From Bonaparte to Everest: Director of the Beyer Watch and Clock Museum on Timekeeping in Transition
- Liz Publika
- Jul 12
- 10 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
by Liz Publika
In Zurich's most luxurious retail district, below the Beyer Watches and Jewellery shop, is an archive of horological treasures that spans 3,500 years of human history. Horology is often discussed in terms of gears, power reserves, and mechanical complications. But it is arguably better understood from a creative standpoint and for what the craft signifies about the evolution of human ingenuity.
The history of the Beyer Watch and Clock Museum is fairly short when compared to the company that sits above it, which is reportedly the oldest watch retailer in the world. Both belong to one family, which has been at the helm of operations for eight continuous generations, starting in 1760. Each is a product of passion and dedication to the scientific and artistic study of timekeeping.
According to the family, the story begins with Matthäus Beyer in Donaueschingen, Germany, around the same time as the First Industrial Revolution rose to transform the world. There, Matthäus founded a trade and watchmaking business, before Stephan Beyer, his grandson, moved the company to the Swiss town of Feuerthalen in 1822, where it operated as a watch and spice shop starting in 1830.
Within the same decade, another historically significant company was founded when watchmakers Franciszek Czapek and Antoni Patek went into business in 1839. They entered a partnership with Stephan Beyer in 1842, and even though the duo went their separate ways by 1845, Patek was joined by watchmaker Adrien Philippe that same year and continued working with the Beyers.
The first Beyer Zurich-based shop was opened in 1860 by Stephan's son, Theodor Beyer-Danioth. Several decades and two relocations later, the shop finally settled in its current location in 1927 — the historic Orell Füssli building at Bahnhofstrasse 31. By this point, Zurich had become a major city, and Patek Philippe had become one of Switzerland's more reputable and coveted watchmaking brands.
The ongoing partnership between the Beyers and Patek Philippe was mutually beneficial as each company became a bona fide power player in the horology space. As time flowed on, the businesses evolved in different ways. Patek Philippe was acquired by the Stern family, which still operates it today. The Beyers kept theirs in the family, formed pivotal business partnerships, and founded the museum in 1971.
It was the brainchild of Theodor “Teddy” Beyer, who turned his family’s personal passion into an invaluable collection of horological artifacts. He spent decades actively acquiring objects at auction houses across the world. The collection includes non-mechanical timekeeping tools such as Egyptian water clocks, shadow sticks, sundials, oil clocks, hourglasses, and the first mechanical pieces.
It is more impressive than it sounds: the automata in the collection predate industrial robotics by centuries, which is a testament to craftsmanship and engineering ambition. But changing trends in decorative color and casing — shifting from the earthy woods of the Renaissance to the bright, delicate enamel miniatures of Geneva — reflect cultural shifts in how humans emotionally connect with time itself.
The collection also includes a significant contemporary artifact. The museum claims to hold a Swiss Beta prototype from 1967 — the first Swiss quartz wristwatch prototype ever made, rather than a more common 1970 Beta 21 production watch — representing the exact historical moment where traditional Swiss mechanical watchmaking faced a sudden, existential threat from electronic technology.
Rarely discussed in the international press is the fact that the collection also includes locally made Swiss clocks and watches by makers like Berthoud, Liechti and Ochsner, providing a comprehensive view of both local and international craftsmanship. Visitors have a unique opportunity to learn about horological history in a historic location, through a legacy brand. But this will change by the end of 2026.
The Beyer retail location will be taken over by Patek Philippe by the end of the year. This was not a spontaneous or forced decision, but one that has been planned for several years. The Beyer brand has always been a family business, but with no member of the current generation positioned to take over the retail business, Patek Philippe was chosen as its successor, owing to the special relationship between the two brands.
The museum, however, will continue operating under the guidance of the Beyer family, albeit from a different and yet undisclosed location. Rebecca Ramö Streith, the newly appointed Director of the museum, took a few moments to answer some questions about the institution, its current exhibition, and some of the museum’s most fascinating horological artifacts for the Art of Time volume in ARTpublika Magazine.
In regard to the items, what is the current authoritative count — both the total holdings and the number on permanent display?
The permanent exhibition features approximately 270 objects, while the entire collection consists of little more than 1,500 objects. Together, the collection tells the story of timekeeping from 1400 BC to the present day.
There is probably a lot of effort involved in keeping the artifacts in good shape, especially the ancient ones.
Conservation applies to all of our historical pieces and involves adapting their environments in the best possible way. Factors such as temperature and humidity, as well as how the objects are handled and displayed, are very important.
What determines what goes on display and what stays in storage? How do you curate an exhibition and build a story around it? Please use Great Art on Small Watches as an example.
A special exhibition on the theme of miniature painting titled Great Art on Small Watches, which opened on June 15, displays intimate portraits, religious scenes, mythological representations, and allegories rendered in fine brushstrokes.
Normally, for our special exhibitions, we select a theme and then present objects from the collection that relate to it. Whenever possible, we try to choose items that are not part of the permanent exhibition, giving visitors the opportunity to discover pieces that are usually kept in storage.
We also organize special exhibitions showcasing newly acquired artifacts that have recently been added to the collection.
What attracted you to working at a horology museum and how has being surrounded by 3,500 years of objects built to measure time changed your own relationship with it?
I became Director in May, but I started working at the museum part-time about four years ago, in 2022. I was immediately moved and fascinated by the collection, its variety, and its history. Since then, I have continued to educate myself and have learned a great deal.
Working in a museum is truly exciting. Each object has its own story to tell, and what fascinates me most is the craftsmanship, the miniature paintings, and the decoration.
We are a small team of three, but we work closely and well together, complementing each other effectively. The museum is entering a new chapter, and we remain positive about the future. We hope to be able to welcome visitors again after the relocation.
You have a background in color design and aesthetics. How do the physical choices — lighting, color, spatial sequencing — work to shift a visitor's state of mind from the retail floor above into a space that spans 3,500 years of history?
Although, my primary role today is Museum Director, I am a certified color designer. For Great Art on Small Watches, I had the opportunity to contribute to the color design, which is always a pleasure.
Of course, we want to present the collection in the best possible way. It can be challenging, as we have limited space but want to show a great deal without overwhelming visitors. So, we work closely with scenographers who do an excellent job.
Texts must be placed carefully; light is very important, as is how one perceives the space. It is very much about balance and reduction. Our goal is to create clarity while still doing justice to the richness of the collection.
The Pendule Sympathique is perhaps the single most talked-about piece in the collection. According to auction catalogue records and recent horological scholarship your piece was commissioned for Joseph Bonaparte. The same sources note that unlike later Sympathiques, it only sets the watch hands — it does not wind or regulate the movement. Is this true and can you confirm the Bonaparte provenance and clarify what the mechanism actually does?
The first-generation Pendule Sympathique, created by Abraham-Louis Breguet, consists of an 1808 table clock and a pocket watch from around 1830. The ensemble also includes a mahogany transport case lined and padded with red velvet, a calendar, a portrait of Breguet, and a red box for the pocket watch.
After use, the pocket watch is placed in the dedicated holder on top of the table clock. At 12 o'clock, the table clock automatically synchronizes the inserted pocket watch — or, when required, the accompanying calendar on display. In other words, the mechanism synchronizes and sets the time indication; it does not wind the pocket watch or regulate its movement.
The table clock movement has two mainspring barrels with a 40-hour power reserve indicator, the famous constant-force escapement (patented by Breguet on March 9, 1798), and a bimetallic compensation balance with two opposing cylindrical gold spiral springs.
Later, second-generation Pendules Sympathiques, developed by Abraham-Louis Breguet's grandson, expanded the concept to include winding the pocket watch. The Beyer example belongs to the earlier generation.
Documentation in the Breguet archives confirms that the Pendule Sympathique in the Beyer Watch Museum collection is associated with Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon Bonaparte’s elder brother and King of Spain. Breguet timepieces are exceptionally well documented, allowing provenance and ownership history to be established with a high degree of certainty.
Auction records and horological literature show that the Bronnikov watches were made by a three-generation family dynasty from Vyatka, Russia — beginning with Semyon Ivanovich Bronnikov (1800–1875) and continued by his sons Mikhail and Nikolai. Who specifically made your piece, and what does the maker's mark say?
We have three pocket watches, along with documentation and signatures confirming their attribution to Nikolai and Mikhail Bronnikov, dated to around 1870.
The Moving Lion Automaton Clock from around 1640 belongs to an era when the line between a precision instrument and a theatrical performance piece was essentially nonexistent. Which object in the collection most reliably stops people — the one that draws the longest pause, the most questions, or the most unexpected reaction? What object is of the most interest to you personally and why?
There are, of course, several examples, including the large church clock by Hans Luterer — a renowned 16th-century clockmaker — and the Pendule Sympathique. I would also include several of our elemental clocks, such as water clocks and some of the earliest portable sundials. Visitors are often fascinated by the fact that such advanced knowledge and instruments already existed at that time.
Another category that attracts visitors is automata — pieces that not only show the time but also play music or move.
Then we naturally have our "star" objects that attract collectors, such as Patek Philippe and George Daniels pieces, the Rolex watch that accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary to the summit of Mount Everest, and rare or complicated models from various brands.
According to the Science Museum, London, Hillary wore a Smiths watch to the summit and presented it in person to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers after the fact. Rolex reports that expedition leader John Hunt wrote, “Rolex Oyster watches […] performed splendidly, and we have indeed come to look upon [them] as an important part of high-climbing equipment,” but did not explicitly indicate that Hillary wore a Rolex to the summit. What does your documentation say about the specific Rolex in your collection?
We have the Rolex Oyster Perpetual. On May 29, 1953, at 11:30 a.m., Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Rolex equipped the expedition, led by Sir John Hunt, with its watches. This Rolex Oyster was worn by Sir Edmund Hillary during the first ascent. The piece of wrapping paper bears Sir Edmund’s handwritten home address in New Zealand and formed part of the packaging in which he returned the watch to Rolex.
The Astrarium by Giovanni Dondi dall'Orologio — built between approximately 1348 and 1364 and lost since the 16th century — was the most complex machine of its era, yet it was devoted entirely to mapping planetary orbits rather than keeping a schedule. Several 20th-century reproductions exist worldwide. Which does the museum hold, who built it, and when? And how do you present a reconstruction to visitors alongside objects that are genuinely period?
Our reproduction — number 2 of five copies — was built c. 1960 by Alan Lloyd in the United Kingdom. We make it clear that it is a replica built from sketches and documents found of the original. It represents a masterpiece.
You have organized reading events inside the museum that explore the concept of time rather than the mechanics of measuring it. What happens to people's relationship with these objects when they approach them through literature or philosophy rather than through horological history?
Time and clock making are much more than just mechanical engineering. People come to appreciate that they are art, they are philosophy, and they reflect humanity and its development within society.
Note* Images and videos are the property of The Beyer Watch and Clock Museum | The Beyer Museum's account of the watch Sir Edmund Hillary wore at the summit conflicts with the Science Museum's position; this piece does not resolve the discrepancy. However, the image of Sir Hillary with Sherpa Tenzing is sourced from official Beyer PDF below; it has been modified to exclude a caption that inaccurately identified the featured watch — the Rolex Oyster Perpetual — as a Rolex Explorer, which was inspired by the Oyster Perpetual and released after the summit had occurred.