The education arm of Christie’s are starting a new online course entitled ‘History of Watches: 1700 to Now’. A five week video-based programme, it will cover the development of watches from their first appearance in pocket form to today’s wristwatches. Presented by Dr Andrew Hildreth, it will feature interviews with Emmanuel Breguet, Pascale Lepeu (Cartier), Stephen Forsey (Greubel Forsey), Richard Mille, and collector Eric Ku.

The course will require approximately two and a half hours of study time per week and will include weekly assignments, set texts, and a reading list for those who wish to read further than the course materials. Each week will cover a different topic :

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

The first course starts on 17 September 2019 and finishes on 28 October, 2019, with a further three courses already lined up. The cost of the September one is $1,500 but there is an early bird discount for the one commencing 5 November 2018 if you enrol by 1 October, 2018 (cost $1,350). The same early discount will apply for the ones that will commence on 21 January 2020 and 21 April 2020.

To find out more about the courses, go to this link, which also includes a short promotional video.

Categories: Ephemera, horology videos, Industry news, London, Technical, Watch movements, watches, Watchmaking