The Italian astronomer Giovanni da Dondi devised and built the first planetary clock, which he completed in 1364. Considered a pure product of Italian genius, it nonetheless finished on the scrap heap… though not without firing the imagination of the medievalists who set about its reconstruction.

The new market of aftermarket parts, used in the famous "authentic-fake watches", has the wind in its sails and is likely to fool even the most knowledgeable collectors. Unfortunately, the pleasure of unearthing a rare timepiece has become rarer than the watch itself…

An exhibition at the Geneva Musées d’art et d’histoire retraces the evolution of Swiss watchmaking from the mid-19th century up until today through the presentation of school-watches. Embodiments of professional training, they are the reflection of watchmaking values of yesterday and today.

Four years after the last mass destruction of counterfeit watches in Switzerland, no fewer than 29,000 fakes went into the crusher in July to mark the coming into force of new regulations on the importing of counterfeit goods.

What, a former curator wondered, would be a fitting way for a horological museum to commemorate its half-century? With a celebration of course, but what else? By inviting friends and visitors to rediscover the renowned Sandoz collection, several outstanding pieces of which are part of the MHL's (Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle) own collection.