A Man & His Watch: Iconic Watches and Stories from the Men Who Wore Them Kindle Edition

I didn't like it. It was boring, uninspired writing by people who, for the most part, aren't even "watch guys".The book is a long series of vignettes from a number of people about one watch each. Most of the very brief stories are simply that "My dad gave me this and that's why I like it." or "Someone famous gave me this or once owned it." Aside from a couple of the chapters, each one being only one or two pages, they weren't even by people who had a passion for watches. In one instance, the owner of a watch goes on about the Buddhist philosophy about not having attachments to things and he only keeps it because his dad gave it to him, blah, blah, blah.If you're a watch collector and you have a passion for watches, are attracted to the engineering of machines or enjoy vintage watches of another era, you'll not get much from this. Save your money.

For what this book is, it's tastefully done. My rating of 3 stars include the "what it is" part. I enjoy the story behind a watch. You'll get about 3-4 paragraphs per watch. I like great pictures of watches. You'll see 1 head on (high quality) photograph per watch. So take that and multiply it by about 2 dozen, and that's what this book is. The stories themselves are superficial (things like: My grandfather gave me this watch. I loved my grandfather. Every time I wear this watch I think of my grandfather.) Without more engaging stories, I ended up just looking at the picture (singular). I was finished the book in about 20 minutes. If that's what you're looking for, this book is well done.

I must say, this is a most unique book. The description on the back cover sums up what's inside very nicely, "Celebrate the enduring relationship between a man and his watch." Chances are good that if you are even considering this book you are a watch person and likely have one of those difficult to describe relationships with your watch or watches. I have a very small collection that includes a Rolex, a vintage Omega and a few vintage Hamiltons. All get wrist time depending on my mood and circumstances. I love them all and enjoy glancing at them and talking about them if someone asks questions. Inside A Man & His Watch you are introduced to mostly famous people whose names you will recognize along with descriptions of their favorite watches and why they think the watch is special. I am talking about people like Astronaut Wally Schirra who wore an Omega Speedmaster to the Moon, and actors like actors Sylvester Stallone and Paul Newman who also owned and wore neat watches. Interestingly not all of the watches in the book were expensive or even that unique. Its just that the watch was special to the owner for reasons provided. Photos of the many watches are beautiful, as is the format and layout of the book pages. The book binding is also very cool and includes an artfully designed slip in dust jacket. A Man & His Watch is definitely a keeper and I am sure I will read it more than once.

There are many watch magazines nowadays that are the size of a book, and there are far too many watches to have a meaningful book on watches - until this book by Matt Hranek. It is a beautifully produced book, a testament to the publisher Artisan Books. This is a book not just about watches, or the latest models or the most expensive watches. In fact, almost all of it are out-of-date models. What makes this a book to own is the story behind each watch.Hranek's preface includes the watch (A Rolex Perpetual Datejust) that he inherited from his father, and the famous Rolex Daytona worn by Paul Newman, a watch given to him by his wife, Joanne Woodward, on which she inscribed, 'Drive Slowly'. The photos of the watches are bright, sharp, clear, and large.The man who photographed them was Stephen Lewis, who adds the watches that he had admired - including an amazing early Hewlett-Packard Calculator watch. The two watches Hranek fished out from the Tag Heuer archives are stunning and seemingly ageless.This is a book for the watch collector - and every collector can add his personal stories to it.

I've always been a watch nut. This book is a well-done study of many famous people and their time pieces they've owned. While I have no hope in owning any of these iconic watches, it's comforting to know that I'm not the only crazy guy that gets excited over shinny things that tick!

If you are any kind of fan of watches (and if you read this book, how can you not be?), then you need to get this book. Filled with photos of watches and the personal stories behind each one, this book explores the heart of why we love timepieces - for the history, the nostalgia, and the sheer beauty of the example watches. The Kindle version has the advantage of being less expensive than the paper version, and highly portable. I read most of it on a flight to Japan. This is simply a must have book for any horological enthusiast.

I recently got seriously into horology and watches, and this was one of several books I bought to augment my knowledge, and was recommended by several bloggers and friends.I am blown away by this book. Even though most of the watches discussed are more expensive than what I will likely ever spend on a single piece, not all were, and the stories all resonated with a strong sense of one the reasons I have always liked watches -- the watch reminds you not only of time, but the story associated with it. All my watches have stories or events tied to them as well as being pieces I enjoy. I don't buy watches as investments or as status jewelry, I buy things that look interesting to me or have some unique tie-in to something else for me and evoke memories. The folks in this book all seem to share that connection and it's really cool to read the words of someone like Syllvester Stallone and what memories a watch brings up for him.Very, very, very cool book.

This is one of the most interesting books on watches I've ever had,the stories are heartwarming, photography astonishing. And it looks beautiful too, the texture of the covers is amazing. The back cover gave me goose bumps, I didn't know about that note on the back of the Newman Daytona..get the book and find out for yourself ;) The book also came in extra bubblewrap protection, I think they come like this from the publisher. And it's a good thing that they do, because Amazon's packaging has gone from bad to terrible. It was all torn apart and open on one end..no further comment about that matter.. The book deserves 6 stars, Amazon packaging 0.

The book is obviously for watch enthusiast. It takes the view point from the owners of particular watches & what it means to them personally as well as information on the watches themselves. It didn't bother me that I didn't know all of the people mentioned in the book, I appreciated their nostalgia & history of their time piece.An enjoyable steady read for watch enthusiasts, a different view point than most books about watches which tends to concentrate on watches, brands, history just like every other watch book.This is a book of personal emotional ownership.

This is a must-read for anyone who has a passion for watches. It looks at influential men and their choice of watch, and the background to the watch, the style and the man.

Harsh headline, but think about what you currently own and can pass on to your grandkids? Not your iPhone. Not your Ikea furniture. There's something sentimental about watches that instantly captures the soul... Their appeal is timeless (pun intended).Watches hold value in both monetary and sentimental ways... and always will.This book shows you icons and reinforces your disgust for the ephemeral. It's on my desk in my office and I flick through it from time to time to see which style of watch I'd like for upcoming occasions. Goal setting. Definitely get it.Follow my amazon review profile for more insightful reviews. :)

My fiancé's face lit up when he opened this on his birthday. He has a passion for watches and tells me he almost bought it for himself after hearing the recommendation of a watch YouTuber he follows. The quality of the outer case and the book itself are excellent, the pictures are very well taken to show all the details of the watches and every one has a beautiful story to it. He gave me a synopsis of each one as he read through the book from start to finish in one go and I loved the human interest side even though I only have a passing interesting in the subject. A fantastic present for anyone who appreciates watches.