Waterbury Clocks & Watches Volume 1 - 2nd Edition by Tran Duy Ly Second Edition Published 2001 by Arlingtonbooks.com 215 Shadowood Drive - Johnson City - Tennessee 37604-1128 USA Phone:  423-283-9004  - Fax:  423-283-9001 Email:  tranduyly@aol.com
8 1/2 x 11 - 584 pages. Over 2300 quality Illustrations and photographs. Smyth sewn hardbound on white gloss enamel text with 2001 Price Update $69.50 2001 Price Up-date to 2nd Edition only $10.00

Review by William Mittelstadt Sheboygan, Wisconsin

The Arlington Book Company and Tran Duy Ly have not been resting on their laurels, but rather have been at work updating and improving previous publications. First to arrive was the much improved and expanded SETH THOMAS book. Soon on its heels came the ANSONIA book with its encyclopedic range. It has been 11 years since the original WATERBURY book was published. Many received it as a gift by the hosts of the Denver National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors Convention. Since my original copy is well dog-eared, a new volume is welcome.

Included in the new 2001 edition of WATERBURY CLOCKS & WATCHES is 20 pages of useful information compiled by noted authority, Chris Bailey, detailing the history of the Waterbury Clock Company from its formation to its present-day successor, Timex.

Along with a greatly expanded WATERBURY book, Tran has provided a much needed price update. The new book is a cornucopia of information not shown in his original Waterbury book. Tran shares with the clock community his unique skill in presenting this information in a form that is simple to use, and informative to both the novice and seasoned collector. As in the past, this book contains information garnered from many sources including original literature and advice from renowned holorogical experts.

Tran's books have become the standard of the industry. A savvy buyer or seller of clocks using these books is more knowledgeable thanks to his untiring efforts in support of the hobby. With the advent of the Internet, as a means of buying and selling clocks, this type of information will become more in demand as the public tries to satisfy its appetite for a reliable source of reference. I would not place an eBay bid without consulting a thorough reference such as this.

As a long time collector, I have made use of Tran's books to help in the identification and pricing of my clocks and am indebted to him for providing the necessary information to help make a sound decision when buying or selling. Make use of this fine new WATERBURY book and its additional information and along with other associated publications by the Arlington Book Company, you will soon discover these books are a must for your horological library.

Review by Brian Loomes North York, England

Here is yet another clocks volume from this tireless and keen horological publisher, Tran Duy Ly, whose company is the Arlington Book Company Inc., 2706 Elsmore Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22031, USA. 

The main body of this book consists of a new and revised, updated and extended version of a publication from the same publisher of about ten years back, which comprised illustrations from the original catalogues of the Waterbury Clock Company, and which now includes (dare we say?) all the known examples.  The illustrations are sharp and clear, include the brief basic description with each, are sorted into sections of certain types of clock (such as Alarm Clocks, Figure Clocks, etc.), and more over are indexed comprehensively.  A separate inserted section contains a price guide to each example, intended to represent the price you would expect to have to pay for such a clock, not what you might expect to sell it for.

This new edition includes a history of the Waterbury Clock Company by Chris Bailey and a very sensible section by Tran Duy Ly called "Important Tips" being advice on the important features of these clocks, especially in regard to assessing the condition, which is vital buying, selling and collecting them.  I had not previously realised just what a vast number of models were made by Waterbury, nor had I appreciated that some of these clocks I have noticed at auctions were Waterbury examples.  Some of the rarer models have prices which are interestingly high, some into the thousands of dollars - high enough to make us keep our eyes open in future.

There is a short section on Blinking Eye Clocks by Gregory A. Zemenick, editing was by Larry B. Funk, indexing by Sonya L. Spittler, an Introduction by William Mittelstadt, and a touching facsimile is included of a letter from Bill Simmons, who was so impressed with Tran Duy Ly’s publishing efforts over the last twenty-five years (is it really be so long?) that he gave him his entire collection of rare original catalogues.           

The page size is eleven inches by nine, the book is in hardback glossy coated, contains just short of  600 pages, and is a massive source of  information.  If these clocks are within your area of interest, you’ve just got to buy it.  The price direct from the publisher is 69 dollars 50 cents, less ten per cent discount making 62 dollars 50, plus 5 dollars shipping in USA and 25 dollars surface mail or 40 dollars airmail to Britain.

                                                                BrianLoomes@antiqueclocks.freeserve.co.uk