Search  for anything...
NA

Hands of Time: A Watchmaker's History of Time. 'An exquisite book' - STEPHEN FRY

  • Based on 561 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for the best price...
$9.99 Why this price?
Save $7.78 was $17.77

Buy Now, Pay Later

As low as $2 / mo
  • – 4-month term
  • – No impact on credit
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.

Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayTomorrow. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Free shipping on this product

FREE 30-day refund/replacement

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Amazon
Arrives Feb 26 – Feb 27
Order within 2 hours and 35 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout
Protection Plan Protect Your Purchase
Checking for protection plans...

Recently Viewed

Description

"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 Land An 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 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

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder Paperback


Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 2, 2024


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 260 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1529339049


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 48


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.96 x 1.1 x 7.72 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #398,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)


Customer Reviews: 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 561 ratings


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Feb 26 – Feb 27

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • PayTomorrow Financing
  • Financing through Apple Pay
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Similar Products

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
    • 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
    • Amazing book about life, history and watches
I have started to read this book just because i am huge mechanical watch enthusiast and I was hoping to learn more about wristwatches and their history. What I have got from this book was unbelievable story about women whose whole life was dedicated to this old and even romantic practice of watch reparing and watch making, awesome and really amazing history of measuring time and ofcourse watches and amazing lesson about cherising our time on this Earth. One of the best books that I have ever read in my life! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2023 by Toni Marić
    • 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
    • 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
    • Very upset…
Format: Kindle
I strongly disliked the book when it ENDED! What a pleasure to read this - very fortunate. Not a technical handbook at all, but the chapter “How to Repair a Watch” was so practical and easy to understand (for those familiar with watch movements). Easy, captivating read that draws one deeper into the watch world and creates a sincere appreciation for old school, purist watchmakers. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024 by Authentic
    • Interesting History of Watches and Watch Making
Format: Hardcover
Review Image by JW Obermayer JW Obermayer
Very pleasant to read about the importance of timekeeping as society industrialized and ships traveled the world. Not too techy on watchmaking, just enough. She takes us into how clocks evolved from ship's captains to playthings for the rich and well-off, to clocks and watches ( not so different than today). She comments on digital watches and their evolvement to today. Certainly worth the read. Makes me more appreciative of my father's Stratford Watch (6 jewels) which he got as a gift at his Christian Confirmation in 1920 (or so). I had it serviced in 1974 in Park Ridge, Illinois. Keeps great time. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2023 by JW Obermayer JW Obermayer

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.
Checking for best price...