The brainchild of leading collector Nicolae Simache, this museum opened in 1963 and is dedicated to the history of timekeeping. Exhibits include water clocks, cuckoo clocks, Louis XIV pendulum clocks, surprise clocks and the timepiece of Carol I. The materials used range from gold to bronze, from ivory to precious woods. Its 2 000 objects are displayed in the rooms of a 19C villa with creaking floorboards; its tall windows let in light that makes the clock mechanisms sparkle.