a review by Guy Ball, mrcalc@usa.net.
I'll be the first to admit that my limited appreciation of Hamilton watches was solely based on the Ventura, a triangular-shaped, electric but non-digital display watch from the late 1950s. To this day, the design of the Ventura shows as gutsy and bold -- more stylish and avant-garde than anything else available. Little did I realize the importance of this and other Hamilton electric watches towards the digital watches of the future.
Rene Rondeau's The Watch of the Future tells the story of the Hamilton Watch Company as they enter the 1950s, deciding to innovate the world of time with an electric wristwatch. Just as we find it difficult to remember a day before pocket calculators and color television, there really was a time when there were no battery powered watches.
Rondeau does a wonderful job telling the story about the decision to pursue this new consumer device and also the trials and tribulations as the company dealt with successes and momentary setbacks. The author's detailed description of the events and the personalities brings a you are there feeling to the tale. That is one of the secrets to making The Watch of the Future a non-fictional novel and more than just a book on a watch company.
But Rondeau doesn't stop with just the background story. He lavishly illustrates the book with original company photographs, pictures of pristine watches from private collections, and detailed drawings of every electric watch Hamilton made (including prototypes).
Now Rondeau doesn't have an LED watch in the entire book and one would think it's heresy for me to include a non-LED watch book on this site. However the Hamilton story sets the stage for the birth of those watches we hold near and dear. And they would have had a more difficult pregnancy had Hamilton not laid the groundwork with it's efforts in miniaturization and battery development. Not to mention Hamilton set the stage with consumers for an interest in watches powered by electricity.
This is a wonderful book which deserves to be in your library.
More information about Hamilton vintage watches can be found by visiting his website at http://www.rondeau.net/.
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