WATCHES A GUIDE BY HODINKEE - The book by Assouline

WATCHES A GUIDE BY HODINKEE The book by Assouline - Classic Collection

WATCHES

A GUIDE BY HODINKEE

The book by

ASSOULINE

Classic Collection

COVER - "WATCHES A GUIDE BY HODINKEE"

ASSOULINE

"WATCHES

A GUIDE BY HODINKEE"

By Assouline - Classic Collection

WHY WATCHES?

The introduction to " WATCHES A GUIDE BY HODINKEE " begins with an anecdote about Samuel Pepys, the English writer whose diary is one of the most famous chronicles of historical events from 1660 to 1669 in English history. On 12 May 1665, Pepys, who was then a clerk in the British Naval Office, collected his silver alarm clock from the clockmaker. The next day he noted of his watch: "A good and brave piece it is - but sir, to see how much of my old folly and childishness still clings to me that I cannot refrain from carrying my watch in my hand all the afternoon in the carriage, and seeing a hundred times what time it is."

Arguably the world’s most important watch,

Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona ref. 6239 with “exotic dial,” aka the “Paul Newman dial,” sold at Phillips for $17.75 million in 2017.

Paul Newman flashes his wristwear at New York’s

Madison Square Garden.

How is it that watches have had such a strong appeal to people for over five centuries?

Perhaps it is because of the versatility of the watch. Clocks tell the time, the time of sunrise or sunset, high and low tide or the phase of the moon. Clocks have also been part of the most important explorations, from exploring the Himalayas to exploring the deepest depths of the earth - clocks even flew to the moon.

The inner workings of watches are endlessly fascinating - it's a world of icons with famous names like Daytona, Royal Oak or Tank. Watches offer art or even fashion on the wrist. But watches are also part of our lives, they become part of family history - proofs of love, proofs of achievement or family heirlooms.

A watch is infinitely personal - like hardly any other piece of jewellery, it touches our skin all day long. Or the beautiful objects are simply fun to wear, to observe or even to trade with. One wonders which politician, film star or musician wears which watch and what does this watch say about his character.

The son of legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau, Philippe, wearing a Doxa Sub 300T watch.

The book " WATCHES A GUIDE BY HODINKEE " is the comprehensive introduction to the vast complex world of watches. It begins with a brief history of watches. The following chapters explain the different types of watches: chronographs, diving watches, travel timers, field watches and high complications. Other chapters deal with ladies' watches, watch style and design, and watch icons.

Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711R

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso in stainless steel.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Benjamin Clymer founded HODINKEE in the spring of 2008 as a personal project and a way to pass the time on top of a job he found hopeless. In Downtown New York City, where he lived, watches were not a topic of conversation in his age group. Benjamin Clymer writes that it was even "uncool" to be interested in mechanical watches. Benjamin Clymer became a one-man magazine. He was writer, editor, photographer, producer and publisher at the same time.

HODINKEE was his own project and he wanted to tell special stories without suspecting what PR agencies or watch manufacturers might think.

He was interested in the watch Steve McQueen wore, not the one he was paid for, but the one he bought for himself. Or which chronograph NASA chose for the flight to the moon but Benjamin Clymer also wrote in his blog which watch his grandfather loved.

For him, the times are over when a watch was only referred to as a status symbol. He says, the legitimacy of a watch is not its financial nature but its intellectual status and he always finds an interesting watch cooler than an expensive one.

Benjamin Clymer was inspired by Ralph Lauren, his current friend and eternal role model. Guided by Lauren, he tirelessly explores the world of watches to draw his taste and intellect. For Benjamin Clymer, watches are design, craft, legacy and stories in an increasingly disposable world.

To mark HODINKEE 's tenth anniversary, this book encapsulates his many years of experience. With chapters on chronographs, dive watches, high design and watchmaking icons, this book is a compendium for watch veterans and novices alike.

Cartier Tank Cintrée, ca. 1927

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time ref. 5164A

ABOUT HODINKEE

HODINKEE was founded in 2008 by Benjamin Clymer, who is now one of the most influential watch experts in the world. HODINKEE is based in New York and works editorially and in e-commerce around new and vintage wristwatches. Within just ten years, HODINKEE has established itself as the first address for lovers of modern and vintage wristwatches. Within a few years, it was named the "High Priest of Watchmaking" by the New York Times.

The name comes from the Czech and Slovak word for wristwatch, "hodinky".

HODINKEE is very successful on social media and his Instagram page has more than 670,000 followers while the YouTube page is visited by over 80,000 people daily.