The Wristwatch Handbook is an in-depth study of mechanical movements aimed at collectors looking to become informed connoisseurs. As John Reardon, International Head of Watches at Christie?s, writes in his forward, ?If you own more than one watch, or aspire to own more than one watch, you have the spirit of a collector and need this book as a resource.? Reardon also contextualizes The Wristwatch Handbook as meeting the needs of a collecting sector that began to emerge only 30 years ago. This sector?s newness, along with the unfathomably steep price hikes of collectable watches in the past few years, may account for why a comprehensive book for collectors like The Wristwatch Handbook showed up in 2016. Such a book does seem due, if not quite overdue.With brands like F. P. Journe, Richard Mille, Girard-Perregaux, and their ilk featured throughout, The Wristwatch Handbook appears to lean toward the high-end collector. As a member of Christie?s corporate team, author Ryan Schmidt inhabits an elevated milieu, but it?s also true that many of the elaborate complications that an extensive overview must cover are only found in these expensive timepieces. In other words, Seiko doesn?t offer, say, a celestial chart, but Patek Phillipe does. Noting his curatorial role, Schmidt explains that, ?[T]his book is brand agnostic, using over 300 illustrations from more than 90 brands. It doesn?t matter what price it retails for, what logo it has on the dial, or what holding company owns the...