Ask most horologists and watch aficionados which book you should read to improve your knowledge and understanding of how watches work and they will point to George Daniels seminal work entitled simply ‘Watchmaking’. The 28th edition of the book has just been published.

As a supreme master of his art, George Daniels’ advice is constantly sought by both students and watch repairers, his understanding of the problems that can beset the would-be watchmaker, especially in an age of mass production, and his expert knowledge of the history of watchmaking are second to none.

The making of a precision timekeeper is described step by step and illustrated at each stage with line drawings and brief explanatory captions.

Watchmaking

Among horologists the book is known simply as the Bible. It’s the first and most comprehensive step-by-step guide on the subject.

Watchmaking has become a classic. This new edition is updated to include a new section which discusses and illustrates a variety of the author’s own watches.

George Daniels’ principal aim in writing this book has been to inspire and encourage the art of watchmaking, especially among a new generation of enthusiasts.

The text is easy to follow and care has been taken to avoid complicated technical descriptions. As Daniels is particularly interested in the development of the escapement many are described in this book, and several are of his own design, and so the reader is encouraged to explore this aspect of watchmaking in even greater detail.

85 year old George Daniels resides in the Isle of Man and is widely regarded as the greatest living horologist, and one of the few who knows how to assemble a watch completely from scratch. The book is available on Amazon for just under US$50.