Clocks and Watches Books

The 13 Clocks is an amusing tale with lots of dry wit for grown-ups and charming pictures for kids. The story has a satisfying flow and conclusion where the bad guy pays and the good guy wins.

"Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn't go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his neice, the Princess Saralinda."

Well. that first line has just about everything you need to start off a fairy tale, doesn't it? And it only gets better from there.

The New York Review has just reissued Thurber's classic, paired with the illustrations by Marc Simont, with a new introduction by Neil Gaiman.
The 13 Clocks is as full of fairy tale as you can get, with a Princess, the evil Duke, and, of course, a Prince. But there's also a Golux, who seems wise, but who sometimes makes things up and is extremely forgetful, the 13 clocks, an old woman who cries jewels, and the Todal ("The Todal looks like a blop of glup. , , , It makes a sound like rabbits screaming, and smells of old, unopened rooms.")

The story, although it's exciting and scary and thrilling, isn't even the best part. No the best part, as far as I'm concerned is the words that make up the story itself and the poetical way Thurber weaves them together. It's not really poetry, yet, at the same time, it is. This story, like poems, uses those glittery, evocative, slippery wonderful words -- like "brambles and thorns and "bonged the gongs of a throng of frogs, all green and vivid on their lily pads." Words like "gleep" and "made of lip" and "impudence" and "savage clash of swords." -- that together imbue the tale with feeling and delight.
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This is truly a wonderful story and one that simply begs to be read aloud.

Quirky, bizarre, creative, and thoroughly loveable. This is how I describe one of the strangest little fairy tales I've ever read. This is a story that is truly creative and original even as it borrows from classic fairy tale/horror themes.

I was astonished to receive the summer list from The New York Review Children Collection and to find this extraordinary book by James Thurber. It begins:

"Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn't go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the wings from nightingales."

Neil Gaiman's Introduction was so good and so loving I had to read more, and I found this entry from November 2001 on his blog:

"So I'm reading James Thurber's "The 13 Clocks" to my daughter right now.

"I mentioned the fun I was having reading the book to American friends, expecting a chorus of "yes, it was our favourite book as children" and got nothing but blank looks and people shifting uncomfortably in their chairs. [I would have shifted just as uncomfortably three weeks ago.] ...

"To my surprise, and to my dismay, I discovered that it's more or less out of print (there's a hardback that may be in print, but Amazon have it listed as unavailable and won't let you order it), and even the rare bookfinder services don't have any Ronald Searle illustrated copies. Which leaves me perfectly gobsmacked. I mean, it's one of the great kids' books of the last century. It may be the best thing Thurber ever wrote. It's certainly the most fun that anybody can have reading anything aloud (I'm doing the Duke as Peter Sellers doing Olivier doing Richard III, and the Golux as Marty Feldman). If I ever wrote something half as good I'd be over the moon. And it's out of print."

I suppose Gaiman's love letter must have led to this wonderful new edition and to his being chosen to write the Introduction. Whatever the facts, my deepest gratitude to NYRB and to Gaiman and to Marc Simont for the wonderful illustrations. This is a treasure for kids and for adults.

Robert C. Ross 2008

PS: M. Williams suggests in the Comments that The Thirteen Clocks on CD recited by Edward Woodward is superior to the versions recited by Lauren Bacall or Peter Ustinov. Thanks for the suggestion. B.

I had not heard of James Thurber (I'm not from Northern America :)) until one of my friends on a study abroad program brought this book to our apartment and we started reading it out loud to each other. I loved it so much that I've read it three times already. Thurber's playing with the language is so amazing, cute and fascinating that it makes you speak "his way" after you read the book. :) And all his ideas are wonderful! This all makes the book one of a kind, really.

This is book is great. It lists a lot of world high-end watches from 2007. Although I don't have money to buy them now. At least I can look at it as a gallary book.

I bought this just to see all the awesome watches out there. Some of these are in the hundred thousands. Wow. Great pictures and company info. If you enjoy watches in the least you must own this catalog its huge and has hundreds of pictures of watches you will never own, unless you have a few hundred thousand sitting around.

Great pictures, a must for any watch enthusiast. Side note. Some of the actual specifications are not accurate.

The photography alone of these world class timepieces brings out the male urge to splurge. It's like being a kid in a candy store, you want one of everything! I've read the '05 and '06 editions and this one does not disappoint. Nice feature: a guide to the pronunciation of all those Swiss, German and French names. Even if you don't speak any of those languages you can say the names like a native. Any watch aficionado will spend many delightful hours soaking up all the facts, figures and history presented here.

