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The place where the clocks never strike 12

By evelina rioukhina

There is a place on the planet where the displayed on walls, buildings, or, as in the case
clock never strikes 12. You might think it is of the famous Geneva flower clock, on the
somewhere near the South or North Poles, or ground. Watches and clocks are the symbol of
on a faraway island lost in time, but you would the country, and precision in watch-making
be wrong. Surprisingly, the only place on the and accuracy in time-keeping are its pride.
planet where the clock never strikes 12 is in All except in one place, where the clock never
Switzerland, a country famous for its precise strikes 12 and only has 11 hours.
time-keeping.
How can this be? Where did this hour get lost?
Indeed, Switzerland is famous for having the And why 11? Where is the missing hour, or are
world’s most best clocks, accurate up to a the hours in this place longer than usual? To
millionth of a second. It is also known for its answer briefly – a bit of all this. The place that
watch industry and mechanics, from highly has the bizarre 11-hour clock in its town centre
renowned brands, to museums exhibiting the is Solothurn. The motif is repeated through
world’s most sophisticated watches, through to the town, with many clocks only chiming up
its “Watch valleys” of Chaux-de-Fons and the to 11. There are several possible explanations
Valley de Joux. All over the country, in large for this, but to understand them you need to
and small towns, these watches and clocks are know a few things about the town’s history.

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