100 Maple Street
Bristol, CT 06010
Phone: (860) 583-6070
Fax: (860) 583-1862

 

Scope Of Our Collection

The museum was formed to preserve the history, records and artifacts of the once-great American clock and watch industry. The collection has clocks dating from 1680 and watches dating from 1595. Although some items date to modern times, the majority of the collection dates from 1800 to 1940.

The museum has some foreign clocks and watches in its collection, primarily to show technology and design features which were adopted by American makers or adapted by them to make the timekeepers more affordable to the working class. However, the collection is mainly comprised of American made items and most particularly those mass produced in Connecticut- the world’s great clock manufacturing area of the 19th century.

Visitors to the museum will find over 1,400 clocks and watches on display at the present time including “grandfather” clocks, shelf clocks, wall clocks, precision regulators, novelties, alarm clocks, tower/church clocks, jeweled watches, watch keys and fobs, non-jeweled or “dollar” watches, clock and watch making machinery and tools. A number of clocks are kept running and chiming.

Collectors may favor the rare and unusual, while other visitors will most enjoy those of great beauty or with melodious chimes. Others are thrilled to find “one just like grandmother had."  Adults and children alike enjoy the character watches, such as Mickey Mouse, Porky Pig, Buck Rogers, and clocks such as “ET”, Bugs Bunny and Felix the Cat. Whatever your fancy, there is sure to be a clock or watch that will “tickle” it! 


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All information ©2001 American Clock & Watch Museum.
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