Chronometrophilia is described in its byline as the "Swiss Association for the History of Timekeeping / Association suisse pour l'histoire de la mesure du temps / Schweizerische Gesellschaft für die Geschichte der Zeitmessung". It is a group of collectors and enthusiasts interested in the history of
horology.
Given that Switzerland is quadrilingual, they needed a language-neutral name for their organisation. They invented the term ''chronometrophilia'' from the Greek ''chronos'' (time) and ''philia'' ("the love of"); and ''meter'', a Teutonic word cognate to the Latin ''modius'' (bushel).
[Oxford English Dictionary. (1989) 2nd Ed.]
The association was founded in 1976 and unites collectors, scholars and museum professionals interested in the historical aspects of
clock
A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the ...
s and
watches
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...
. Meetings are held about 4 times a year in various locations in
Switzerland and are usually conducted bilingually in French and German. Most meetings involve visits to museums, restoration workshops or private collections. Once a year the organization also organises an international study tour, travelling to a foreign locale to study historic horological artefacts.
"Chronometrophilia" is also the name of their semi-annual glossy, scholarly journal (published with articles in both French and German).
The administrative office of Chronometrophilia is located in
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds () is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometers south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne and Fribourg, it is the fourth largest city ...
, a Swiss town in the
Jura mountains that is considered the focus of the Swiss watchmaking industry and which also houses th
Musée International d'Horlogerie
Its main sister organizations in other countries pursuing similar goals are:
* ''
Antiquarian Horological Society The Antiquarian Horological Society, abbreviated to AHS, is the UK-based learned society for scholars and enthusiasts of horology. Its administrative office is at 4 Lovat Lane, a listed building close to the Monument, in the City of London. In earl ...
'' - AHS (United Kingdom)
* ''Association Française des Amateurs d'Horlogerie Ancienne'' - AFAHA (France)
* ''
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chronometrie
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chronometrie (DGC), (German Society for Timekeeping) today is an organization of scholars, collectors and enthusiasts in Germany interested in the science, art and history of horology.
History
The association was founded ...
'' - DGC (Germany)
* ''HORA Associazione Italiana Cultori di Orologeria Antica'' (Italy)
* ''
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
The National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors, Inc. (NAWCC) is a nonprofit association of people who share a passion for collecting watches and clocks and studying horology (the art and science of time and timekeeping). The NAWCC's global m ...
'' - NAWCC (United States of America)
References
External links
Chronometrophilia website
{{Authority control
Horological organizations