Through a programme spread over four sites and an associated programme, the project invites visitors to explore the various ways time has been observed, measured, preserved and shared — from astronomical practices to contemporary atomic technologies.
Following this chronological and conceptual thread, the exhibition Des étoiles aux atomes highlights the close links between the observation of the sky and of atoms, scientific instrumentation and the development of precision watchmaking, as well as the social and scientific uses of measured time.
The exhibition highlights the emergence of a culture of precision in the Neuchâtel Mountains, as well as the Observatory’s role in certifying watchmaking products and organising the chronometry competitions. These missions are placed within a broader history at the crossroads of navigation, astronomy and the watch industry.
The exhibition, organised by the Automates & Merveilles Association, offers a chronological and thematic journey through the history of precision watchmaking, showing how it was built at the intersection of scientific challenges, economic stakes and institutional choices.
It opens on the origins of this culture of precision, marked as early as the 18th century by the quest for longitude at sea. The demands of long-distance navigation stimulated the development of marine chronometry and encouraged watchmakers of the Jura Arc, and especially of the Montagnes neuchâteloises, to perfect their instruments.
Conceived as a coherent whole, the exhibition unfolds across four locations with self-contained chapters, each approaching timekeeping from its own angle. Visiting the four sites makes it possible to connect these approaches and understand how, over the centuries, time has been observed, measured and transmitted — from the sky to the most precise instruments.
The four locations are: Musée international d’horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Musée d’horlogerie du Locle — Château des Monts, Musée d’art et d’histoire de Neuchâtel, and l’Observatoire cantonal de Neuchâtel.
(Source and further information: l’Association Automates & Merveilles)