What do you think?
Rate this book
Borrowed Time: A History of Espionage, IP Theft, and the Global War for Horology
Albert Einstein wore a 14k gold Longines for most of his life. He never knew it carried the name of the company whose most legendary engineer carried out in America industrial espionage on behalf of a Swiss watchmaking alliance -- a maneuver that has been mimicked ever since by bad horological actors around the world.
In Borrowed Time, Gabe Oppenheim asks the question no watch brand will answer on the how did a tiny, war-avoidant nation hold the summit of an entire global industry for two centuries? Just how ethically (or shadily) was their title won?
From the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition, where America briefly out-watched the world, to the smog over China’s border with North Korea at Dandong — where a Communist-founded factory now builds the finest clone Rolex and Patek movements on Earth — this is a cinematic, deeply reported history of espionage, stolen intellectual property, and karmic payback.
The story of how “Swiss Made” was really made.
In Borrowed Time, Gabe Oppenheim asks the question no watch brand will answer on the how did a tiny, war-avoidant nation hold the summit of an entire global industry for two centuries? Just how ethically (or shadily) was their title won?
From the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition, where America briefly out-watched the world, to the smog over China’s border with North Korea at Dandong — where a Communist-founded factory now builds the finest clone Rolex and Patek movements on Earth — this is a cinematic, deeply reported history of espionage, stolen intellectual property, and karmic payback.
The story of how “Swiss Made” was really made.
236 pages, Paperback
Published June 29, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
July 28, 2026
I found this to be a well detailed book which covers a wide expanse of time on a topic I am very interested in. If you like mechanical watches at all, you'll enjoy this book. I think the author explored the history of manufacture moving around the globe in a fascinating way.
However, I have a major gripe about the style of writing used. The use of parenthesis in every other sentence to reference back to semi related information (something I do in conversation but not in a book) was incredibly frustrating and often left me thinking "what is this guy doing?" This was further cemented by what I'm going to call his "fourth wall breaking social references" where he uses the aforementioned parenthesis to make a Star Wars or other pop culture reference dad joke. I don't think any of this truly detracted from the book, it was just jarring. Once I adjusted I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I spent the first 1/4 of the entire work astounded that one could write in such a broken up way. I don't think this made it bad, as you can see I rated it 5 stars. But it is something to know because it's disorienting.
All in all, if you enjoy the topics of manufacturing, espionage, mechanical watches, or international trade, you will enjoy this book and likely fly through it quickly. Now that I'm adjusted to the writing style I'd be eager to see what else Gabe puts out. I recommend.
However, I have a major gripe about the style of writing used. The use of parenthesis in every other sentence to reference back to semi related information (something I do in conversation but not in a book) was incredibly frustrating and often left me thinking "what is this guy doing?" This was further cemented by what I'm going to call his "fourth wall breaking social references" where he uses the aforementioned parenthesis to make a Star Wars or other pop culture reference dad joke. I don't think any of this truly detracted from the book, it was just jarring. Once I adjusted I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I spent the first 1/4 of the entire work astounded that one could write in such a broken up way. I don't think this made it bad, as you can see I rated it 5 stars. But it is something to know because it's disorienting.
All in all, if you enjoy the topics of manufacturing, espionage, mechanical watches, or international trade, you will enjoy this book and likely fly through it quickly. Now that I'm adjusted to the writing style I'd be eager to see what else Gabe puts out. I recommend.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review