I really like the format, usually get the new one when it's released.

A wonderful resource book, exhaustive coverage of big and small wristwatch producers. This is a commercial book and all company's are written about favorably (not reality). One is best to research products/reviews online in addition to get a true picture of the products represented in this book. This is the best in my opinion of the watch annual books.

The strengths are: clear listing of all watch specs, often interesting blurb about each company, pronunciation list, company contact info, additional resource list (forums, dealers, etc.). Annual does not change that much yearly, might try buying last years annual and saving about 50% for very similar content.

Enjoy this wonderfully rich subject.

Of course you can't include everything, but these annuals usually have some glaring omissions of watch lines, particularly American made.

After years of buying the equivalent in French and German, this is definitely the best guide, very complete, very well written. The prices are in US$, though. The most expensive watch, a Vacheron Constantin. 1.6 million dollars, production is limited to 7 watches. The mind boggles!

Do not expect to find quartz electronic watches from the orient here. This is a catalog of the finest in traditional watch design from Europe, primarily Switzerland, Germany and France. Here are watches that are the ultimate in design, both mechanically and artistically. They are also the ultimate in price, intended for the well to do who wants to make a fashion statement that is also a supurb timekeeper. (I don't know the most expensive watch in the book, but the highest priced one I found was $783,100.)

The book is organized by manufacturer and gives the highlights of their current product line. It is profusely illustrated with color photographs on virtually every page. Of course not every watch of every manufacturer could be included on a book of any size. But then again, that's what the web is for.

I found the catalog very limited. A review should include all products available from a manufacturer or list variations of products displayed. For example, a watch made of stainless steel is also available and not just white gold.

I will admit to being prejudiced. I've known Del Coates for about four years now through Western Automotive Journalists.
He is a true gentleman who has always been willing to chat with me and help me to understand why I really liked a cetain car I was reviewing.

Del's book not only provides brief and clear analysis of why objects around us are made the way they are, but gave me a far more complete tool set with which to judge. What I learned will allow me to be a better writer who can now "make sense" out of what I am feeling.

I have not only told my friends about the book, I went out and purchased about a dozen and sent them to fellow writers and editors. And being the cheapskate that I am, this even surprised me.

This is simply a superb book and will be cherished by anyone who really wants to understand how Industrial Design developed
and grew into something that touches us every second of every day
whether we recognize it or not.

I will admit to being prejudiced. I've known Del Coates for about four years now through Western Automotive Journalists.
He is a true gentleman who has always been willing to chat with me and help me to understand why I really liked a cetain car I was reviewing.

Del's book not only provides brief and clear analysis of why objects around us are made the way they are, but gave me a far more complete tool set with which to judge. What I learned will allow me to be a better writer who can now "make sense" out of what I am feeling.

I have not only told my friends about the book, I went out and purchased about a dozen and sent them to fellow writers and editors. And being the cheapskate that I am, this even surprised me.

This is simply a superb book and will be cherished by anyone who really wants to understand how Industrial Design developed
and grew into something that touches us every second of every day whether we recognize it or not.

A book that addresses what many know but fail to acknowledge. This book brings the importance of design, which is a result of the power of the human senses, to the mainstream without dumbing down the material. The decisions people make in regards to buying products are largely based on unarticulated(Subconscious) reasons. Studies report that 80% of human communication is non-verbal and that visual communication is one of the oldest and most important forms of communication. In todays marketplace where most products are commodities, possesing similar features and functions, design is one of the most powerful forms of differentiation. This book details the importance of design and the key attributes that make one design stand out from another. Take notice of the "irregular" or different size of this books binding. Do you think some thought went into that?

"Watches Tell More than Time" is about how industrial designers influence the emotional responses that their products create. (Note: it's primarily concerned with physical objects, as opposed to computer software, which gets a lot of design press these days).

It explains these responses in terms of evolutionary psychology. And, in what I consider to be the reason to read the book, it tells you how to measure and optimize them. That is, it lays out the theoretical underpinnings for a small set of attributes (contrast, novelty, objective concinnity, and subjective concinnity) that are fundamentally responsible for our emotional responses to objects, then describes a systematic process by which you can strengthen the responses that you consider important for a given product, and then measure your success (using a semantic differential scale) and find out you whether you have simultaneously weakened other desirable responses.

There is some jargon, but it's well defined and to the point, and anyone interested in design should have no problem understanding it.

