retro Watches a perfect book for discerning watch enthusiasts.

Time Tamed (2019) by Nicholas Foulkes

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In Time Tamed, Nicholas Foulkes spotlights some of the most significant developments in timekeeping across the ages. The book also highlights the most stunning and opulent clocks and watches in history – from Big Ben to Rolex – because telling time has never been purely about function, it is also about design. The book is packed with remarkable tales that keep the reader engaged. For example, it narrates the story of a 14th century monk in St Albans who created one of the first mechanical clocks and that of the Holy Roman Emperor who built a clock into an automated ship that fired a cannon to summon guests to dinner. 

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What Makes the Book Special: Nicholas Foulkes is an English historian, author, and journalist, who has written extensively about 19th-century social history as well as about the history of luxury goods. He is indeed a remarkable storyteller, who has written historical pieces on such intriguing personalities as the Surrey woman who used a Napoleonic-era watch to 'deliver' the accurate time to London shopkeepers in the wartime era of Churchill and the Swiss denture maker who solved a tricky problem for the polo players of the British Raj. Time Tamed is a book you won’t be able to put down.  

The Millennium Watch Book — Chronographs by GMT Publishing

The Millennium Watch Book sums up everything you need to know about watchmaking since the year 2000. Following this editorial approach to contemporary fine watchmaking (the third millennium), a new volume will be published each year focusing on a specific watch category until 2030. GMT’s editorial team analyses the history of chronographs in this edition of the Millennium Watch Book. 

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What Makes the Book Special: The book unpacks the many impactful milestones in the history of chronographs. It decodes how the complication has pushed the boundaries of innovation in the 21st century. 

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