Explore the History of Watches from 1700 to Now, with Christie’s Education

While we would highly recommend you only read MONOCHROME when it comes to learning about the world of watches (we are our own best advocates), there are many sources around to help up your horological game. The latest on the market has been launched by none other than prominent auction house Christie’s and its “education” department. Launching this September is a new online course on the History of Watches 1700 to Now, presented by Dr Andrew Hildreth, a leading independent watch consultant.

Being a real watch collector/enthusiast shouldn’t only mean having the bank account to acquire the watches. As for every passion, knowledge is beneficial and can help you grow as a more seasoned collector – and to a certain extent, I’d say that knowing the watch world, its history and its industry is a must for anyone seeking to become a collector. Knowledge will increase your passion and will help acquire watches that suit you better.

For this reason, we’ve always encouraged our readers to read as much as possible about the watch world – which includes reading MONOCHROME, but not only. The quality of the source is important, in order to get the most accurate information. For this reason, we wanted to give a focus on a new concept launched by Christie’s Education, in the shape of an online course on the History of Watches, from 1700 to Now.

As Christie’s explains, “the mechanical watch bridges science and art, and understanding the development of the watch over time requires insight into both the engineering challenges that have been overcome and the artistry seen in the design of mechanism and function“. This is the main topic that will be exposed in a 5-session online course presented by Dr Andrew Hildreth, independent watch consultant, together with guests such as Emmanuel Breguet of Breguet, Pascale Lepeu of Cartier, Stephen Forsey of Greubel Forsey, Richard Mille, and more.

• Session 1 – Understanding the development and function of the watch mechanism
• Session 2 – The design of the wristwatch across the twentieth century
• Session 3 – Significant watch brands
• Session 4 – The Quartz Crisis and the rise of craft
• Session 5 – The market for vintage watches

For further course details, programme schedule and registrations, visit Christies.edu/watches.