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The Patek Philippe Museum opened in Geneve
on November 8, 2001. The museum presents about two thousand exceptional
timepieces, automata, miniature portraits on enamel, and rare exhibits
which trace a fantastic journey through five hundred years of European
horology; at the same time, they showcase the 160-year heritage
of a watchmaker which connoisseurs agree is the finest in the world.
The collection consists of two complementary departments. One is
dedicated to rare timepieces of European and mostly of Genevan provenance,
the other is devoted exclusively to Patek Philipe watches, spanning
the workshops' history from its beginnings to the present day.
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It also features a library devoted
exclusively to timekeeping. More than 4000 works, some extremely
rare and precious, are presently being catalogues. An exhibition
on the ground floor encompasses 200 old machines and tools that
recount the history of precision mechanical engineering, and visitors
can observe a watchmaker specialized in the restoration of old timepieces
as he demonstrates this time-honored craft in a glass-enclosed workshop.
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