Book A century of wristwatches (Ein Jahrhundert Armbanduhren) 1900-2000 GERMAN

A century of wristwatches (1900-2000) from the perspective of a Berlin master watchmaker and specialist watchmaker teacher Alwin Schütze.
An overview for professionals, a reference work for collectors and a textbook for apprentices.

In this book, the experienced master watchmaker Alwin Schütze describes the development of the wristwatch with particular reference to "folk watches" worn by the majority of the population. Technologically advanced special specifications from the luxury sector are mentioned, but they are not the benchmark of the book.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the wristwatch was required or perhaps even forced by social and technical developments. To make this understandable, Schütze inserted an overview of political and cultural developments at the beginning of each decade, as well as commodity prices, wages and pensions. This is followed by an overview of the company developments at that time, followed by many individual descriptions. In this way, this elaboration becomes a history book of watch technology, but at the same time also of the society in which the wristwatch spread over the course of this century.

During the 20th century, small-scale watch manufacturing quickly grew into industries that remained dependent on the traditional trade of the watchmaker as an extended workbench and later as a service craftsman for a long time until they produced finished products for an international market whose selling price today corresponds to a few minutes of working time in a service workshop . A new watch, often with better usage characteristics, became cheaper than a traditional artisanal service. Consequently, the development of the wristwatch was directly linked to the potential achievements of local watchmakers. Their achievements and changes within their craft are also described.

Since it became a matter of course to use the information available on the Internet, Schütze put all terms relating to watch manufacturers or important personalities in bold italics so that the interested reader is encouraged to obtain further information on the Internet.

From Schütze's 50 years of professional experience, many thoughts and approaches to understanding the development go into the text that are unusual in such a personal way. In this way, he makes it possible to understand the history he has experienced himself and that has been conveyed to him by colleagues in a way that is both unique and unusually enlightening.

His enthusiasm for watch development is contagious, as is his confidence in the further development of his watchmaking profession.

A passionate plea for watches and the watchmaking profession, a great history and textbook, in the summary of a century style-defining and powerful.

• Stand 2013.
• Reprint Berlin 2022
• 300 pages, of which around 500 are mostly colored illustrations and explanations
• DIN A4 format, hard cover

Available in GERMAN!