Customer Reviews

Marking Time: Collecting Watches and Thinking about Time

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not really a watch collector or WIS (watch idiot savant as some watch collectors refer to themselves), but I loved this book! Unlike just about every other watch book I've seen, it's _not_ just a catalog of different watch models with short descriptions. It's really well written, with prose worthy of the New Yorker. It does an excellent job of telling the history of watches, with the author's personal anecdotes integrated into the story. If I had the money, I'd enjoy collecting watches, but this book is an enjoyable read in and of itself.

How much I enjoyed reading this book!
Reading is very easy, like listening a very well informed and entertaining person speaking about his passion: collecting vintage and antique watches.

But author, best seller writer Michael Korda, not only speaks about collecting, but also his own thoughs about time, as an abstract theme.
And he adds a bit about the history of time keeping to boot.

I must say, that though Mr. Korda specializes in collecting pocket watches, I feel that absolutely everything he talks about collecting, collectors, and the flame who drives collectors in their endeavour, is absolutely related to those interested in wrist watches as well. As a matter of fact, he doesn't fail to mention them in this book.
He also includes some personal experiences and anecdotes, which readers will appreciate the author has shared in this little tome.

I found some very thoughtful sentences devoted to those various themes he treates in his book, which are worth underlining in pencil, as I did in my copy, to find them quickly in future re-reads which I intend to do.

Just wished to share this most charming reading experience, with a little nice book, with very few illustrations, but with a lot of well worth writing inside.
I sincerely recomend this charming book!

From all experience a book about collecting by a collector ought to fast lose its appeal beyond an audience of like minded aficionados. However Mr. Korda is a bright and entertaining guy who has given a lot of thought to this endeavor and talks about it without taking himself too seriously. The result is akin to say striking up a conversation with a civilized and rather erudite stranger on a journey and finding yourself at your destination after what seems like only minutes, his company having been so pleasant. You can't help but enjoy this book.

First attracted to book by author's reputation. then by subject which included much about pocket watches- not my interest<yet> Still enjoyed the book and will heed the advice. Wish it had discussed wristwatches of re noun and those thought to be good values and potential classics.

I found a reference to this book in a book of fiction. There was no Kindle version and no new printed version either available at the time so I ended up buying this book 2nd hand for $ 0,01. Even with the shipping costs (I live in Holland) this was a great deal and the book was in very good condition.

Contentwise there is more then enough info on Amazon already, but I can recommend anyone to buy 2nd hand with confidence, even if the price seems to good to be true!