Description
For this update to the 2014 original edition, British historian and journalist Nicholas Foulkes has selected the 100 breakthrough timepieces developed since the advent of the twentieth century, weighing the virtues of rarity, costliness, innovative functions, historical importance, grand provenance and pleasing design. The watch—a microcosm of hundreds of minute components interacting harmoniously with each other and bound within a case of precious metal—has the power to awaken emotions, excite the imagination and inspire the same passion as great art. Beautiful timepieces invite us to join a story, and the narrative that these 100 examples unfold is that of one of the most exciting and dynamic periods in human history.
These miniature machines reflect the twentieth and twenty-first centuries’ incredible technological advances and social changes, from the invention of the airplane to the effects of two world wars to the advent of space exploration and the dawn of the digital age. Featuring illustrious names such as Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Richard Mille, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, these 100 timepieces include new additions like the 1925 Patek Philippe Ref. 97975, the earliest known perpetual calendar wristwatch, the 2014 Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planétarium and the 2022 Jacob & Co. Opera Godfather Musical Watch. This handcrafted Ultimate Collection volume features hand-tipped images and is presented in a luxury clamshell case.
- 168 pages
- over 150 illustrations
- English language
- Released in November 2022
Description
For this update to the 2014 original edition, British historian and journalist Nicholas Foulkes has selected the 100 breakthrough timepieces developed since the advent of the twentieth century, weighing the virtues of rarity, costliness, innovative functions, historical importance, grand provenance and pleasing design. The watch—a microcosm of hundreds of minute components interacting harmoniously with each other and bound within a case of precious metal—has the power to awaken emotions, excite the imagination and inspire the same passion as great art. Beautiful timepieces invite us to join a story, and the narrative that these 100 examples unfold is that of one of the most exciting and dynamic periods in human history.
These miniature machines reflect the twentieth and twenty-first centuries’ incredible technological advances and social changes, from the invention of the airplane to the effects of two world wars to the advent of space exploration and the dawn of the digital age. Featuring illustrious names such as Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Richard Mille, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, these 100 timepieces include new additions like the 1925 Patek Philippe Ref. 97975, the earliest known perpetual calendar wristwatch, the 2014 Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planétarium and the 2022 Jacob & Co. Opera Godfather Musical Watch. This handcrafted Ultimate Collection volume features hand-tipped images and is presented in a luxury clamshell case.
- 168 pages
- over 150 illustrations
- English language
- Released in November 2022
PROCESS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Since its beginnings in 1994, Assouline has been dedicated to creating books that are as informational as they are beautiful works of art. The respect for the product and the process of creation is evident in every facet – the traditional technique of hand-binding covers, the imagery that transports the reader to another place and time, the luxurious thickness of each page. Known worldwide for bringing luxury to the publishing industry, Assouline produces one-of-a-kind books on fashion, art, architecture, photography, design, and travel, weaving a story of L’Art de Vivre with every publication.
The vision, since day one, has been to create books that would complete a well curated library. Today, well appointed homes of the eternally well-dressed, are likely to have an expansive collection of Assouline books in their homes or offices.
— Forbes