Clocks and Watches (Room 38–39)

Mechanical clocks were invented in Western Europe in the medieval period and were first used in cathedrals and churches. Room 39 traces their development from these earliest examples to complex and highly decorative domestic clocks, marine chronometers, mass-market designs and modern precision time-keeping.

Many of the hundreds of exhibits on display are working and can be heard ticking, striking and chiming the hours.

The story of the watch will also be traced from the early sixteenth century to modern quartz precision and radio-control.

See this gallery on the floor plan

How does a mechanical watch work?

View watches animation

Watches
By David Thompson
£22.50
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