A Grand Complication
In 1999, at a monumental auction held at Sotheby’s in New York City, an eighteen-carat gold pocket watch made by Patek Philippe in 1933 was sold for $11 million to an anonymous bidder. Secretly commissioned by the financier Henry Graves, Jr., the timepiece possessed twenty-four complications including a different chronological function for each hour of the day and a chart of the nighttime sky over New York City. Considered the Mona Lisa of timepieces, the Graves Supercomplication had been the coveted victor in a collecting duel between Graves and the automaker James Ward Packard that spanned thirty years. In their day Graves and Packard were two of the richest and most competitive men in the world and they battled each other to possess nothing less than the most extraordinary timepiece with the greatest possible number of complications ever made.
OUT FEBRUARY 19, 2013
In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
The untold story of the renegade burger chain that evokes a passionate following unlike any other In fast-food corporate America, In-N-Out Burger stands apart. Begun in a tiny shack in the shadow of World War II, this family-owned chain has steadfastly refused to franchise or be sold. It is a testament to old-fashioned values and […]
Spies, Inc.: Business Innovation from Israel’s Masters of Espionage
In Spies, Inc. former Time and Business 2.0 writer Stacy Perman reveals the spellbinding story of the Israeli military and 8200, the ultra-secret high-tech intelligence unit whose alumni helped create a number of the groundbreaking technologies behind today’s information revolution. An incredible tale in its own right, 8200 is also a remarkable case study in […]