The National Watch and Clock Museum
Ancient Timepieces Gallery

The Adventure Begins

What exists everywhere in the universe but occupies no space? What can be measured—but not seen, heard, smelled, tasted, nor held in our hands? What can be spent, saved, frittered away or killed—but not destroyed?

Time.

The ancient timepieces you see around you are the early evidence of our enduring fascination with time. Though they date from long ago, they point the way to the watches, clocks, and calendars of today—and the revelations about time that still lie ahead.

Here, among the journey of our early ancestors, begins the journey into the history and adventures of our ongoing quest to unlock times secrets.