It's at its best when the author delves into specific examples. Many are from his experience in the car design field; others are everyday items that everyone can relate to. The detailed deconstruction of a "simple" Corelle cup is outstanding -- I wish the book had a dozen more like it.

The book's major weakness is the amount of time devoted to relatively elementary concepts, such as contrast and novelty. (How many times and in how many ways do we need to be told, for example, that new things command more of our attention than familiar ones?) I finished several chapters in a row thinking "OK, now that's he's got that out of his system, he's about to get to the good stuff." Eventually he does, but the repetition beforehand is why my rating is four stars, not five.

Note: The book is _not_ about what I might call the "mechanics of aesthetics". How is it that Curve A feels dull while Curve B -- a subtle, almost unnoticeable variation -- seems taut and alive? Why does this union of materials and forms seem exactly right, even inspiring, but that one fails to catch the eye?

For example, the author calls SUVs outwardly "robust", "rugged", and "militaristic". That feels right, but what makes it so? What is it, exactly, about the shapes and lines of an SUV that evoke such a different reaction than is typical for a minivan ("bland", "boring", "utilitarian")? Each is, after all, more like the other than like a sedan. Yet no one would have trouble identifying the type from a picture -- even without telltale backgrounds of the Rockies vs a youth soccer field. Each time I think I've got it nailed down, I see a counter-example on the road. I think it's mostly a matter of the angle between the hood and windshield, and the height of the grille. But that just begs the question: why are the more acute angle and higher grille more aggressive in the first place? A lower grille and gentler angle are considered more aggressive in a sports car.

"Watches Tell More than Time" tantalizingly dances around such questions, but fundamentally doesn't attempt to answer them. But it leaves you better equipped to wrestle with the answers yourself. (A sports car has different emotional goals than an SUV.)

So the book won't make you an industrial designer any more than a trip to the art supply store will make you an artist. Instead, it introduces you to a fundamental chunk of an industrial designer's toolkit. If you've already internalized "talk to your users" and "keep it simple", and you want a deeper understanding of how some products are able to become beloved icons, you'll probably find very interesting material here.

You will learn how humans react to a product - particularly great ones. I appreciate that the author has given me a new way to look at products and the effect of their designs.

The author describes from a neurological and pyschological point of view how you react to a new product the instant you see it. I am talking micro-seconds here. Then, he discusses how you come to like it or reject it (a few microseconds later). This was truly interesting. He relates it back to Information Theory -- yet the book was not about bits and bytes. He describes how various shapes communicate differing amounts of information. Too much results in an over load.

The author presents a simple model to analyze products. To help with this he discusses how he uses semantic difference surveys. I found this material very interesting although I wish that he had included samples of the survey documents. I didn't understand how the prospects visualized and then specified the ideal product to compare your product to.

This is truly a great book but it does requires you to slow down when you read. The author carefully defines his terms - which unfortunately have to deal with cultural abstractions (like 'zeitgeists', 'daimons'). To keep up with the author, you need to understand these terms, as the author defines them.

I will now go back a second time and try to make his framework more permanent in my brain.

The author sleeps and dreams about great design. He has been a great designer (cars) for some time and now teaches out in San Jose.

If you develop new products, or are a CEO of a company, or if you just like design... this is a required book.

I looked at the book at the book store several times and put it back because the abstract terminology turned me off. Later I went and sat down in the book store and read it more slowly. It was then that I realized what a jewell this book is. I'd love to sit in on one of his classes.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

My son who is 9 years old can not get enough of this series. He has read books 1 through 13 and wants more! He usually reads one of these books in about two days. The characters are so well developed and the situations they get into are hilarious. These books are clever and fun. It's unbelievable to me that they are written by the same person who wrote the Goosebumps series which my son definitely does not care for. Get this book for your child, but watch out--you'll never be able to get just one--they'll be begging you to buy the entire series.

Another great series of books for RL Stine. These keep kids attention and have them coming back for more. If you are trying to get your kids into Chapter books, then get these. They are entertaining and funny and most of them if not all are worth AR points. They are a fun read, so good your little will probably have it read before the end of the day. That is a great accomplishment for a child to read a chapter book in less than a day. These are super funny, cool, and entertaining and all the kids LOVE them.

I got this book back in 2005 when the series started. Personally, I think this is a very good book if you enjoy mysteries and smart stories. I think this book is a great start for a book series because you keep wanting to read on and on when you start to read it. In fact, I finished this book just in TWO days because I enjoyed it so much. As a fan of this book series for two years, I really recommend other kids to read this wonderful series. It has a lot of very funny and smart scenes.



