Feel free to contact the "'Moderator" of the Horological Books Forum

[Fortunat Mueller-Maerki]

If you have any issues, problems, suggestions that users may want to bring to my attention, you can PM me or send me a e-mail to horology@horology.com

The 'Horological Books' Forum has not had a designated Moderator lately, so I volunteered -- and was made the moderator of this space.

The rules of this MB say that moderators operate under their real name, so I mothballed my old 'handle' (horology) while I am the moderator here.

This forum has been a civil (if not to say 'quiet' ) place where not much moderating was needed and I hope it stays that way.

I hope for more posts and activities here.

 

[Ray Fanchamps]

Re: I am happy to serve as the new 'Moderator" of the Horological Books Forum

Thank you Fortunat for stepping up to work this area.
You bring tremendous experience here and I hope our users will make good use of and benefit from that experience.

Thanks

 

[Robert Gary]

Re: I am happy to serve as the new 'Moderator" of the Horological Books Forum

Fortunat:

There is no member more knowledgeable or appropriate to moderate this forum! Thank you for accepting this responsibility.

RobertG

 

[Bill Ward]

Re: I am happy to serve as the new 'Moderator" of the Horological Books Forum

No one is better equipped to run this forum; Thanks, Fortunat!

 

[cazboy]

Re: I am happy to serve as the new 'Moderator" of the Horological Books Forum

Welcome, Fortunat! We are lucky to have you here as moderator of this forum. I've often mused that most of our questions can be answered within some book somewhere, but often we are not aware of the book that can be of value in a particular instance. My horological library has maybe ten books at most - but we're lucky to have you here.

 

[Julian Smith]

For a good price for books check out

www.bookfinder.com
J Smith

 

[Jeff Salmon]

Have you seen the catalog of the recent Patek exhibit in New York? I can't seem to find if there was one or where to buy one?

Jeff

 

[Dick C]

Have you seen the catalog of the recent Patek exhibit in New York? I can't seem to find if there was one or where to buy one?

Jeff

Try here: http://www.patek.com/en/communication/news/the-art-of-watches-grand-exhibition-new-york-2017

 

[Bill Stockton]

I recently became aware of an article that appeared in the December, 1985 NAWCC Bulletin #239 about South Bend Watch Company. I tried to purchase a copy on Ebay but was too late. Soooo I tried to find it in the NAWCC archives but can't figure out how to find access to the archive to search for it. Can you point me in the right direction? If not, can you either please pass this along or let me know who to contact? I would like to find a copy of the article. Don't need the complete Bulletin.
Thanks,
Bill Stockton

 

[Dave Coatsworth]

https://nawcc.org/index.php/watch-a-clock-bulletin/past-issues-

From there, select the decade and you're on your way.

 

[PatH]

Bill,

I see that Dave replied while I was typing.

Here is a link to the article. You will need to be signed in to the NAWCC website to access the pdf.
http://docs.nawcc.org/Bulletins/1980/articles/1985/239/239_643.pdf

To access the archives on the NAWCC website, you can go to Publications > Watch & Clock Bulletin (from the menu on the left) > Previous Issues (if you know the issue number) or Publications > Watch & Clock Bulletin > Bulletin Index > Quick Index and complete the fields at the bottom of the screen (this will bring up links to the article) or you can use Advanced Search and complete the search field. (In the Sort Methods section, I prefer to select By Volume Number as it groups the returns by volume)

Good luck,
Pat

 

[Bill Stockton]

Thanks guys.

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

I see that Dave replied while I was typing.

I hope for more posts and activities here.

I am happy to serve as the new 'Moderator" of the Horological Books Forum

I got to thinking-that books are probably the most important section of our hobbies in Horology, and why this thread or section is almost ignored. How to members think we could change this.
I will start with, what is a favourite book, or was, and why you changed your mind. We could all start with "Its About Time" and go from there??

Best wishes,

Allan

 

[richiec]

My favorite book, though least studied, is George Daniels' "Watchmaking", next favorite is Archie Perkins' "The Modern Watchmakers Lathe and How to Use It". Following those two are old supply house catalogs to pine about the price of parts today.

 

[PatH]

What a great idea, Allan! Thanks for getting this topic started.

Depending on what I'm working on, I have quite a few favorite go-to books and articles. Several of them have been added to my library thanks to recommendations or references that I've seen here on the message board. However, the four I most frequently find myself referencing (or recommending to others) are the following.

