A fascinating book, which I was surprisingly enthralled by. I can't say that I have any great interest in time-keeping, and I don't even wear a watch, but the author's obvious enthusiasm for her subject is so infectious that I found it hard to put the book down. I would definitely recommend this book.

I've previously read about the history of time - that is, our need to measure time - but this book is from a watchmaker's perspective, which is an interesting angle on the topic. To be honest, I didn't even realise that watchmaking was still a heritage craft practised today, as opposed to mass-produced watches. Rebecca and her husband Craig (along with Archie the 'watch dog') are passionate about the design, science and restoration of watches. If you check out their website, you can commission a watch, starting from £35,000.

Generally this was a fascinating read, history interwoven with a bit of science and personal reflection. I didn't understand the explanations about how the various components of watches work as I don't have the right kind of brain for that. Chapters which really caught my imagination included one about the use of radium for glowing dials and about the watch commissioned for Marie Antoinette. The book is very detailed and meticulously researched. I would recommend if you're interested in both history and craft.

It's the first book I read about watchmaking and it was a fascinating travel that involves more than I thought.
The author is a good storyteller and this book is never boring or dry.
A good informative and entertaining book, well researched and well written.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine