Uhrenindustriemuseum
Encyclopedia
The Uhrenindustriemuseum (Museum of Clock
Making Technology) is located in the town of Villingen-Schwenningen
, Germany
, and is a museum
dedicated not as much to clocks and watches as to the history of the clockmaking industry of the town. Schwenningen was for much of the 19th century (and the early 20th century) one of southern Germany's most important centers of industrial scale clock manufacturing.
The museum is located at Bürkstraße 39, a building that was built to house the manufacturing plant for clocks by Wũrttenbergische Uhrenfabrik Bũrk Söhne. That company was considered to be the world leader in the specialised field of portable watchmen's control clocks and related time-recording devices.
The core of the museum's collection is made up of working production machinery used to make precision metal parts that can be assembled into clock movements. Actually they have all the machinery in-house to produce all components (except for the mainspring
) to manufacture a simple alarm clock
movement. Staffing permitting the full museum visit will include a demonstration of the lathe
s, milling machine
s and punch press
es, as well as the assembly and packaging process.
Additionally there is a comprehensive display of locally mass-produced clocks from most of the former clock factories of Schwenningen. Furthermore there are temporary exhibits.
Similar museums:
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
Making Technology) is located in the town of Villingen-Schwenningen
Villingen-Schwenningen
Villingen-Schwenningen is a city in the Schwarzwald-Baar district in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It has 80,941 inhabitants .-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and is a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
dedicated not as much to clocks and watches as to the history of the clockmaking industry of the town. Schwenningen was for much of the 19th century (and the early 20th century) one of southern Germany's most important centers of industrial scale clock manufacturing.
The museum is located at Bürkstraße 39, a building that was built to house the manufacturing plant for clocks by Wũrttenbergische Uhrenfabrik Bũrk Söhne. That company was considered to be the world leader in the specialised field of portable watchmen's control clocks and related time-recording devices.
The core of the museum's collection is made up of working production machinery used to make precision metal parts that can be assembled into clock movements. Actually they have all the machinery in-house to produce all components (except for the mainspring
Mainspring
A mainspring is a spiral torsion spring of metal ribbon that is the power source in mechanical watches and some clocks. Winding the timepiece, by turning a knob or key, stores energy in the mainspring by twisting the spiral tighter. The force of the mainspring then turns the clock's wheels as it...
) to manufacture a simple alarm clock
Alarm clock
An alarm clock is a clock that is designed to make a loud sound at a specific time. The primary use of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they are sometimes used for other reminders as well. To stop the sound, a button or handle on the clock is pressed; but...
movement. Staffing permitting the full museum visit will include a demonstration of the lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
s, milling machine
Milling machine
A milling machine is a machine tool used to machine solid materials. Milling machines are often classed in two basic forms, horizontal and vertical, which refers to the orientation of the main spindle. Both types range in size from small, bench-mounted devices to room-sized machines...
s and punch press
Punch press
A punch press is a type of machine press used to cut holes in material. It can be small and manually operated and hold one simple die set, or be very large, CNC operated, with a multi-station turret and hold a much larger and complex die set.-Description:...
es, as well as the assembly and packaging process.
Additionally there is a comprehensive display of locally mass-produced clocks from most of the former clock factories of Schwenningen. Furthermore there are temporary exhibits.
See also
- HorologyHorologyHorology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
Similar museums:
- Deutsches UhrenmuseumDeutsches UhrenmuseumThe German Clock Museum is situated near the centre of the Black Forest town of Furtwangen im Schwarzwald, a historic centre of clockmaking. It features permanent and temporary exhibits on the history of timekeeping...
- National Watch and Clock MuseumNational Watch and Clock MuseumThe National Watch and Clock Museum , located in Columbia, Pennsylvania, is one of a very few museums in the United States dedicated solely to horology, which is the history, science and art of timekeeping and timekeepers....
- Mussee Internationale d'HorlogerieMussee Internationale d'HorlogerieMusée International d'Horlogerie is a museum located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, dedicated to horology, which is the study of time, timekeeping and timekeeping devices...
External links
- http://www.uhrenindustriemuseum.de Uhrenindustriemusem Villingen-Schwenningen (Website available only in GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
)