Collector's Dictionary of Clocks and Watches - Tapa dura

"Collector's Dictionary of Clocks and Watches" is intended not only for those who already collect horological items but also those who have a general interest in what was truly man's first precision engineering. With nearly 2,000 separate entries, the dictionary is extremely wide-ranging including everything the collector of clocks and watches would want to know. It explains the technical and specialist terms of the various parts and their functions in everyday language, and deals with most of the vast number of types and styles of clocks and watches produced over the years, with special attention to collectable ones. It lists the individuals who made important contributions to mechanical horology over its 600-year history, such as those exceptional men who invented and produced remarkable time-keepers. There are stories of the surprising survivals of Captain Cook's time-keeper, the chronometer that belonged to Captain Bligh of the Bounty, and Captain Scott's watch from the Antarctic. This comprehensive guide, painstakingly compiled over many years from the author's vast knowledge is a must for all those interested in horology.

Eric Bruton was trained as an engineer and became interested in clocks during the war. He was later appointed editor of the Horological Journal, the world's oldest technical publication and official journal of the British Horological Institute of which he became a fellow. Another of his specialist subjects was the diamond and a Bruton medal is presented to the student of an outstanding paper, should one appear, in the annual examinations. Eric Bruton is the author of many books including ten on the history of clocks and watches. He died in 2000.