Daniels can be a dense read, though. If what you’re interested in is building your own watch, one option is “Beginner Watchmaking: How to Build Your Very First Watch” by Tim Swike. What I like about this very conversational book is that the author assumes zero knowledge and includes many large pictures. He introduces the reader to each part of a watch and includes quartz watches, which many authors don’t. Swike shows you how to find an affordable watch online and then customize it with a new dial, hands, band, or movement.
Another option for learning repair is the classic “The Watch Repairer’s Manual,” written by HSNY President Henry Fried in 1949 and still as relevant as ever.
If what you’re interested in is learning about watch collecting and the luxury watch industry, I recommend “The Magic of Watches” by Louis Nardin. Image 1 shows an illustrated page of dial decoration patterns you might find in high-end watches.
How much is my Rolex worth?
If you show me your wrist, I’ll make you an offer!
Just kidding. We don’t offer valuations. But your friendly librarians at HSNY are happy to help you research any brand or type of watch. For Rolex, some of our newer offerings are “Vintage Rolex: The Largest Collection in the World” and Mara Cappelletti’s “Rolex Philosophy.” For Patek, you might like to peruse John Reardon’s learned oeuvre.
But what’s the best watch? Should I buy a Rolex, Omega, or Patek?
The best watch is the one you love, the one you’ll wear even when you’re not going anywhere but the bagel place, or even just sitting on the couch. I’ve got tiny vintage watches that spark joy every time I wear them, all bought for under $150. There really is no universal watch.
If you’re looking for a watch as an investment, one place to search is our collection of vintage price guides. You can find a watch that was collectible in 1989, and see how much it’s going for today. It’s probably faring better than your Beanie Baby collection.
I inherited a pocket watch from my grandparent. How do I find out more about it?
The internet can be really helpful for this kind of question, because enthusiasts make it their business to track down obscure makers and untangle convoluted industrial histories. I often refer visitors to the NAWCC members’ forum, where helpful horologists ask and answer questions about dial painting, electric horology, and even recovering stolen watches. The American Pocket Watch forum is especially active. I also recently discovered the Pocket Watch Database, which is very user-friendly for the non-initiated (like me).
If you’d like to bring your pocket watch (or pictures of it) into our library, we’ll do everything we can to help you learn more about the watch’s manufacture and its history. Our pocket watch section is robust, covering European and American models in detail. Reinhard Meis’ “Pocket watches : from the pendant watch to the Tourbillon” is pretty comprehensive.
How can I become a watchmaker?
“I like to take watches apart, but I can’t put them back together.” That’s the line I hear most often from visitors at HSNY who are interested in learning more about watchmaking. There’s no need to struggle on your own, squinting at a diagram or advancing laboriously through a YouTube video frame by frame. (No shade to YouTube, still an excellent learning tool.)
You can get some hands-on experience in one of our classes, designed just for beginners. If you drop a screw, well, you won’t be the first or the last. A few classes won’t qualify you to be a watchmaker, however. Just like any career, if you decide you want to pursue watchmaking full-time, you can pursue a full-time certification program. There are nine US-based options for you, and we offer scholarships to all of them.
A classic horology textbook that we have in our library is “Theory of Horology,” which is always in high demand for watchmaking students and aspiring students. Also popular is the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking Training Manual.
I wear a smartwatch. Am I welcome here?
No, we’ll chase you off the premises. Yes, of course! In fact, my co-librarian, St John Karp, recently wrote an article about this very topic. Smartwatches have their place, and we even consider them a kind of gateway watch that encourages the wearer to try on other types of wristwear. You don’t need to wear a mechanical watch, an expensive watch, or any kind of watch at all to participate in our programming.
How can I get my watch repaired?
One option is to learn the basics yourself in one of our evening or weekend classes, described above, and repair it yourself! The books I recommended in the first answer will help you follow up and expand your knowledge.
As a nonprofit, we do not endorse specific businesses. A good resource is the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute’s “Find a Professional” website, where you can do your own research. You can enter your ZIP code and get a list of watch and clockmakers in your area, sorted by specialty.
What do you do here?
As a librarian, I help answer people’s questions about watches, clocks, calendars, navigation, sundials, and many other topics related to time and timekeeping. Alongside my co-librarian, St John, I choose new books to add to the collection; organize our ephemera, books, and catalogs; and write about the library, along with other outreach.
You’re welcome to come to the library to conduct your research, or email us with questions at [email protected]. And if you just want to browse and admire the view of 44th Street from our spectacular windows, feel free to stop by for that reason too!
I spoke in detail about the job of a horological librarian on a 2023 episode of “The Waiting List,” a watch-collecting podcast. Some of the information about HSNY is now outdated, but if you’re the type of person who wants to get into the weeds about Library of Congress classification, you’ll enjoy this chat.
What is longitude, and how is it related to time?
It’s a long story (har har.) Dava Sobel’s “Longitude” is still one of the most important works on this topic, and we have several editions of the book, including an illustrated version and translations in German, French, and Italian.
Basically, the very short version is that before the late 18th century, European mariners had limited options for figuring out longitude, their east-west position as they crossed oceans. Lots of them died of scurvy in the middle of the vast watery expanse. The British government (among others) offered a prize for determining longitude, which eventually led to the development of the marine chronometer. This device could tell time at sea precisely enough to calculate distance traveled, which in turn allowed the determination of a ship’s longitude.
For more, check out this article I wrote a couple of years ago that illustrates the race to develop the marine chronometer with contemporaneous books.