With the aid of over 80 drawings and photographs, the author shows clearly how the different movements work and discusses the many efforts made to improve timekeeping over the years. Much of the information provided is based on his own original research. For the collector, there is a wealth of useful advice on repairing, buying and selling, simple research, and the study of rare or specialist watches in museum collections. The book is packed with ideas on what to look for and the pitfalls to avoid, so that modest resources can be spent wisely and bring many hours of interest and enjoyment.