National Watch and Clock Museum

Long before, and well after, the advent of weight-driven mechanical clocks, places, such as the Far East, utilized sundials, water clocks, and incense timekeepers (in addition to their combustion clocks) to keep time. Western missionaries introduced European mechanical clocks into China and Japan in the late 16th century. Although European clocks were imported into the Far East during the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s, native clock making activities still survived.

The watch was not a true "invention" so much as a further miniaturization of the small spring-driven table clock introduced by Italian clock makers in the late 15th century. It is probable that the Italians were producing clocks small enough to be worn on the person by the early 16th century. It did not take long for watchmaking to spread throughout Europe and England, and London, Paris, and Geneva flourished as centers of fine watchmaking in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Occasionally during the Renaissance, a miniature mechanical watch movement would be attached to a decorative bracelet as a lady's accessory. This idea reemerged during the 19th century, as women's pocket watches were fitted with a bracelet or leather strap so they could be worn on the wrist. Military personnel recognized the practicality of the timepiece, and by 1880, German naval officers were being supplied with Swiss-produced watches. Companies like Cartier, Omega, Movado, Waltham, and Patek Philippe were producing wristwatches for a small but emerging market by 1910. The general popularity of wristwatches, however, grew tremendously during World War I, as soldiers worldwide took advantage of the accessible and efficient timepieces.

Although the primary purpose of clocks is to tell time, it is not necessarily the only purpose. Many clocks have been designed to dazzle, entertain, even instruct those who see them. The novelty or specialty clock is not a recent phenomenon —since the earliest days of the mechanical clock, clock makers have sought to make timepieces that are mechanically and decoratively unique.

The National Watch and Clock Museum officially opened to the public in 1977 with fewer than 1,000 artifacts to present to visitors. Since that time,the collection has increased to over 12,000 items and the museum has undergone several expansion projects. Today, the museum is recognized as the largest and most comprehensive horological collection in North America. It also houses the NAWCC Library and Research Center, the largest horological library in the world, with over 30,000 books and thousands of feet of archival material.While the museum’s collections are some of the best in the world, the most important aspect it presents is the story we all share: Time. Many things separate us but the thing that unites the world is the method for organizing our lives - day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. In this way, time is a metaphor for what we, as humans,can accomplish when faced with global problems. The story of time and timekeeping provides a lesson for doing just that.The museum thanks you for sharing your valuable time with us. We hope that through your visit, you obtain a greater appreciation for the importance of time and timekeeping in our daily lives.