Gestalten has released "Time Machines: How Watches Shaped the Modern World"—a comprehensive, illustrated chronicle of 100 models that shaped the 20th and 21st centuries on the wrist. Editors Blake Z. Rong and Sean Paul Lorentzen not only showcase the watches but also explain why these particular designs became icons. From early aviation timepieces, through divers and military models, to the mechanical renaissance after the quartz revolution, each chapter grounds the object in a specific need of the era and culture in which it functioned.
"Time Machines" is a wonderful publication for watch enthusiasts. It features a selection of one hundred models arranged chronologically, from the pocket-sized Hamilton, through the Cartier Santos-Dumont , Rolex Oyster/Submariner/GMT-Master , Omega Seamaster , JLC Reverso , to the Patek Philippe Nautilus , Piaget Polo , and Swatch . Each is accompanied by a functional and cultural background. Over three hundred photographs, period advertisement scans, archival materials, and short, informative commentary. Familiar names and figures—from Santos-Dumont and Oyster, through Reverso, Seamaster, and GMT-Master, to contemporary icons like the Nautilus, Polo, and Swatch—create a map of influences that clearly explains how function transformed into style, and technology into the language of fashion. Topics: watches in aviation, the military, space exploration , motor sports, and the influence of quartz and the mechanical renaissance .
The hardcover album, approximately 320 pages long, is aimed at readers who want a handy compendium that combines history, design, and social context. This isn't a coffee table book for the sake of polish, but a book that's truly readable—and one to return to again and again.
Gestalten has titles close to jewelry in its portfolio—from "A Girl's Best Friends: Creative Jewelry Design" (contemporary jewelry design) to "The Wonderful World of Women's Watches" (high-end women's watches)—that complement the context of "Time Machines." For the jewelry industry and jewelry enthusiasts, it's a great source of inspiration for product storytelling—from engagement rings and earrings to necklaces. Diamond watch enthusiasts will be intrigued by how function and design create true icons.
As a side note: Gestalten is an independent publishing house from Berlin, known for its books on design, architecture, and visual culture. For years, it has specialized in publications that combine solid research with polished visuals. In other words: it's beautiful, but also substantive—just like in "Time Machines."
Source:
https://gestalten.com/collections/inspired/products/time-machines 
