Geneva and the Swiss Jura are the cradle of the Swiss watchmaking industry. There’s not a minute to lose! Set off on a clockwise journey to explore the question.
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Luxury watch at the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
©J-B. Rabouan/hemis.fr
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Exterior building of the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
©Patek Philippe
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Espace Horloger in the Joux Valley, Switzerland
©Meylan Productions
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Interactive activity at the Espace Horloger in the Joux Valley, Switzerland
©Meylan Productions
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Le Locle Watchmaking Museum, Switzerland
©Musée d’horlogerie du Locle – Château des Monts, Le Locle, Suisse
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Room in Le Locle Watchmaking Museum, Switzerland
©Musée d’horlogerie du Locle – Château des Monts, Le Locle, Suisse
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The Cité du Temps at Bienne, by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, Switzerland
©Cité du Temps
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The Cité du Temps at Bienne, Switzerland
©Cité du Temps
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The Patek Philippe Museum: rare collections
A watchmaking tour begins in Geneva. In addition to rue du Rhône and its luxury boutiques, this museum is a must-visit destination. In this splendid industrial building, you can discover the whole history of watchmaking through extremely rich collections and gold plate treasures.
7 rue des Vieux-Grenadiers
1205 Geneva
7 rue des Vieux-Grenadiers
1205 Geneva
+41 22 707 30 10
www.patek.com
Espace Horloger in the Joux Valley: a history lesson
In Le Sentier, the emphasis is on education and interactivity to allow visitors to discover watchmaking professions and regional brands: AudemarsPiguet, Blancpain, etc. You also learn more about the first watchmakers in the Joux valley, former farmers looking for extra income. Highly instructive!
2Grand-Rue
1347 Sentier
+41 21 845 75 45
www.espacehorloger.ch
The International Watchmaking Museum (MIH): measuring time
Founded inChaux-de-Fonds in 1902, the MIH looks back over Humanity’s constant obsession with time through more than 3,000objects. It has it all, from the first antique measuring instruments through Renaissance pieces to brand new watches. You don’t see the time go by…
29 rue des Musées
2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds
+41 32 967 68 61
www.mih.ch
Le Locle Watchmaking Museum: a journey through time
This museum is located in LeLocle in an elegant 18th-century château, the property of a former master watchmaker. Magnificent clocks are displayed on the ground floor, while the upper floors contain a collection of miniature automata for fans of mechanisms, along with a wonderfully reconstructed watchmaker’s studio.
65 route des Monts
2400 Le Locle
++41 32 933 89 80
www.mhl-monts.ch
The Longines museum: the chronometer from every angle
This institution in Saint-Imier is dedicated to the watchmaking house of the same name, recognisable from its logo in the shape of a winged hourglass and the official timekeeper of sporting competitions. The museum presents numerous archives, the brand’s most beautiful watches, chronographs, etc. Fascinating and free.
8 rue des Noyettes
2610 Saint-Imier
+41
8 rue des Noyettes
2610 Saint-Imier
+41 32 942 54 25
www.longines.com/fr
The Cité du Temps: precision and the avant-garde
- ville : Geneva
- pays : Switzerland
- aeroport plus proche : Geneva Airport
The Bienne museum dedicated to the Omega and Swatch brands is already worth the trip for its astonishing building in wood and glass by Japanese architect ShigeruBan. Two worlds, two ambiences: Planet Swatch highlights Omega’s perfect precision, whereas Swatch’s colourful, avant-garde pop atmosphere is found on the ground floor.
2 rue NicolasG.Hayek
2502 Bienne
+41 32 343 89 00
www.citedutemps.com
Related:
Dive behind the scenes of luxury watchmaking in Geneva
