EDITOR'S REVIEW
This is the bible for serious watch lovers and collectors who want to get their heads around some of the more complex mechanical concepts without being totally overwhelmed. Ryan Schmidt’s monumental book takes you from the most basic principles to the most complicated derivations of watchmaking and is designed to “to be a map and compass for you own personal journey,” without being cryptically elitist or pretentious. The language is straightforward, entertaining and engaging and the fabulous photography brings the text to life. From the exploration of the internal anatomy of the wristwatch and how all the separate parts conspire to make it tick in the first section – exploring power, transmission, distribution and regulation – the second section examines different categories of complications, from astronomical complications like the simple Moon phase to super complications and downright oddities. Declaring his book “brand agnostic”, it is refreshing to find 470 colour photographs of watches from over 90 brands instead of the round-up of usual suspects that tend to dominate the arena. In a nutshell, Ryan Schmidt is your trusted guide to the cosmos of horology.
