When we talk about museums, we cannot think, if nothing else, of art and science. The definition that, in fact, the International Council of Museums gives it is “a permanent institution at the service of society and its development. Open to the public, it carries out research concerning the material and immaterial testimonies of humanity and its environment. It acquires them, preserves them, communicates them and, above all, exhibits them for the purposes of study, education and pleasure. “
The museum, therefore, is the place of memory par excellence.
Today we will mention a journey inside these wonderful places, caskets of exceptional beauty.
La Cité Du Temps – Omega Museum
Located in Bienne, the Cité du Temps (City of Time) is a beautiful pole, owned by the Swatch Group, entirely dedicated to watchmaking. Here, in fact, we don’t limit ourselves to having just one museum but we find two under the same roof: one dedicated to Swatch and the other one being Omega Museum
In the Omega Museum we can trace the history of the brand through videos, exhibitions and interactive experiences. Inside the museum we can literally take a tour inside a Speedmaster, the watch that went to the moon. By doing so, we will discover the secrets of the famous Co-Axial escapement.
The exhibition retraces the most successful stages of the brand: from the history of Omega women’s watchmaking to the world of the famous James Bond. The visit to the Omega Museum will also guarantee access to the Swatch Museum. You can visit the museum from Tuesday to Sunday, from late morning until late afternoon.
Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet
Our journey begins in Les Brassus, a modest village in the Vallée de Joux, where the Audemars Piguet factory is located not too far from the Lac de Joux.
The Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet was created with the aim of introducing visitors to the house’s 200-year history, retracing the milestones that allowed the independent brand to become a global watchmaking giant.
The structure of the museum is in the form of intertwined spirals. It is located in the building of the Maison des Fondateurs (House of the Founders) and is somewhat reminiscent of the structure of the mechanisms that animate the timepieces.
Inside the museum we find a permanent exhibition comprising 300 pieces. They are presented along a path that leads from the designs of the Belle Epoque to those of today.
Furthermore, a specific part of the museum leads us to discover the various technical innovations used. This section, not surprisingly, was baptized with the name of Atelier. The visit is available, upon reservation, for a limited number of people. which will be accompanied along the way by a guide.
Patek Philippe Museum
Built in 2001, the Patek Philippe Museum was set up inside a building particularly linked to the Geneva-based maison. The building, in fact, in the period between 1975 and 1996 houses the production unit specializing in the creation of cases, bracelets and chains.
The museum was born in Geneva from the passion for watchmaking of Philippe Stern, the honorary president of Patek, who carefully built this collection, with the intention of sharing 500 years of history with the world.
The collection includes about 2500 watches. With their stories it allow us to retrace Patek Philippe’s production, from 1839 to today. As if that was not enough, the museum has at its disposal a collection of 8000 publications about Time and the Measurement of Time. The Antique collection also allows us to admire some watches decorated with enamel dating back to the 16th-19th centuries.
The Patek Philippe Museum hosts group or single visits from Tuesday to Saturday in the afternoon hours.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Exposition
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of one of the most iconic models in history, the Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre has organized an exhibition located in Paris, in Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, which our Fabrizio visited a few months ago. The itinerary will allow us to fully immerse ourselves in the Reverso world, allowing us to enjoy the stories that every timepiece has brought with it, since 1931.
Furthermore, for those who wish, Jaeger-LeCoultre organizes the Atelier Antoine Workshop, where participants can experience the “behind the scenes” experience of a Reverso.
As if that wasn’t enough, we will be able to enjoy Michael Murphy’s “Spacetime” installation. An impactful work of art that provides us with the opportunity to immerse ourselves even more inside a Reverso.
Il Museo Internazionale dell’Orologeria
Opened for the first time in 1974, the Musée International d’Horlogerie offers 3 route variants. Those wishing to visit the museum, in fact, can choose to: retrace the stages in the history of watchmaking, both technical and stylistic; discover the history of the treasures hidden in the collection; and, finally, themed sections dedicated to the various aspects of measuring time.
The museum, with its collection, intends to follow, collect and finally preserve the objects concerning the measurement of time, from watches to industrial measuring instruments.
