Dimensions
248 x 312 x 27mm
The watch was not only made to work, but to wear. Its creation, approximately 500 years ago, has been one of man's mechanical masterpieces. This deserves to be celebrated. The technical and decorative aspect of the watch has been extensively covered in available literature. The manner of wearing has, however, been sadly neglected - a surprising fact, considering that the watch with its attachment is one of the more common and significant fashion accessories. This book aims to correct the deficiency by presenting in largely pictorial fashion the relevant styles and changes from 1510 to 2010. To achieve this, over 1,000 fascinating images are included. These depict watches and people wearing watches (paintings, engravings, fashion plates, advertisements and photographic portraits) as well as gowns and outfits of the day adorned with appropriate styles of watches and chains. The types of watches include fob, pocket, pendant, brooch, ring, buckle, cufflink, doll, occupational etc along with the current dominant wristwatch. Attachments for the watch include chatelaines, brooches, wristbands, guard, vest and fob chains. Confused terminology for these chains is clarified. Those interested in watches, jewellery, fashion and antique photography should find this publication an invaluable resource, as will re-enactors, keen for authenticity. AUTHOR: Genevieve Cummins is a Paediatric Surgeon, working in Sydney, Australia. She has a major interest in collecting a variety of antiques. She prefers to collect with a theme and for a specific purpose. This purpose has been research into the origin and history of particular topics that have not been fully covered in current literature. The result is the publication of three books by The Antique Collectors' Club. Her first book, Chatelaines - Utility to Glorious Extravagance, written with Nerylla Taunton (1994), included the first detailed research on this topic and is now considered the definitive work. The second, Boxes - Inside and Out (2006), covered every aspect of all types of boxes. These books have resulted in further newspaper reviews and magazine articles, as well as radio/television interviews. This third and current book, addresses the role of the watch as a fashion accessory, an aspect that has not previously been covered in detail. The collection acquired for this book and the book itself will be presented in June 2010 at a convention and exhibition of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), Columbia, Pennsylvania. ILLUSTRATIONS 649 colour g350 b/w illustrations
