Here is our selection of the most recent publications dedicated to jewellery and watches, timely additions to any collector's library or beautiful gifts with coffee table appeal.
Three new books for jewellery lovers have hit the shelves, each focussing on very different areas of expertise. For The Love of Diamonds (below) by Rachael Taylor, published by TeNeues, is the latest addition to the bestselling 'For the Love' of series. Dozens of jewellery houses and designers, both modern and classic, along with intriguing anecdotes offer an encyclopaedia jewellery as well photographs of street style and celebrity red carpet looks offer a snapshot of the world of jewellery.
‘Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewellery 1381–1910’ by Herbert Tillander, is a must for those wanting to understand the progress of diamond cuts over 600 years. Tillander’s expertise and exhaustive research make this a vital reference for dating jewellery as well as appreciating the art of the diamond cutter from simple medieval table cuts and hogbacks to rococo rose cuts. Tillander (1909–2006) was born in in St. Petersburg, and third-generation of jewellers to the Russian Imperial Court and founders of A.Tillander jewellery house in Finland.
Taschen offers Costume Jewellery (above), a fabulous showcase of 574 pieces from Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’s collection. Far more than a private eccentricity or fashion hobby - the 1,000 piece collection of American costume jewellery - has cultural, historical, aesthetic, and archival importance. Her “bijoux fantasia” charts social, economic and material history from the 1930s to 1960s when fabric shortages and changing social norms shifted fashion’s focus to bold, expressive jewels. Designers like Coco Chanel, led the way in revolutionising fashion, sparking a more playful approach to jewellery and materials like Bakelite and Lucite, patriotic and tropical themes came to the fore. Costume Jewellery offers a fascinating lens through which to view these tumultuous decades.
Before we head into hardcore watch world, the charming The Wonderful World of Women’s Watches (above) by Rhonda Riche is long overdue. Difficult to imagine given the plethora of tomes dedicated to men’s watches, but this is the only book I have seen dedicated high-end watches for women. Page after page offer beautiful images and expert insight into the glamour, creativity and huge variety of watches made just for women. From Jackie O’s Cartier to Rihanna’s custom Chopard, gives a glimpse into the lives of others through their legendary watches and their trademark style.
If celebrity watch spotting is your thing, and believe me, this is a growing tribe, then, Watch Spotting: The Collectors by ACC Art Books (left) is watch voyeurs dream come true. Thirty celebrities from Jay-Z to Andy Warhol, from Serena Williams to Rihanna, reveal what makes them tick. Watch Spotting: The Collectors, offers a singular peek into the watch wardrobes of those who have the ultimate timepieces on their wrists.
Find out which one hundred watches changed the world in Time Machines: Iconic Watches and Their Era (below) published by Gestalten has the answer. The richly illustrated pages cover Cartier’s Santos-Dumont’s watch for daredevil pioneering pilots who needed to check the time without fumbling in their trousers for a pocket watch to the Rolex Submariner’s that opened new depths to divers, scaled Everest and walked on the moon. From 1900 to contemporary style beacons that pivoted horological aesthetics, Time Machines: Iconic Watches and Their Era offers an original look at the well documented history of C20th watchmaking.
Two books dedicated entirely to Rolex have just hit the bookshops. The first is Oyster Perpetual Datejust – A Watch that Made History, ( ACC) officially sanctified by Rolex and dedicated to the iconic timepiece (below). Author Nicholas Foulkes dedicates no less than 224-pages to chart the life and time of the Datejust, Rolex’s perennial best-seller. This follows on from the first Rolex monograph that follows the history of the Submariner. Published in conjunction with by Wallpaper*, the book offers unpublished archive photographs from its origins in 1945 reflecting the Datejust’s place in watchmaking history.
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On a more contemporary note, The Watch Book Rolex Next Generation (teNeues) watch expert Gisbert L. Brunner (below) invites us to imagine the future of the world’s most iconic watch brand by looking at the place Rolex holds in the world today and the rich history that made the Swiss watchmaker a household name.
Gisbert invites us to see Rolex as a cultural symbol that influences sport, fashion, and identity across theglobe with a focus on younger collectors, reminding us that Rolex remains the watch that defines generations.
