Alva Review-Courier -

I am someone who enjoys wearing a watch.

Rebecca Struthers describes the watch collection at the British Museum in her book “Hands of Time.” They have 4,500 watches, beginning with a model by Peter Henlein, built in Germany in 1505. It was found as parts in a box at a flea market. Even the oldest watch can be repaired by a horologist, watchmaker. Reassembled, the value of Henlein’s is over $88 million.

Watches use a mainspring and escapement mechanism, of which there are several versions. They replaced the pendulum clock invented by Galileo. Watches were invaluable to sailors who used them for...