Independents

I have just received my copy of the "Contemporary Watchmaking" by Michael Clerizo. This 292 pages book is mainly about Georges Daniels, Svend Andersen, Vincent Calabrese, Philippe Dufour, Antoine Preciozo, Frank Muller, Aniceto Jimenez Pita, Alain Silberstein, Marco Lang, Roger Smith and Vianney Halter (about 20 pages per watchmakers). Another 50 pages are dedicated to Felix Baumgartner, Aaron Becsei, Nicolas Delaloye, Romain Gauthier, Paul Gerber, Robert Greubel & Steven Forsey, Richard Habring, Beat Haldimann, John & Stephen Mc Gonigle, Rainer Nienaber, Thomas Prescher, Daniel Roth, Stepan Sarpaneva, Peter Speake-Marin, Andreas Strehler, Christian Van der Klaaw, Kari Voutilainen and Volker Vyskocil. I have followed the making of the chapter dedicated to Vianney Halter and now I am discovering the whole book and the other chapters. The result is simply breathtaking : It don't say that only for being kind towards Michael. I am quite used to book about watchmaking but his goes deeper in the watchmakers' mind and explores their inspiration universes. Pictures are not simply those extracted from the press kits, texts were really written purposely for the book after long interviews with watchmakers. The kind of book that you cannot browse but have to read, taking your time. That is what I am going to do. Michael Clerizo will attend the Paris Belles Montres Show on Fri 27th and Sun 29th. No doubt he will be congratulated by the watchmakers he has so talentfully featured !

Will be a great read
*CL

If he'll have books for sale at the SBM, or just be there for chatting?
A

at Belles Montres, Paris.

Hello.
sorry for being off topic, but i have a question about a book that was presented in this section of the forums.
it was a book solely on watch movements, and it contained mostly photos.
i've searched for it but didn't find it.
does anyone have a link to the original post?
or maybe someone knows the name of that book.
and about this book presented in this topic all that i can say is that the presentation made on many sites made me think about buying one.

Movement from Guido Mocfico; Publisher: Steidl.

Oliver

No message body

Hi 'User',

Here are a couple of links to previous discussions I had about Mocafico's "Movement":

Link 1

Link 2

Andrew

is announced for friday. Now I am even more impatient

Oliver

No message body

I wish that I could be there as well - being a dedicated friend of the Independents - but without having the chance of meeting more than a couple of them in person.

Believe me, it is well worth it!

amerix

Hope they are available at SBM.

Hope to bump in to other Purists there too.

Vernon.

I ordered my copy from Amazon and received it on Saturday.  I was really looking forward to this book.  It contains wonderful color pictures of watches and movements grouped according to the watch maker.  Now here is the problem.

There is much text written about the watch makers from the time they were young boys and what got them interested in watches.  That text (which is the majority of the text in the book) is displayed in white text over a golden brown colored page.  To make matters worse the text is displayed on each page in a half circle to simulate the face of a watch.  On every other page the text is placed over a graphic of a watch movement.  While this is nice and "artsy", it is impossible to read the text without straining.  Also if the light that you are reading under is at a certain angle, it is impossible to even read the text.  The graphic designer failed miserably in the design of this book.

Yesterday, I contacted the publisher by telephone and email above these issues.

As much as I really love this book, the graphic distractions out weigh the fantastic content in the book itself.

The book itself is magnificent.

I have just received a copy, on loan for my perusal. Tomorrow I will go about it seeing and reading it!

To read the text, I suggest a large magnifying glass, - such as one used for studying maps - with some more than adequate lighting.

This is not meant to be a fast and easy read but will hopefully attract more than a few of those unfamiliar to the beauty of this particular art and the spirit and skills of its makers, in this case the watchmakers - and very special living (!) watchmakers.

The photographs speak mainly for themselves, while presenting "the works" and the work that has gone into making them from some extremely different personalites, with most of them coming from a common background.

For the uninitiated, the movement of a watch is more than some strangely intertwining lines and shapes, and that is revealed here together with the the vision and intentions of the watchmakers - like them or not, that is appreciate them or notl

But there is a great deal to like and appreciate and go GAGA about here!

I tbelieve that what sets thiis book apart from so many gloriously photographed hobby-oriented books from woodworking to ceramics that are made mainly to be displayed on the so-called coffee table at or around Christmas-time is that it shows us what has been happening up to Now upon the contemporary independent watch-making scene from these very special, if selected, personalities.

There are others!

Or just enjoy Mchael Clerizo's book for what it is. I certainly do - or will - after typing these first impressions.

Tomorrow will come - and surely it will!

amerix

Amerix:

I do agree with you about the book.  I ordered it the day I discovered it and am enjoying it.  I think it is a case of "art" pushing the limits of practicality too far away.  My point was that I was looking forward to savoring the book and enjoying the text.  I hate to be forced to work at something that I am trying to enjoy.

Take care and enjoy your weekend.

Mark

for me the stories these men tell of their journey into the watchmaking stratosphere are a pure delight, many of which will or have already entered horologic history.  The presentation is none too shabby, very much to high-coffee-table standards, a visual treat but primarily meant to illustrate the most excellent text.  I hope many will support Michael's efforts and enjoy it!

(fair disclaimer --  although I contributed a few photographs to Michael, I have no financial or commercial attachment to this project)