The Clockmakers' Museum

The Clockmakers Museum is the oldest collection in the world devoted entirely to clocks and watches. It began forming in eighteen fourteen as a project of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, an institution chartered by King Charles the First back in sixteen thirty-one to protect the craft of horology in London. While many of the items are masterpieces of precision, the collection also emphasizes the decorative side of the trade, featuring pieces that prioritize beauty and artistry alongside their mechanical functions. For nearly a century and a half, the collection resided in the Guildhall complex in the City of London, but it moved to its current home inside the Science Museum in twenty-fifteen to reach a wider audience.