Russell Sheldrake
Talk to kids about making watches and trying to attract them for them is a difficult task. Why are kids interested in learning about the features of palette forks and the history of sub-aliners when they watch and have endless episodes of YouTube videos? And while that may seem like a trivial issue to most of us, children growing up today tend to be worried because they are not only uninterested in watches, but also because they can’t read analog displays. This has a knock-on effect on people working within the industry, and the lack of interest in mechanical watches means a lack of boundary talent entering the workforce.
But Rebecca Struthers, an independent watchmaker and owner of Hology’s PhD, set out to address this very problem by creating one of the most comprehensive and attractive children’s books ever written about watch work. Struthers is partnering with Alom Shaha, a physics teacher. AlomShaha has written other children’s books along with the revised GCSE and A-level guides, and is affiliated with some of the nation’s most renowned institutions, including the Royal Institutions, the Institute of Physics and the BBC.
Time About About: The Children’s Guide to the History and Science of Time aims to be a guide for children aged 7-9, covering stories that tell time throughout history, from sundials to atomic clocks. This book overcomes a lot and how you will get to step by step. It comes with a wonderful illustration of Lucy Rose.
Every step in this book is written and explained in a way that helps children learn, digest and get excited about watches and watchmaking. It’s not about turning them into overnight specialists, but because they are exposed to this incredibly rich world at an early age, they don’t grow up not knowing about everything it has to offer.
We have always been advocated for making watches, whether it is packed with Shah watches that help children learn to read time, or whether it helps them recognize creative watches aimed at younger generations. Can this book lead your child to an incredibly expensive hobby in life after realizing that he always needs another watch to complete his collection? Perhaps, however, Rebecca Struther and ourselves cannot be held responsible for it.
If you think this book is a great bedtime reading, you can pick it up now from the Time+Tide store. Price: £14.99/US $21.97/A $32.99
