Love Watches? It’s About Time You Visit the Macau Timepiece Museum

One way to get to know a city’s history and culture is to visit its museums. From works of art to antique pieces that have been carefully preserved through the years, there are many things that can be used to share a story by simply displaying them for the public. A good example is the devices we use to tell time.

Whether you’ve just started your own watch collection or simply find beauty in old and modern timepieces, you might want to add the Macau Timepiece Museum to your itinerary.

A Unique Museum for Watches and Antiques

Founded in 2018, the Macau Timepiece Museum is home to the private collection of watch enthusiast-turned-museum curator Fong Wing Ngai.

It consists of two floors with permanent exhibition areas where guests can browse through over 100 timepieces and chronometres, including contemporary wristwatches, antique clocks and pocket watches, and Panerai (a luxury Italian brand) watches, as well as an occasional exhibition area where it features specific themes and collections of prominent watch collectors.

The museum’s collection dates back up to 400 years and shows how Macau, specifically its port, played an important role in being China’s entry point for importing precious timepieces. A majority of the displays have short Cantonese and English descriptions to give you an idea, while others have QR codes, which you can scan for additional information.

What’s more, you might get the chance to witness a craftsman working on restoring one of the antiques during your visit.

Photography is allowed, so long as it’s not commercial, and you also can’t bring food and drinks inside. Pets are also not allowed unless they’re guide dogs.

How To Get There

The Macau Timepiece Museum is located at Tv. de São Paulo. Depending on where you’re coming from, you can either ride Bus 17 and get off at R. Tomás Vieira or Bus 8A and get off at Praça Luís Camões. Both stops will require you to walk for about five to six minutes.

If you’re visiting The Ruins of St. Paul’s, one of Macau’s most famous landmarks, then it won’t take long for you to reach the museum. After descending the stairs, go to the first street on the left and walk a few steps to reach the museum. You can also descend on the left-most road (same side as the public toilet) and walk straight until you reach the museum. It’s on the left, beside the entrance of Colégio Mateus Ricci.

Admission and Operating Hours

Macau Timepiece Museum is open daily, except on the eve of Lunar New Year and Lunar New Year, from 10:30 AM to 6 PM (last admission at 5:30 PM). Entrance is free of charge. For updates on new releases, events, and temporary closures, contact them via e-mail at [email protected] or visit their website.