The series is basically about a fourth grader named Bernie Bridges who got sent to a boarding school called Rotten School. There in the campus, he often gets in trouble. Also, he has a huge crush on a girl called April May June, so he often tries to get her attention and impress her. There are two dorms for the boys-"Nyce House" and "Rotten House". Rotten House is where Bernie and his friends stay at and Nyce House is where Bernie and his friends' enemies stay at. The two sides have a rivalry, so they often compete against each other in events.



That's basically all I can tell you right now because I don't want to spoil anything for you.

There are not enough good books out there for boys to read & spark there interest, but these did it. They loved the characters & their funny names. They were begging me to buy the rest in the series & I did. Try these out, you won't be disappointed.

This is the first in a new series from beloved children's author R. L. Stine of Goosebumps fame. Bernie Bridges wants Sherman Oaks' fancy new watch. How will he get it? He challenges the residents of Sherman's residential home to a pie eating contest. They will pick a representative for them and Bernie's group will choose a person to represent them. Of course, Bernie has a secret plan. Will it work? You will have to read the book to find out. The Big Blueberry Barf-Off will appeal to most school kids between 8 and 12 years of age. A departure from the Goosebumps style it is a good read filled with descriptions of the gross and messy stuff children that age like to read about while still providing an interesting story with plenty of twists and turns. This series should appeal to boys where other titles often fail.

excellent book for the pro or just for the interested amateur. great pics,descriptions and info. worth every penny.

This book is geared to the watch collector and repairer, which is exactly what I was looking for. It has an excellent description of the major dials and movements with nice large pictures. The information is detailed, in-depth and informative. A professional book. It is large format, not too thick, but the glossy pages (which is a good thing) make it heavy. For the collector / repairer of chronographs, this is a must-have book.

Overall an excellent book on chronographs, which is a cross between a coffee table book and a reference work. As a collector, I refer to it a lot.

Unfortunately, the translation is poor, and there are many inconsistencies which can make it hard to follow descriptions: for example, the same component in the chronograph mechanism may be referred to by several different names. Also, the final editing of the English version leaves a lot to be desired, especially in a book of this price. Having said this, it's still a very good book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

This book illustrates the intricacies of chronograhs in great detail and with much attention given to not-so-well-known facts. Master Watchmaker Gerd-Ruediger Lang is the founder and manager of Chronoswiss Uhren GmbH in Munich, Germany and his attention to detail can both be found in this book and in his watches, which are famous throughout the world.

This is a great book for those interested in chronograph watches. The pictures are very good and the detail on the movements is exceptional. The format of the book is rather large, but not too thick. Quality printing and binding. Nearly a must-have for watch collectors and horologists.

This book is thorough. This book covers the topic of wheel and pinion cutting very well. I would like to have seen a chapter on CNC.

Grins

The book under review in my opinion is without doubt the standard published text in the contemporary horological literature on its subject.

The material is comprehensive and clearly prsesented.

This book was a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law who is a machinist who repairs clocks, vintage Victrolas, etc. The book is full of machines that he has never seen before. A true winner!!

One of the best books on gear cutting written so an average machinist can understand it.

Fanatastic book, and a bargain at the price. This book should be of interest to all clock makers, model makers, and home shop machinist. Anyone interested in the history of machine tools and clock making will also find this work of real interest. The first section covers the history of wheel cutting and the later part deals with all aspects of gear making in detail. Covers a wide range of gear cutting equipment, how to make cutters, and related watch and clock making operations. Absolutely the best book on the subject!!

15 minutes was a really fun read. I raced through this fast-paced and hilarious story. The ending was a surprising twist. I plan to read this one aloud to one of my 4th or 5th grade classes next year - they will love it. Zany in the style of Jon Scieszka or Dav Pilkey (the author names 2 of the middle schools in the book after these authors). I will be recommending this book to fans of those authors, but I think almost anyone would enjoy this book.

I couldn't help but like Casey's character - he was a great underdog that I kept rooting for in his quest to find himself and find his true friends.

I found 15 Minutes to be an absolutely wonderful book. I read it aloud to my 4th grader and 2nd grader, and they both loved it. The book is exciting AND funny AND thoughtful and just a wonderful read. My reaction is the same as the two other reviews: This book is wonderful for both kids and adults. I can't wait for a movie version of this GROUNDHOG DAY for kids story.

