Celebrity Watches by Vincent Daveau: Tracking Trendsetters Through Time


Celebrity Watches

Newly released Celebrity Watches traces well-known and obscure connections between leading watch brands and their famous owners. From Napoleon to Steve McQueen and Einstein to Shaq, the author, a Paris-based watch journalist, chronicles the intersections between brand history and celebrity.

Each of the book’s 23 chapters focuses on a watch brand, with big time and smaller players represented. Rolex, Omega, Cartier, and Patek Philippe are chronicled alongside fashion-oriented brands like Boucheron, Dior, and Chanel. Each chapter presents a compact brand history, photos and descriptions of representative watches, and images of the celebrities who wear them. The book’s 160 pages contain 200 color and 50 black and white photographs including portraits, studio shots, publicity stills and paparazzi snaps.

Celebrity Watches profiles movie and rock stars, sportsmen and women, politicians, and other VIPs including historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth and Marie Antoinette, celebrities from bygone days like Duke Ellington and Charles Lindbergh, stars from Hollywood’s golden age such as Humphrey Bogart, Liz Taylor and Clark Gable, and modern stars including Rihanna, Hugh Laurie, and Ben Affleck.

JFK wore an 18 carat gold Cartier watch given to him by his wife Jacqueline for their fourth wedding anniversary. It is inscribed with the President’s initials, the Kennedy family arms, and their wedding date.
JFK

The modern Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch by Longines.
Lindbergh Hour Angle

Most well-known watch connections get a nod: there’s a selection of James Bond Rolexes and Omegas (Connery, Brosnan and Craig), Omegas in space, McQueen’s Monaco, Stallone’s Panerai, Elvis and the Ventura, Lindbergh’s Hour Angle, and Newman’s Daytona are all presented, though you won’t find Arnold with his AP, John Travolta sporting a Breitling, or Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne with his TAG Heuer.

The Omega Seamaster played parts in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies and the World is Not Enough.
Pierce Brosnan as 007

Leonardo DiCaprio wears a Tag Heuer Carrera Caliber 16 Day-Date Chronograph
Leonardo DiCaprio

Celebrity Watches is a light look at a cross-section of watch brands, and the famous people who wear them. Those seeking in-depth historical accounts and technical horological insights may not be entirely satisfied, but if you like watches and you are style conscious or star struck, you may want to add this title to your collection. Celebrity Watches is available at most book stores, online booksellers, and at www.voyageurpress.com.

Celebrity Watches

Celebrity Watches by Vincent Daveau
ISBN: 978-0-7603-3836-0
Hardcover / 9 ½ x 9 ½ / 160 pages / 200 color & 50 b&w photos
Published May, 2010
MSRP $30.00 US $37.50 CAN

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