After the decline of its mainstay whaling industry in the mid-19th century, the quaint, historic seaside village of Sag Harbor, New York became home to two of the most famous and prolific watch case manufacturers in the United States: the Joseph Fahys and Bulova Watch Case companies. For 100 years they were a stanchion of the local economy, producing thousands of cases per day and providing hundreds of jobs, including many to new immigrants just arriving from overseas. By World War II the Bulova factory had over 500 employees and was producing 30,000 watch cases per week, as well as telescope parts and aircraft instruments as part of the war effort. In 1980, however, the factory was shut down for good and sat vacant, a sad visual reminder of what it once was.

For over 30 years the building sat abandoned and uncared for, left to fall slowly into ruin. In 2006, however, the property was purchased by New York developers Cape Advisors, Inc. with a bold and controversial plan to convert the old factory into luxury apartments and townhouses. Through local skepticism, a gauntlet of applications, reviews, paperwork and permits, union protests, inclement weather, a collapse and myriad other jobsite challenges, this book tells the story of how a once-legendary property that had all but died was brought back to life, a Phoenix that has now once again become a proud jewel of the local community.