Paul Newman wore his Rolex Daytona every single day for 35 years until his death in 2008. The iconic timepiece, probably the single most sought-after watch in the world, is now in the possession of his daughter Clea, who wears it every day in his memory. Franklin Roosevelt wore an elegant gold Tiffany watch, gifted to him by a friend on his birthday, to the famous Yalta Conference where he shook the hands of Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill. JFK’s Omega worn to his presidential inauguration, Ralph Lauren’s watch purchased from Andy Warhol’s personal collection, Sir Edmund Hillary’s Rolex worn during the first-ever summit of Mt. Everest ... these and many more compose the stories of the world’s most coveted watches captured in A Man and His Watch. Matthew Hranek, a watch collector and NYC men’s style fixture, has traveled the world conducting firsthand interviews and diving into exclusive collections to gather the never-before-told stories of 76 watches, completed with stunning original photography of every single piece. Through these intimate accounts and Hranek’s storytelling, the watches become more than just timepieces and status symbols; they represent historical moments, pioneering achievements, heirlooms, family mementos, gifts of affection, and lifelong friendships.
Review
“I’ve paged through stacks of books on the history of watches.... But I hadn’t come across a book that actually moved me until I picked up A Man and His Watch. The volume is filled with heartfelt stories.”
- The New York Times Style Magazine
“Awesome.... Contains dozens of beautifully photographed watches. The real joy, though, is found in the stories that unfold about each one.”
- GQ
“The perfect holiday gift... this elegant book is a celebration of the longstanding love affair between a man and the clock on his wrist.”
- Jetset magazine
“The watch through Matt Hranek’s lens is much more than a time-telling device; it’s a vehicle through which the men in A Man and His Watch tell their tales of achievement, love, and loss. This may be the first book to unlock not only why wristwatches remain the subject of such attention today, a generation after their purpose was lost to PCs and smartphones, but also why we began to cherish them so much in the first place.”
- Benjamin Clymer, founder and executive editor of Hodinkee
“Great watches not only tell time they also tell stories. Matt Hranek has assembled a wonderful collection of stories and images representing a diverse and fascinating group of horological devotees.”
- Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City
“A wonderful meditation not just on watches, but on how men use them to better understand their fathers, their families, and ultimately their own place in the world.”
- Gary Shteyngart, author of Little Failure and Super Sad True Love Story
“This book, naturally, is about remarkable watches. But it’s really about why objects have meaning who made them and why. Together it’s a collective history about what we inherit, what we pass on, and the stories we tell that become more important over time.”
- David Coggins, author of Men and Style
“A mechanical watch consumes no power and possesses no energy except that which you bestow upon it by winding it or simply moving. And in return it becomes your most trusted companion, allowing you to navigate the glorious pathway that is life with unfailing precision. With A Man and His Watch, Matt Hranek brings to life the ineffable bond we make with the amazing machine with a heartbeat that lives on our wrist. And I can’t think of a better person to chronicle this.”
- Wei Koh, founder of The Rake
Hardcover: 216 pages
Publisher: Artisan; Slp edition (October 31, 2017)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.1 x 11.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
About the Author
Matt Hranek is a photographer, director, and men’s style editor at Condé Nast Traveler. He is reasonably obsessed with watches and is often caught glancing at the wrists of strangers on the subway, in bars, and in restaurants. He’s also a fan of the sartorial arts, vintage sports cars, red meat, cheap beer, and old school European hotels. Matt lives in Brooklyn, where he is currently in a deep love affair with the Negroni.
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