The treasures under Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse
A look at one of the world’s most outstanding private watch collections, the work of the late Zurich collector Theodor Beyer.
Johanna Bächtold-Moser
How many people, as they hurry past 31 Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich in the course of their daily business, realise that a treasure lies just beneath their feet? Stepping down into the basement of Chronométrie Beyer, and the hustle and bustle of the street outside vanishes. Calm reigns within these four walls, home to one of the most sophisticated and fascinating private collection of watches in the world. Only a gentle tick-tock and the occasional chime disturbs the silence here.
If the public can now contemplate such exceptional works, it is thanks to the Zurich watch collector Theodor Beyer. Until his death in 2002, with legendary passion and unrivalled competency he sought out exceptional timepieces of every kind. Thankfully his son René Beyer shares his father’s passion. Representing the seventh generation of the family at the head of Chronométrie Beyer, he pays particular attention to the collection to which he regularly adds new pieces. "My father didn’t just want to collect and own but to show others the objects that brought him such happiness," he recalls. Now he wishes to carry on this tradition.
Visiting the five hundred-some pieces in this collection is a veritable journey through the history of time measurement, from clepsydras and sundials to wall clocks, marine chronometers, table clocks and fob watches to culminate with the Patek Philippe atomic clock, accurate to one millionth of a second.
A varied collection
Among the rich variety of timepieces on show, let us admire those that illustrate the wealth and diversity of the collection. One of the most remarkable is a sumptuous automata clock in the form of a pagoda. It stands 84cm high and is decorated with numerous figures which turn each hour when the clock chimes. It was made in London circa 1780 for the Chinese imperial court.
Another timepiece, this time hung on the wall, also stands out. This painted chiming clock was made circa 1600. Both the case and the mechanism are in iron.
A richly decorated French vase clock, made circa 1780, gives the time in an unusual way by means of two rotating enamelled rings. The bottom scale in Roman numerals indicates the hours while the top scale, in Arabic numerals, shows the minutes.
When considering the collection as a whole, a mahogany table clock immediately stands out with its unmistakable dial. Abraham-Louis Breguet made this pendule sympathique circa 1795. Incorporated into its cabinet is a holder for a pocket watch whose hands are precisely adjusted to time once a day by the "parent" clock.
Breguet’s fob watches are, of course, well represented among many other famous names, including John Arnold & Son, Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz and Patek Philippe. The collection also includes two fob watches by George Daniels, the British octogenarian master-watchmaker who lives on the Isle of Man.
Among the particularly noteworthy wristwatches in the collection are an Omega Constellation de Luxe from 1962, a rare and exceptionally accurate watch; a Patek Philippe Art Deco lady’s wristwatch set with diamonds, made in 1920; an IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Quatro Stagioni from 1999; a Rolex chronograph from 1941, and a 1960s Bulova Accutron vibrating at 360 hertz and acknowledged in its time for its extreme precision, accurate to within 60 seconds a month.
Temporary exhibitions
The museum also gives insight into the different horological techniques, with magnificent works in cloisonné enamel and engine-turned dials.
Not every piece in the collection is on display in the permanent exhibition, although the public is still given opportunities to admire them. This was the case, for example, in January when René Beyer brought numerous original watches out of his treasure trove for a temporary exhibition of funny, kitsch, in a word lighthearted watches. One last word regarding the museum: every single watch in the collection is in working order.
Visitor information
The museum is inside the Chronométrie Beyer shop at 31 Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich. It is open Monday to Friday from 2pm to 6pm. Admission price is CHF 5 for adults and children over 12. Guided tours in German, French and English and group visits are available with advance booking. An annex to the museum was opened in December 2006 in the Aussersihl district of Zurich showing some of the finest examples of electronic watches and retracing their rapid development. Advance bookings to see this collection should be made by calling +41 (0)43 344 63 63. ■
