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All in Good Time: Reflections of a Watchmaker
£23.80
All in Good Time is the remarkable story of George Daniels (1926-2011), the master craftsman, who was born into poverty but raised himself to become the greatest watchmaker of the twentieth century. Daniels stands alone in modern times as the inventor of the revolutionary co-axial escapement, the first substantial advance in portable mechanical timekeeping over the lever escapement, which has dominated ever since its invention in 1759. Daniels’s love of mechanics embraced not only the minute, however – he was also a passionate collector and driver of historic motorcars. This revised and expanded edition of his autobiography also contains a new section that illustrates and discusses over thirty of the pocket and wrist-watches Daniels himself made over the years. Witness here the triumph of intelligence, ingenuity, matchless skill and singularity of purpose over the most unpromising of beginnings.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd, New Revised edition (29 Oct. 2012) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 240 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0856676802 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0856676802 |
| Dimensions | 16.13 x 2.87 x 27.56 cm |
by shaun miller
Being a trade watch repairer in the UK, it makes me very proud to be part of this community especially with George Daniels and Roger Smith being such honest and straightforward craftsmen. It’s an inspiration and a reminder sometimes, we are all human, and don’t forget where you came from. A must read for the aspiring watchmaker and the so needed apprentices coming into the field.
by G MOFFATT
This gentleman’s story is fascinating and he is the ultimate craftsman, pure genius!
by northerncyclist
If you are reading this I assume you know who George Daniels is.
An excellent and well written account of the life of a true craftsman and perfectionist. Not a technical work (get `Watchmaking` if thats what you want) but a book that covers his life from his impoverished childhood through to his struggle to get the Co-Axiel escapement accepted by the Swiss watch industry. It covers many other parts of this fascinating mans life such as his interest in classic Bentley motor cars and fondness for bicycles. The later chapters also cover some of the work with Roger Smith.
Anyone with an interest in horology should find this a most interesting read.
by Peter
I am not in the watch and clock business but my imagination was fired by Daniels’ “co-axial” escapement. In fact after the first flush of Omega co-axial watches (limited edition, very pricey) I bought one of the much cheaper production models which I drool over rather than wear. It is a great pity that the window in the back does not allow a close inspection of the Daniels escapement. Anyway the book arrived – was unpacked- and I read 52 pages before I could put it down. Absolutely superb. A human story is told with nothing technical up to page 52! . Now its time for a hot drink then back to the book.
by Alan Fairhurst
George Daniels was a man who rose from the most humble of beginnings to become a watchmaker of outstanding intellect and crushing ability. On being told that something was impossible he would regretfully agree, go away, ponder the problem and do it anyway. His descriptions of his creation of his handmade pocket watches are a joy to read. His description of the tribulations he faced getting his coaxial escapement accepted by the Swiss watchmaking industry makes one shake ones head at the shortsightedness of manufacturers.
In the event, Omega took up the escapement, which enables a mechanical watch to keep time as well as a quartz movement and also will not require attention for 25 years, if then.
At the same time he produced some very well respected books on the work of Breguet and, in his spare time(!) restored and raced Bentleys.
In conclusion, it has to be said that the picture is not all positive, he could be an out and out curmudgeon, but I can forgive such a man a lot.
by Amazon Customer
A true insight into the mind of a genius
by Amazon Customer
Regardless of the fact that this is the life story of a watchmaker this is a great read. Its the story of a man who grew up in poverty in London, and then became one of the worlds greatest watchmakers. You do not need to have any interest in watches to enjoy, and appreciate this mans struggle to the top of his craft. A great read indeed.
by Mr Peter Stone
A great story from a truly great master watch maker.