Watch Maker
Since we were on the subject of therapeutic handicrafts, Russ Roberts’s guest on EconTalk this week was all the more poignant. The guest was Rebecca Struthers, and she is a watchmaker who recently published The Hands of Time: A Watchmaker’s History.
As we learn, the fine craft of watchmaking is a scarce trade indeed, with specialists worldwide numbering in the hundreds, Struthers reckons. Part of the conversation is about the craft and its rarity. Other parts examine the history of modern-era precision watchmaking, a great deal of which will sound familiar to those who have read Dava Sobel’s book Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time (2005).
That best seller recounted the story of how the ability to keep time accurately greatly improved seafaring for the British Royal Navy. Figuring out your location on the world map had been possible for millennia along the north-south axis thanks to the astrolabe. But until you could take an instrument along shipboard that told you the time at home, you had little hope of figuring out your location on the east-west dimension of travel.
The Struthers interview is another appreciation of the human ability to create amazing physical works with our hands. You could say this blog is an appreciation of other’s abilities to put forth and examine human ideas and experiences, such as Roberts’s interviews across many different disciplines beyond his own field of economics. The interview, along with the Goodreads reviews linked above, make the book sound irresistible.
At any rate, give it a listen or, uh, a watch…
Audio podcast version here; YouTube version below:
Good Morning Friends
I am swamped due to my boss and roomie both being out of town and lots more work...lol...and I am spoiled with Rick taking care of so much. WE finally have some money to pay bills at work so I have been doing that.
I love watches. I own...a lot...lol...at least 50 Christmas watches and more than that for everyday watches, I only have one fancy/really nice watch though...some need batteries and I have been procrastinating about buying them and putting them in....most of my watches are themed, or kitschy...today I have on a cat face watch with ears and fake diamonds...lol..I also like to match watches to what I am wearing...
I have a very tall grandfather clock that I inherited from my dad...unfortunately all the people who calibrate and repair grandfather clocks around here are not doing it anymore, and apparently no young people what to apprentice and learn. This is sad, mine sits there and isn't working , not even sure it can be fixed at this point. ( My dad collected grandfather/grandmother clocks)
Watches are the only jewelry my boss will wear...but, the likes the expensive ones....lol...he has told me to call the jewelry in the city he lives in to see if they have someone to fix my clock, but, they are like 45 minutes away and not sure if they would come out to me anyway, so I haven't called, and I bet it is pretty pricey.
I don't know what day it is today, as my site is broke and isn't sending me the emails...lol...
I am feeling hopeful about the indictment at least. Advisory Opinions ( I haven't listened to them in a while, and I used to never miss one, are commercials de rigueur now?...Sigh, if I pay, I think I shouldn't have to listen to ads...lol) had a good pod about it, for the most part.
Have a great Tuesday...
Good morning!