Reviews of Retro Watches
" Not everything in watch collecting is about pricey vintage Rolex and stratospheric, untouched Patek. In this fun book, über-collector Mitch Greenblatt (and founder of Xeric Watches) details 100 of the quirkiest watches in his collection from the 1960s and 1970s. Though it has a heavy emphasis on Swiss watchmaking, it’s a wildly fun romp through the stranger corners of (semi-)modern horology. Wonky colors, odd case shapes, funky dials — this book has it all, and authors Greenblatt and Josh Sims have peppered it with a plethora of detailed information as well as ample color photography."
Reviewed on April 24th, 2023
"Retro Watches is quite a unique book. It brings together all the most avant-garde, bold and eccentric watches you might have ever seen. I would compare it to a modern quality publication that digs deeper into a specific watch model or watch reference. Just instead of one watch, you have hundreds of them, all linked together by their style. The selection is comprehensive and it will be pretty novel to many readers. It’s not enough to flip through the pages all at once and you will feel that as a result of years of someone‘s research. In this case, also the result of years of collecting."
Reviewed on December 25th, 2020
" What makes Retro Watches unusual is that it focuses on overall wristwatch design at a particular point in time. It takes as its subject matter an industry in motion, leaving behind old design cues and boldly striking into an uncertain future."
Reviewed on November 24th, 2021
"Retro Watches is a collector’s guide for those who want to make a statement with the watch they wear, but who are looking for something a little different. It collects the most intriguing, visually striking, and out-there watch designs from little-known but influential watch brands, along with overlooked but brilliant pieces from the major players. Over one hundred watch models are featured, specially photographed for the book and accompanied by accessible, informative texts discussing the watch’s design, history, and intriguing features, as well as info panels detailing rarity, value, and other key attributes. Additional breakout spreads dive into the cultural and fashion history of watch design and the many innovations of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s."
Reviewed on August 18th, 2021
"We just found the perfect gift for watch and design lovers."
" Sometimes a watch grabs your attention because of its quiet dignity and mechanical elegance. Other times, a watch’s design simply blows your mind. It’s the latter type — the design-focused timepiece — that’s the subject of the 2020 book Retro Watches: The Modern Collector’s Guide by Josh Sims and Mitch Greenblatt, a horological safari through the late 1950s, ’60s and into the 1970s."
Reviewed on December 12th, 2020
"A new book shines a spotlight on the rare and eccentric designs from watchmaking’s most creative era."
Reviewed on August 26th, 2020
• Hodinkee
"A really interesting book on a segment of watches not often focused on in one single scholarly resource. In a time when taste can feel a tad bit ubiquitous, it is nice to see a spotlight shed on a more funky segment of vintage – or retro, as the case may be – watch collecting."
Featured on June 22nd, 2020
"Retro Watches is a quirky and interesting collector’s guide for those who want to differentiate themselves and their wrists – at times outlandishly."
Reviewed on June 18th, 2020
• Forbes
"A collector’s guide full of covetable avant-garde statement pieces from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s."
Featured on May 27th, 2020
" There’s something to be said for the weird, quirky watches from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s that were more concerned with breaking the mold with unique, out-there designs. That’s where Retro Watches: The Modern Collectors’ Guide comes in."
• Amazon
Jack Feldman
5.0 out of 5 stars
'A must-have book for collectors and anyone interested in the culture of mid-20th century cool.'
Reviewed on June 11, 2020
'This book had me at the title, and it still surpassed my expectations. The variety, rarity and occasionally the plain zaniness of the watches highlighted, the photography and the clear, witty and well-researched text—they’re all first-rate. As a bonus, the examples are always contextualized in terms of watchmaking developments and the eras in which they first appeared. This is a must-have book for collectors and anyone interested in the culture of mid-20th century cool.'
Ruby
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Mitch’s watch collection now enjoyed by me... and you'
Reviewed on June 24, 2020
'Finally this new widely anticipated have-to-have watch book arrived at my doorstep today. 256 pages of an eclectic array of timepieces from an era immediately recognizable by its colourful dusty pastel printed media. Watch designs breaking away from trusted, broad and safely accepted styles were given new bold unapologetic linear, sleek and experimental watch case and dial designs with a big wink to futuristic adventures. The world was in a spell of exciting dreams and science to travel through space as a proven possibility. From this era every design from fashion, cars, homes, books, comics, toys, movies, household products and advertising will immediately relate to the amazing timepieces we see in this beautiful book bringing us back to a colourful future where dreams were still so free, adventurous and with endless possibilities. The stunning photography of Tyler Little recreated the feel and depth of the era as if it was kept freshly bottled and spilled over the pages like you can still smell it. Josh Sims and Mitch Greenblatt have put together a top shelf collectors item and I’m very happy having added one to my collection... and two for gifts.'