I said I read this to my 2nd and 4th grade children. Here's what the 2nd grader has to say:

This book is the best book I've ever read in my entire life. I'd really like to buy it and I'd like it if you could possibly make it into a movie. Time travel, I think, is absolutely wonderful and mysterious. --N.

Wisecracking Casey Little is never on time. In fact, "on time" for him is a little late for everyone else. His lack of punctuality causes no end of grief, and no end of visits to the principal's office.

Things change when he finds a watch built by his grandfather. He's amazed to learn it's a time machine. One problem. It only goes back fifteen minutes. But that's still pretty cool, right?

Casey is faced with tough choices throughout this story. He must weigh the values of friendship, popularity, honesty, and hard work.

Young weaves a fun, funny, and punny tale with enough lessons to satisfy parents. This book is easy to read, although there are references that may go over some kids' heads. For example, there's a scene where Casey talks about escargot without knowing what it is. This scene appeals more to adults/older kids who will get the joke.

This book would be a great classroom pick. I found no fewer than four possible discussion points and/or possible activities. Books like this are what make learning fun, especially for reluctant readers.

Definitely recommended.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
6/17/2006

Do-overs are rarely afforded to any of us, and it's intriguing to think about going back in time to correct our mistakes. Like most teens, Casey Little is plagued with daily do-over want-to-dos. Unlike any of us, he gets the chance after stumbling across his grandfather's invention: The Go-Back Machine, which straps to the wrist and whisks the wearer back in time, but only for the past fifteen minutes. There's one minor glitch; sometimes the Go-Back has a mind of its own.

Captivating from the first view of the vividly-colored cartoonish front cover, "15 Minutes" is a fast-paced romp through Casey's re-do trips back in time, and sparkles with jokes and Casey's self-inflicted humor to carry him through his perceived "humiliating" adolescent faux pas and dealing with the class bully.

Adding to the interest are interactive pages that allow the reader to write his own thoughts. Succinct history lessons and word definitions peak the curiosity and are mingled with moral lessons -- some subtle, some with the kick of a rodeo bull -- all of which combine to make "15 Minutes" a great read for the young man or girl who is looking for something stimulating to wile away summer hours.

Definitely time well-spent, even for a grow'd up.

My daughter has loved this book since she was 6 months. She is now 2 and we still read it every night. The illustrations are bright and fun.

What an absolutely fun and enjoyable read. To go through the whole "clock strikes" sequence not only helps my daughter learn numbers, but we were able to get up close and personal with the famous mouse. The author came up with some fantastic new nursery rhymes, holding true to the fun-to-say "Hickory Dickory Dock!" We loved reading this book over and over again because the words really move along easily. The illustrator added great visual characterization of such a fun tale. Great job, it's fun to see the nursery rhymes take on new and energetic life! The mouse and his adventures endeared me to this modern version of the nursery rhyme forever. I'd love to see more by Mr. Aylesworth.

When I saw this book I thought my son would not sit through it, as he was still little(2&1/2). He loves the book and has most of it memorized. It's a book of funny words great rhymes and lots of fun for young kids to associate with. Definite Thumps Up!!!!

I am a mom and a former children's librarian. I highly recommend this book for preschool-Kindergarten age children.

My child just loves the book. The clock hands aren't hard to move at all. It's a first pick every night.We just love it.

This lovely picture book is a successful hour by hour mix of the everyday and the mystery of a quiet house at night while the family sleeps. At each reading I watch my toddler grandchildren sway and respond to the rhythm of the rhyming text. "Read it again" they say. What an endorsement!

This is a charming book, full of sweetness and innocence, that children will ask for over and over again. It's a good "interactive" book -- there are moveable hands on the front cover so kids can learn how to tell time by setting the clock themselves. Also, the delightful text has repetitive phrases so that even non-readers can "chime in" when the clock strikes. In addition, the illustrations suggest the mystery and magic of both a house at night and the "secret life" of inanimate things -- both of which kids love to fantasize about.

Each enchanting hour is heralded by the comforting toll of a stately hall clock that guards the household. Children will delight in the gently-told and pictured events that go on each hour in a nighttime household. Daytime hours show family and neighborhoods safe and secure -- an oasis for children in these difficult times. Beautiful poetic images skillfully woven into rhythmic and truly lyrical poetry. A joy to read -- and a joy to watch as toddlers sway to the beat of this lovely story. I personally love this -- even better than GOOD NIGHT MOON.