Page 13 - MTMBrochures2019

In ancient China, we had
Brief timepieces such as sundials, After the trading season
water clocks, fire clocks, and
the clepsydra. Compared (from August to January),
Introduction with these traditional westerners would back to
timepieces, western chiming Macau and reunion with
of clocks were more intricate, their wives and children.
accurate and readable at Today, we can still find many
Macau a glance. The introducing tombs of the families of
of mechanical clocks starts
foreign merchants in Macau,
the prologue of a continual including the family member
Horologe history of collecting and of Ilbery (London- based

making these mechanical watch and clockmaker,
History timepieces among this the father of the China
country.In the reign of the watches), and the sister in
Qing Dynasty, the Emperors law of Edouard Bovet (Swiss
especially Kangxi and watchmaker, the father
Qianlong continued to show of Chinese caliber pocket
their great interest towards watch).
mechanical timepieces,
the horological trade
between East and West
truly prospered. The 18th
and 19th centuries could be
considered as a golden age
of horological commerce. In
1757, Guangzhou became
the only trading post of Qing
China after a government
decree was issued, and the
families of foreign merchants
can only remain alone in
Macau.

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