Recommended ReadingOur Five Favorite New Books On Watches (And More)

Ressence watches are always off the beaten path, and their new book Ahead of Time feels just that way as well. Released to celebrate the brand's 15th anniversary, Ahead of Time is a book produced by a watch brand with… no watches. In fact, it barely has anything to do with Ressence at all. The Belgian brand had already released Catalogue Raisonné 2010-2023 two years ago as a comprehensive visual archive of its designs over its first thirteen years, so this year's publication goes a very different direction.

Rather than a celebration of the brand's unconventional watchmaking in a literal sense, the more than 230 pages of this new book use that idea to connect with ideas from the world at large, featuring long-form interviews and conversations with 20 people whom Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens views as visionaries. From familiar names around these parts like Tony Fadell and Stefan Sagmeister, to names that we hear outside of watch media like Sam Altman and Tom Segura, Ahead of Time is a book for thinking.

The book is surprisingly digestible as it is very cleanly broken down into the 20 different interviews. Complete with highlights and pull quotes across each piece, a quick flip through and a slow read are both great ways to approach the book. And to appreciate it completely, you may want to do both. Ahead of Time will be available in select bookstores and on ressencewatches.com from September in Europe, and globally from late October.

If you haven't caught wind yet, it's Vacheron Constantin's 270th anniversary this year, and that makes it the world's oldest watchmaker in continuous operation, and they've released a new book to celebrate.

"Time is Art" is a 280-page book that features seventy of Vacheron Constantin's most game-changing, iconic, and beautiful timepieces (including both clocks and watches), covering over two centuries. More of a coffee table book than an in-depth historical guide, it remains a fascinating read, featuring beautiful, specially commissioned photography and illustrations, published by Thames & Hudson.

Much of what makes Vacheron's history so great is its attention to detail with design and a talented Metiers d'Art heritage, which is all on display here. But what keeps me coming back to the book is the creative approach to watch photography. As much as I love watches, they are often just static objects that are hard to visualize in a way that stands out from every other watch you photograph. The photographers behind the book captured light, motion, and emotion in all the photos in "Time is Art," bringing the title to life. The book is available from various retailers for $200.

We're venturing outside of watches here, but we've shown the connection between the love of mechanical objects — both watches and cars — time and time again. For years, I've been following So Naito of Naito Engineering in Japan, who works with his family to restore some of the most incredible cars, blending precision and heritage. The team is legendary, as are some of the people that they call friends, including Hiroki Nakamura, the founder of Visvim.

Photographer and director Ben Bertucci has been documenting the Naito family for eight years and has just put out a tremendous documentary film that's worth watching over and over. He's also released a companion book called "One of One – The Book." The visuals and layout are tremendous, but he also describes the making of the documentary, the discovery of hours of footage from Naito Engineering's founder, family photos, and more. I love watches and cars, but it's the people behind them that truly matter, and there's something wonderfully raw and emotional in this book.

We've wanted to visit the Naito family for years, but their business isn't open to the public. But Bertucci has done a fantastic job giving us all a window into their world, and you can pre-order "One of One — The Book" on his website.

Among all the books on our shelves, some of our most cherished are privately published examples by collectors, intended solely for friends and family. There's a long history of these secret publications. While they sometimes come up for sale on the secondary market, most of them play by "Fight Club" rules. But watch collector and dealer Daniel Bourn recently published a book called "The Collections Vol. 1" and said we could share (even though it's not for sale).

That's a treat, because the book contains photos and information about some of the most truly spectacular, rare, and custom-commissioned watches. The book features Khanjar Daytonas, the cleanest Qaboos-signed Rolex ref. 1665, you will ever see military watches, and more. It's truly an outstanding collection, but I also learned as I looked at the book. Not only are the watches a great reference for what these rare watches should look like, but I also discovered examples I had never seen on the market. If you're going to collect watches, this is the kind of knowledge you want to have.

The book is the first in a series that will explore not just outstanding collections of watches but also art, sculpture, furniture, cars, and more. Unfortunately, the book is not currently available for sale. However, keep an eye on Bourn's website for future releases and updates on potential re-releases or broader distribution.

Audemars Piguet has been on an absolute tear this year for its 150th anniversary, keeping busy with many new novelties for the year, including its brand-new QP movement and, most recently, the insanity that was the RD#5. But admittedly, these are cool new objects that will eventually only end up in the hands of a handful of collectors. So, Audemars Piguet has just released something significantly more attainable in terms of price and availability: a brand new reference book published by Flammarion, aptly titled The Watch — Stories and Savoir Faire.

Over nearly a whopping 600 pages, the comprehensive reference guide is Audemars Piguet's attempt at explaining watchmaking for a broad audience — from nerds to casual browsers — put together by a dozen writers and over forty contributors. The book goes through each part of the watch — dials, cases, straps, movements, and more — and it sheds light into every single area through technical definitions, interviews with watchmakers and craftsmen, archival documents, and of course, lots and lots of photographs. It is not a coffee table book, but rather designed as a more practical softcover book meant to be picked up often rather than collecting dust in the corner of a house.

What's quite respectable about this gargantuan editorial effort is the fact that Audemars Piguet seems to be making this book an homage to the industry, rather than just an homage to the single brand. Yes, Audemars Piguet serves as the main reference for most concepts, but countless other brands are mentioned as it relates to giving credit to innovation where credit is due, and the book does lean quite transparently into things like supplier networks and the use of CNC machines. The Watch – Stories and Savoir Faire will be released on October 8 and 9 in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and on October 21 in the United States, priced at $95.