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Hands of Time: A Watchmaker’s History

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""A hugely entertaining achievement."" –Esquire“An engaging survey through a period of intellectual history that reveals as much about people who wear watches as the objects on their wrists."" – Wall Street Journal""As impeccably crafted and precisely engineered as any of the watches on which the author has worked so lovingly over the years, this book is a joy to behold and a wonder to enjoy.” –Simon Winchester, author of The Perfectionists and LandAn award- winning watchmaker—one of the few practicing the art in the world today—chronicles the invention of time through the centuries-long story of one of mankind’s most profound technological achievements: the watch.Timepieces have long accompanied us on our travels, from the depths of the oceans to the summit of Everest, the ice of the arctic to the sands of the deserts, outer space to the surface of the moon. The watch has sculpted the social and economic development of modern society; it is an object that, when disassembled, can give us new insights both into the motivations of inventors and craftsmen of the past, and, into the lives of the people who treasured them.Hands of Time is a journey through watchmaking history, from the earliest attempts at time-keeping, to the breakthrough in engineering that gave us the first watch, to today – where the timepieces hold cultural and historical significance beyond what its first creators could have imagined. Acclaimed watchmaker Rebecca Struthers uses the most important watches throughout history to explore their attendant paradigm shifts in how we think about time, indeed how we think about our own humanity. From an up-close look at the birth of the fakes and forgeries industry which marked the watch as a valuable commodity, to the watches that helped us navigate trade expeditions, she reveals how these instruments have shaped how we build and then consequently make our way through the world.A fusion of art and science, history and social commentary, this fascinating work, told in Struthers’s lively voice and illustrated with custom line drawings by her husband and fellow watchmaker Craig, is filled with her personal observations as an expert watchmaker—one of the few remaining at work in the world today. Horology is a vast subject—the “study of time.” This compelling history offers a fresh take, exploring not only these watches within their time, but the role they played in human development and the impact they had on the people who treasured them. Read more

Listening Length: 8 hours and 7 minutes


Author: Rebecca Struthers


Narrator: Anna Ploszajski


Whispersync for Voice: Ready


Audible.com Release Date: June 13, 2023


Publisher: Harper


Program Type: Audiobook


Version: Unabridged


Language: English


ASIN: B0BJ171C8H


Best Sellers Rank: #20,754 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #7 in Antique & Collectible Clocks & Watches (Books) #19 in History of Computers & Technology #42 in History of Engineering & Technology


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Sep 15 – Sep 17

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Excellent, thorough, well-written book on horology.
Format: Hardcover
I have a collection of nine books on watches and horology and this one stands out as one of the best. I liked it so much that I originally bought it as a Kindle book, but before I'd even finished it, I ordered it in hardback as I wanted it in my library. First, I'll tell you what it's not because it's not for everybody. It doesn't have great descriptions of how watches work or details about sophisticated complications. There are no color photographs of watches, only drawings done very well by her husband. There are better books for those things. What it is is a very simple, well-written work with a somewhat detailed history of horology, not just watches. Rebecca Struthers mentions the earliest known horological device from 44,000 years ago. That's not a typo! She cleverly intertwines her and her husband's experience of becoming independent watchmakers in Great Britain with horological topics as well as some of the challenges they face in their craft. She even has a great sense of humor, something totally lacking in any of the other watch-related books I've read. Other than the more technical sections, Hands of Time reads like a thoroughly enjoyable novel, fun to sit and read. I will definitely reread it someday. I highly recommend it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2024 by Salgud
    • Would get 5 Stars without the political injections
Format: Hardcover
I can’t speak highly enough about what a wonderful history of timekeeping this book is. The author is a terrific writer who clearly knows her craft (watchmaker) as well as the history of her craft. Unfortunately we live in an age where everything is politicized, including, apparently, the history of timekeepers. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just wish the author had kept strictly to the topic of her book. Injecting politics into every aspect of our lives is the opposite of helpful to our day to day existence and the sheer entertainment of reading this otherwise fascinating book (that doesn’t need to get political) gets tainted when politics are unnecessarily injected. Aside from that it’s a really good book. But it would have been truly stellar without the politics. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2024 by John Spezzano
    • Worth reading
Format: Kindle
This book explores keeping track of time and how it changed society from prehistoric calendar sticks to today's atomic clocks. She writes of the early water clocks, candle clocks and sand clocks. Some of these were extremely intricate and animated, for an example an elephant clock with moving riders. She moves on to the mechanical clocks of all kinds from town public towers to the eventual development of the wrist watch. There is a lot of detail and many side stories of the watch makers and customers. Enjoyable ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2024 by JudyH
    • Amazing Book
Format: Paperback
If you are at all interested in watchmaking and a history of the evolution of clocks and watches, then this book is one you should get a hold of. Once I started it, I found it hard to put down, I'll certainly be reading it a second (and third) time. Beautifully written.
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2026 by Robert
    • It’s a beautiful book about an eternally compelling subject
Format: Kindle
Thank you, Rebecca, for a wonderful read about time and the history behind the art and science of timekeeping and watchmaking.
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2026 by M. Stone
    • Mesmerizing history of time and watch making
Format: Hardcover
The amount of effort and attention that has gone into tracking time and developing ways to measure time is humbling. I had a greater appreciation for time, my own time and truly felt connected to the author by the end of the book. So much of what she shared about how she views her own time resonated with me. Truly grateful that Rebecca took the time to write this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023 by Hanna Lupico
    • A horological classic.
Format: Paperback
As a watch enthusiast, the detailed information within this book was great. A good read, and the book size is a huge plus as a carry around until finish.
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2025 by HENRY TYME
    • Enjoyable, as a hobbyist watch repairer
Format: Hardcover
I had read somewhere that the author's intent was to have a book for non-watchmakers so that they may better appreciate the trade. As a hobbiest, I was able to follow along, and some of the information was little basic, but I am hesitant to recommend that my non-watchmaking partner read it, as it does feel a little too technical? That said, there's a huge glossary, so someone looking to understand the technical side of it should be able to. I loved the history side of things, and learned a fair bit that I hadn't heard before from the internet, YouTube, etc.. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2024 by Harvey Johnson

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