Set off to discover 10 famous watches from around the world.
They are loved and desired by some. Some people collect them. Others hate them, and even have a certain paranoia, believing that they are controlling their lives. There are those who turn them into decorative objects. Many have been the backdrops for major motion pictures. And there are also those who, like us at Partiu, use them as an excuse just to go on that long-dreamed-of trip.
We’re talking about the world of watches and, in particular, those iconic ones that are scattered around the planet and become postcards!
Big Ben – Great Clock, London
And when you think of a famous clock that is a tourist attraction and has been the setting for several films, the first thing that comes to mind is Big Ben. But Partiu has some information that will leave you speechless. The clock in the Big Ben Tower, later renamed the Elizabeth Tower and part of the Palace of Westminster, is actually the Great Clock. Big Ben is the Great Bell that stands inside the tower of the building that houses Britain’s Houses of Parliament.
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The Big Ben bell weighs 13.7 tons and is 2.28m high by 2.75m wide. It was first rung on July 11, 1859. And it repeats this every exact hour that the Great Clock strikes.
The clock tower consists of four giant faces and was built during the reign of Queen Victoria. The building bears the Latin inscription “Domine salvam fac reginam nostram Victoriam Primam (Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First).
Shepherd Gate Clock – Greenwich, London
And the British love of clocks doesn’t just stop at Big Ben. One of the first examples of an electric clock, the Shepherd Gate Glock was installed in 1852 by Charles Shepherd in Greenwich.
It is located outside the gates of the Royal Greenwich Observatory building and is one of the first to show the time in Greenwich. It used to work by means of electrical impulses from a master clock inside the main building, but is now regulated by quartz movement.
Grand Central Terminal clock, New York
Another iconic clock that has been part of many movie sets is the Grand Central Terminal clock in New York.
Installed in 1913, when the terminal opened, the clock is located above the information desk in the main hall. It is used as a meeting point for citizens and tourists alike.
The opal clock has an estimated value of $20 million. Like Big Ben, it has four faces. It is set according to the atomic clock at the US Naval Observatory in Bethesda, Maryland. And, amazingly: the margin of error is up to 1 second every 20 billion years.
Tiffany Clock – Grand Central Terminal, New York
The station is also home to the largest Tiffany glass clock with a diameter of 4 meters. It stands outside the station, on 42nd Street, on the façade of the Terminal. It is decorated with statues of the Greek gods Mercury, Hercules and Minerva. They represent the virtues of the railroad: speed, strength and intellect. The statue that contains it is almost 15 meters high.
Rathaus-Glockenspiel, Munich
Munich is not just the capital of the Oktoberfest. The city has some incredible sights. Among them is the new town hall (Neues Rathaus) on the city’s main square: Marieanplatz. The beautiful Neo-Gothic building would already be an eye-catcher, but what also attracts many tourists with appointments to the central square are the chimes of its clock, the Marienplatz Bell Tower.
The life-size statues represent the wedding of Duke Wihelm V and Renata of Lorraine, a knightly duel that took place in 1568, and the traditional Schäfflertanz dance, which originated during the black plague epidemic in Munich. The movement of the statues is accompanied by 10 minutes of music reminiscent of a large music box.
Prague Astronomical Clock
One of the tourist attractions in Prague, Czech Republic, is the Astronomical Clock. Located in Old Town Square, on the south side of the town hall, it is the most famous medieval clock in the world.
Its history is somewhat controversial. Until 1961 it was believed to have been built by the watchmaker Hanuš. However, on this date a document was found which revealed that it was built by Mikuláš in 1410, rebuilt by Master Hanuš in 1490 and perfected by Jan Taborsky in the 16th century.
They also say that after finishing the work, they pierced Master Hanuš’s eyes so that he wouldn’t build the same work in another city.
It has 3 main components.
The first has a representation of Heaven and Earth in different phases of the day. They have Roman numerals indicating the time in Prague and Arabic numerals on the edge that represent Babylonian time. This is the only clock in the world that can tell Babylonian time.
The second is made up of the 12 signs of the Zodiac and determines the position of the Sun. It also represents the movement of the Moon and its phases.
In 1870, a calendar with medallions representing the 12 months of the year was added.
And the third component is a mechanism that represents a procession of the 12 Apostles every hour. In addition to these statues, there are others that represent the things most feared by the inhabitants of Prague: avarice, vanity and death.
Strasbourg Astronomical Clock
In the city of Strasbourg in France there is also another astronomical clock dating from 1838 and restored in 1842.
Located in the city’s Cathedral, its box measures 18 meters and stands on a 4-meter-high base. It is decorated with paintings and wooden statues.
Its winged angel, child, adult and old man statues are activated simultaneously every hour and represent each stage of life. At midday, the Apostles parade in front of the Christ while a rooster crows and flaps its wings three times.
On its only face, the Earth is represented in the center and above it is a celestial globe with more than 5,000 stars. They represent the movements of the stars around the planet.
The clock also indicates the days of the week, represented by the deities.
St. Mark’s Square Clock, Venice
Located in Piazza San Marco, the Venetian clock stands out for its gold dial and blue enamel framed in marble with carved Roman numerals.
On the hour hand is the sun. Between the Roman numerals are the signs of the zodiac, also in gold.
This in itself would be a beautiful piece of work. To top it all off, above the clock is a platform with a statue of Madonna and child. Next to this statue are two blue panels representing the time.
Floral Clock, Niagara Parks
And anyone who thinks that when they visit Niagara Falls in Canada they’ll only see water is mistaken. One of Niagara’s attractions is the Floral Clock. This is a clock made up of flowers and plants.
The clock is 12 meters high and has a planted area 38 meters wide. This makes it one of the largest clocks in the world.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 plants are used for this and the design is changed twice a year throughout the year.
Flower Clock, Viña del Mar
One of the sights of this friendly Chilean city is the large clock made of flowers.
A masterpiece made of colorful flowers at the foot of Cerro Castillo. Inaugurated in 1962 for the FIFA World Cup, an event in which Viña del Mar was one of the host cities.
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The hands are 3 meters long. The numbers are made up of colorful flower arrangements that are 10 centimeters high so as not to impede the movement of the hands. The Mediterranean climate means that the flowers are always in bloom all year round.
Initially controlled by a Swiss mechanism, today it works via a satellite system combined with a precision electronic mechanism.
Visit without leaving home
Want to see Big Ben live? Check out this webcam showing various parts of London.
And Munich also has its Marienplatz depicted 24 hours a day.
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