Time Travelling: The Best Watch Museums to Visit

Exit Through the Gift Shop: Some of the World's Best Museums for Watch Collectors

By: Roger Ruegger

Of course, the Patek Philippe Museum (with a remarkable collection of around 2,500 pieces) is a must-see for every watch enthusiast travelling to Geneva. Same goes for the Omega and Swatch Museum in Biel, Longines in St. Imier, Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus, Jaeger-LeCoultre in Le Sentier or IWC in Schaffhausen, to just name a few, especially, if you are a fan of one of these brands. Same goes for the Musée du Temps de Besançon, Espace Horloger in Le Chenit, the Beyer Clock and Watch Museum in the heart of Zurich (which will have to find a new location soon), the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon in Dresden, the Watch Museum in Glashütte or often overlooked (when it comes to watches) art and science or technology museums with larger collections, like the British Museum in London, the Louvre, Deutsches Museum in Munich, the Swiss National Museum in Zurich or even the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.

Here are six suggestions for six countries we think are a good start, should you ever find yourself in the area:

Switzerland: Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH), La Chaux-de-Fonds

With more than 10,000 items (around half of that is part of the permanent collection), the MIH plays a central role in the preservation, research and transmission of know-how in the watch industry. The carefully curated collection includes “large and medium-sized clocks, mechanical and electronic watches, marine and deck chronometers, non-mechanical time-measuring instruments, automata, and painted works.” The museum also carries out restoration work for its own collections as well as, under strict selection criteria, for certain privately owned pieces.

Rue des Musées 29, 2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
+41 32 967 68 61
https://www.mih.ch/

France: Breguet Museum, Paris

In his lifetime, Abraham-Louis Breguet was already considered the leading watchmaker. With a history of over 250 years, the company he’d founded is showcasing some of its treasures in its museum at Place Vendôme (on the first floor of the Breguet Boutique). Even though the collection in itself is more than stunning, a visit at the Musée des Arts et Métiers (MuAM) is recommended as well, same with the Louvre (which also has an impressive collection of pocket watches).

6 Place Vendôme, Paris, France
+33 1 47 03 65 00

Japan: Seiko Museum, Tokyo

The Seiko Museum was established in 1981 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Seiko, with “the goal of gathering, preserving, and studying various materials and samples related to ‘time and timepieces’.” In 2020, the museum was relocated to the Ginza district. It not only has a stunning number of exhibits related to the history of the Japanese watchmaker, but also to the history of timekeeping in general, from sundials to wadokei (traditional Japanese clocks). Since 2024, it is also home to the Grand Seiko Museum (on the 6th floor).

4-3-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
+81 3-5159-1881
https://museum.seiko.co.jp/

USA: National Watch & Clock Museum, Columbia, Pennsylvania

The National Watch & Clock Museum features “North America’s largest collection of timepieces from all over the world.” Visitors can see timepieces from every stage of human history – primitive to space-aged, and obviously learn pretty much everything there is to know about watch production in the United States in general and Central Pennsylvania in particular and the role railroad watches and industrialization played in it. There is also a replica of a jeweler’s shop from the early 1900s. Like its subsidiary institution, the NAWCC Library & Research Center, the National Watch and Clock Museum is operated by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), a non-profit organization with about 10,000 members and an educational mission.

514 Poplar Street, Columbia, PA, USA
+1 717 684 8261
https://museum.nawcc.org/

United Kingdom: Science Museum, London

The Science Museum is not only one of the major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, it also happens to be one of the city’s major tourist attractions. Luckily, The Clockmakers Museum in the museum’s main building tends to be a bit less busy than the galleries on the ground floor. After all, it is the world’s oldest clock and watch museum, originally assembled by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in London’s Guildhall. More importantly, there are around “600 watches, 90 clocks, 30 marine chronometers, a number of sundials and fine examples of hand engraving” on display, from London’s first marine chronometers and mechanical clocks through the evolution of the wristwatch. There is also a small exhibit dedicated to George Daniels which alone is worth a visit.

Exhibition Road, Kensington & Chelsea London, SW7 2DD, United Kingdom

+44 33 0058 0058

https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/

Germany: Deutsches Uhrenmuseum Glashütte

The non profit foundation “German Watch Museum Glashütte – Nicolas G. Hayek” was founded on March 16, 2006 by the City of Glashütte and the watch manufactory Glashütte Original. With the museum, the restoration workshop, the specialist library, the archive as well as “through various projects and activities, watchmaking knowledge, valuable documents and exhibits unique in the world are conserved and made available to the public at large.” On two floors and over an exhibition area of 1000 m², more than 500 pieces are presented. Among them are Glashütte pocket watches, pendulum clocks and wristwatches from various eras, marine chronometers, historical documents, tools and photographs.

Schillerstrasse 3a, 01768 Glashütte/Saxony, Germany
+49 35053 46 12 102
https://www.uhrenmuseum-glashuette.com/

Please note: If you are planning to visit one the museums mentioned here: please make sure to check opening hours and admission prices beforehand (some of the brand museums mentioned here are by appointment only, others are free).