Hands of Time

An intricate and personal history of watches and time from an extraordinary watchmaker and historian

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
‘5/5 A true joy… a work of staggering complexity and bewildering economy – highly deserving of the time you give it.‘ Telegraph
‘Every page glitters… The book is evidence of a lifelong labour of love, and reading it is time well spent’ Spectator
‘What an exquisite book, as beautifully put together as one of the watches whose mechanisms Rebecca Struthers describes with such eloquence and authority.’ Stephen Fry
‘Absolutely gorgeous. It blew my socks off’ Jay Blades
‘A beautiful book’ Edmund de Waal
‘Bewitching and brilliant’ Lara Maiklem

Timepieces are one of humanity’s most ingenious innovations. Their invention was more significant for human culture than the printing press, or even the wheel. They have travelled the world with us, from the depths of the oceans to the summit of Everest, and even to the Moon. They regulate our daily lives and have sculpted the social and economic development of society in surprising and dramatic ways.

In Hands of Time watchmaker and historian Rebecca Struthers welcomes us into the hidden world of watchmaking, offering a personal history of watches that spans centuries and continents. From her workshop bench, Rebecca explores the ways in which timekeeping has indelibly shaped our attitudes to work, leisure, trade, politics, exploration and mortality, and introduces us to some extraordinary and treasured devices, each with their own story to tell.

Hands of Time is an intricate and uniquely personal exploration of the history, science, philosophy, and craft of timekeeping.