1. "The Watch That Made the Dollar Famous" expanded version by George Townsend, Roy Ehrhardt and Ralph Whitmer
2. "How the Watch Was Worn: A Fashion for 500 Years" by Genevieve Cummins
3. "Timex: A Company and its Community" by Kathleen McDermott
4. "200 Years of American Clocks and Watches" by Chris Bailey

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

My favourite book, though least studied, is George Daniels' "Watchmaking", next favourite is Archie Perkins' "The Modern Watchmakers Lathe and How to Use It". Following those two are old supply house catalogues to pine about the price of parts today.

Hi richiec, you cannot go wrong with Geroge Daniels book "WATCHMAKING" have you given his biography a chance "George Daniels All In Good Time reflections of a Watchmaker" In this book, you get to see his private life, and very much so, how he thought about his work. I enjoyed it, though I am a horological book worm. Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Allan.

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

Depending on what I'm working on, I have quite a few favourite go-to books and articles. Several of them have been added to my library thanks to recommendations or references that I've seen here on the message board. However, the four I most frequently find myself referencing (or recommending to others) are the following.

Hi Pat, I thought this thread would please you, and believe it or not I just knew "The Way The Watch Was Worn" would be on any list you wrote. That then lead me to search through my book for one that would not only please you but would be on your next list. It took a while, but when I found it, it was if the book screamed I am down here. So here goes,

The Introduction starts with,
" I just saw a clock in the jewellery and silver exhibit that you ought to have. It was made by Tiffany. It´s the daddy of all clocks and just won first prize. It not only tells the hours and minutes and seconds but the turn of the tides, the phases of the moon, the price of eggs and who´s got your umbrella.

!How much?"

"Twenty-five thousand dollars".

This exchange between the great American humorist writer, Mark Twain, and California´s richest man, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin..................

Amonge the wonderful photographs (Some below) there is the only known photograph of Harry Longabaugh (The Sundance Kid) and his girlfriend Etta Place. (Of course, showing off her new broach watch in the photography department) Really well dressed. She was all they said about her-she could turn heads.




Christmas is not far away Pat-do you know a nice guy with deep pockets??

Very Best Wishes,

Allan

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

Hooooopppss. I forgot the cover photographs.

The first pic is the book cover, and the second is the sleave the book slides into. Allan.

 

[PatH]

Christmas is not far away Pat-do you know a nice guy with deep pockets??

I will agree that it's a great book! The pockets were deep enough to acquire the book at a great price from another member a few months ago, but for some reason, none of the timepieces have shown up yet. I'll have to ask him if he's waiting for Christmas, or birthday, or anniversary?

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

for Christmas, or birthday, or anniversary?

I see your problem, should I have a word will him? If he sees this you might get lucky.

So here is a nice book, printed in America. When I was collecting clocks, this one was very useful, not only well produced with great photographs, it has at the rear a catalogue of illustrations, made up of 1365 images, going from page 195 to 265.

This one I gave my wife for her den, "Not another clock" I said I would take back-its still there, and that was five years ago.





This is the one I would like for Christmas, who would not like this on top of the ebony piano? The chapters on the history are very good, and the fire guilding, though its not reccomended these days, there are two here in Germany doing it with special equipment.

Some photographs from the book,




Best wishes,

Allan.

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

This week has been taken over by the new find of a Tompion & Banger pocket watch movement, (Europian Section) number 3241 or 3441, depending on how you look at it. Whenever these rare watches turn up I reach for the Thomas Tompion 300 Years, book. Written by Jeremy Evens, Jonathan Carter and Ben Wright. from 2013. It really is a fine book with information you will not find elsewhere in one place, and of course, all the known numbers of the clocks and watch made by Tompions firm and those of Tompion & Banger and George Graham.
A most interesting start to the book is the Tompion Family tree, then a time chronicle of his family and the important people and happenings from 1597 to 1743. This takes up 118 pages. (I do not advise people to read this all at once) When you do read it, have a piece of paper and pen to hand and make notes of the important happenings in your horological interest. to be cont.......

