Musée international d'horlogerie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Musée International d'Horlogerie is a museum located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, dedicated to horology, which is the study of time, timekeeping and timekeeping devices (primarily clocks and watches). The museum is owned and operated by the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Historically the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds is considered one of the focal points of the Swiss watchmaking industries and the home of one of the countries famous watchmaking schools. The museum grew out of the study collection of the school, and is considered today among the broadest and most comprehensive watch and clock museums of the world. In addition to constantly changing temporary exhibits the museum features permanent displays from its vast collection of watches and clocks throughout history. While the collection is obviously strong on Swiss pieces it covers most places where timekeepers were made in any quantity.
Major highlights of the exhibits include:
- One of the few existing full size replicas of Giovanni da Dondi's Astrarium, the fabled clockwork driven 14th century mechanism showing the movement of sun, moon and the planets.
- A comprehensive exhibit on the history and chronology of the "Pendule neuchâteloise"
- Several outstanding clocks by major French master clockmakers, including Breguet, Janvier, LeRoy, Robin etc.
- One of the pioneering early weight driven marine chronometers by Berthoud
- A unparalleled collection of antique machinery to make parts and components for watches
- A superb musical organ clock by Jaquet Droz
- A large collection of antique tower clock movements covering several centuries of technological innovation
- A significant collection of precision pendulum clocks, including examples by Strasser & Rhode, Sigmund Riefler, Zenith and F.M. Fedchenko
as well as many other exhibits on horology.
In addition to its permanent exhibits MIH regularly produces special temorary exhibits on various aspects of timekeeping or time.
Associated with the museum is a first rate conservation workshop which conserves and restores their own pieces as well as doing work for other horological museums. The library of the museum (technically part of the City Library of La Chaux-de-Fonds) is considered the most comprehensive specialized horological library in Switzerland, and its holdings are cataloged within the RERO union catalog (www.rero.ch). Also affiliated is "L'Institut l'homme et le temps" a research and publishing arm that studies the role of time and timekeeping instruments in society.
