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How to make a Verge Watch

By Ferdinand Berthoud and Jacob Auch

1763 and 1827, 218 pages, ill

Translated by Richard Watkins and E.J. Tyler

Have you ever wondered how watches used to be made by hand? Although many books mention bits and pieces, until now there has been no complete description available in English.

This book contains translations of two works that describe how to make a verge watch from rough brass and steel. The great French horologist Ferdinand Berthoud described watch making in his Essai sur l'Horlogerie, first published in 1763. And in 1827 Jacob Auch wrote his Handbuch fur Landuhrmacher as a textbook to teach apprentices watch making. These translations provide a fascinating insight into the tools, techniques and education of 18th century horologists.

This book is provided as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file of about 2 MB:

Illustration: Jacob Auch astronomical watch.