BOOKREVIEW: Chronology of Timekeeping in Portugal

[Fortunat Mueller-Maerki]

Chronology of Timekeeping in Portugal
by Fernando Correia de Oliveira

Published by Lagonda in Lisbon Portugal, October 2004

The literature on horology in Portugal until recently has been meager to non-existing. The only book on the subject I ever came across was the "Historia do Tempo em Portugal"
, Elementos para uma Historia do Tempo, da Relojoaria e das Mentalidas em Portugal
by the portugese journalist and watch enthusiast Fernando Correia deOliveira, published 2003. That book, written in Portugese, is difficult to follow for the non portugese speaker.

Fortunatly the same author has now published a second book "CROLOLOGIA DO TEMPO EM PORTUGAL"which although a less ambitious titel is of more use to the non-portugese reading horological scholar.
It is a simple 64 page linear TIMELINE from the year 1176 to the present listing several hundert events or artifacts in the timekeeping history of Portugal 101 of which are illustrated. Items include for instance most of the significant portugese made historic timepieces scattered around various museums in Portugal. This format makes the book usable even if you read no Portugese, but for some reason still want to find out something on the subject of timekeping in Portugal.

Admitted this is a tiny marketniche but the author nevertheless deserves the appreciation of the global community of horological scholars for having filled it.

Fortunat Mueller-MAerki
Founder and Editor of Bibliographia Horologiae Mundi

[Fortunat Mueller-Maerki]

The author of this book has just published a second title: A directory of Portugese clock and watchmakers.

I will post a review on this forum shortly.

Fortunat