In this stunning collection, British historian Nicholas Foulkes has selected the 100 breakthrough timepieces of the twentieth century, weighing the virtues of rarity, costliness, innovative functions, historical importance, grand provenance, and pleasing design. The watch—a microcosm of hundreds of minute components interacting harmoniously with each other and bound within a case of precious metal— has the power to awaken emotions, excite the imagination, and inspire the same passion as great art. Beautiful timepieces invite us to join a story, and the narrative that these 100 examples unfold is that of one of the most exciting and dynamic periods in human history.