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

So, sorry about that, we were called out by friends to go for a Chinese, very tasty. One or two of the remarks in the chronical make you wonder if they are correct or not, and its fun to check them out. One remark was in January 1706 Tompion started using end-stones for the balances of his repeating watches, I thought that a little early, but the court case by the Clockmakers Company, against Nicolas Fatio de Duiller, took place in 1704. So the rabbit was out of the hat. Strange, how we so easily we can get dates confused. Though never give on a one-off remark. reading later on page 287, the authors have this to say "Timepieces were not given a fully developed cap until the mid-1720s when Graham introduced the cylinder escapement, but Tompion was fitting jewelling to timepieces only 3-or 4 years after it was first used in repeating watches. Timepiece no.4037 of c1707/8 is apparently the earliest to have an endstone to the balance /and one was presumably fitted to the potence as well). This watch has not been examined during this research but it as a reserve shaped for an end-stone with two screws, such as was provided but not used on no. 4304 of c1709/10, After n.4037 the next examples to have end-stones are numbers 4195,4998, 4199 and 4263." To be cont.........

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

The next chapter is "Tompions Domestic Clocks" and I stopped at Decorative Engraving, what took my eye was "Discussions with modern hand engravers reveal that working uninterrupted for six days a week even the simplest of backplates would have taken at least two to three weeks to complete, and the more complicated designs even longer"

The is the book cover of Jeremy Evens book "Thomas Tompion at the Dial and Three Crowns" (2006) which was the forerunner of Thomas Tompion 300. The engraving is remarkable, and believe it or not, that is the front plate of the MosstynTompion. (I must find a photograph of the backplate).


BOOK REVIEW: Thomas Tompion at the Dial and Three Crowns, by Jeremy L. Evans
Discussion in 'Horological Books' started by Fortunat Mueller-Maerki, Apr 18, 2006.

Tags: Add Tags
The review is well worth reading, and two pages long.

To be cont......

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

There is so much information in this book, and all the chapters are so well written that it would take me till Christmas to tell you all I would like to. instead, I have jumped a few chapters, and I will tell you a little about his watches, seeing that there is one, on the Board this week that is making waves of interest. There is a chapter called, Tompions Customers and visitors to his shop. So while skipping through I did notice,

Hüygens, Constantyn(1628-97) "elder brother of Christiaan also a courier, he was personal secretary in the Netherlands to William Prince of Orange from 1672, and William retained him after he and Mary acceded to the English throne. His Journal contains many references to Tompion and his business. Hooke records on the 30th, March 1693 (Met Mr Zulichem as Constantyn was known-after the name of the family estate). at Tompions, but knew him not. Bought silver timepiece watch, repeating clock and stand (bracket), then gold timepiece watch. I am at the moment most interested in Queen Mary, as I have (I think) a watch by Auber with an engraving of the Queen.


This photograph is used as an introduction to the chapter on his watches, so there is nothing said about it there, but food for people over the weekend to try and find out, who these case makers were.


This is called "The Evolution of Tompions Timepiece Watch Potence Plates" On the left watches from 1676-78 to 1702, and on the right 1702 to 1713. I don´t know what criteria they used here, but I think I would have put one of 1706-08 watches with and end stone-the last one on the right 1713 is by Graham and does have an endstone.

So till tomorrow, Allan.

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

I said above there is so much information in this book, so I have photographed one of the pages from the chronical, and you can see how the authors pieced together the Life of Thomas Tompion. From this, we see how diligent Constantyn Hüygens was when writing his diary.

 

[Allan C. Purcell]

If you take another look at post 24, and the photograph of the Tompion watches, you will notice on the left, there is only one watch with a mask on the cock. Number 2388 c1697/8, the next number 2635 seems to have one in the centre but I am not sure. If we then look at those on the right there is only one without a mask number 3431. (3241 or 3441 on the board at the moment as two masks, more on this later). If you take the trouble to look at these masks through a good magnifying glass, you cannot but see they are all different, and so well detailed, you cannot help thinking that people at period would have know who they were. I had thought or hoped Queen Mary was among them, but she had died in 1694. (Tompion had in 1693 sold Queen Mary a spring clock in a tortoiseshell case, 40 pounds. though there are no watches shown in this book for that date. I fantasised that 4404 or 4658 could be self-portraits of Tompion and Banger?? There may be something about these when I get deeper into the small print. The watch 3241 0r 3441 has the distinction of having two masks, and so far I would say a unique watch by Tompion & Banger.

Looking at this one, I think the mask is inverted. Another unique watch, with the strange pillars, though maybe for a Tompion watch, I think I have seen them elsewhere.


The Nice cock on the Tompion & Banger watch with its two masks. Though the top one may look familiar to some of the others here, it is not the same, they are as far as I can see, all are really different.

To be cont......