So as part of my next business trip to Amsterdam, it looks like I'll be spending the latter half of the last week of January in London. I've never been, and I'm super excited to see all the sights, but could use a few suggestions for watch nerd- type stuff

Also, if anyone's around to grab a drink on Friday evening Jan 31st, or Saturday Feb 1st, let me know - send me a PM and in a week or so, I'll see what I can do.

(Also up for a jet-lagged Amsterdam GTG on Sunday Jan 26th if anyone's in town)

 

Bumping this up as we get closer.

 

Greenwich Observatory is a must if the history of time and navigation interest you at all. The Harrods Watch Room is great for a wander as well.

 

That'd be very cool, but this is just gonna be an extra day tacked onto the end of a business trip. Probably going to be staying fairly central and seeing everything I can within walking distance but def will see if I have time to make it through Harrods

 

The Clockmakers Gallery in the Science Museum is interesting (and some lovely buildings down in South Ken) (https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/clockmakers-museum)

The Whitechapel Bell Foundry (http://www.whitechapelbellfoundry.co.uk) is sadly no longer open for tours, but a trip eastwards to the City is well worthwhile to check out all the Wren churches, Roman Walls, the Guildhall, the Monument etc. You could try a quick tour of Pepys-related sites https://londonist.com/2015/12/pepystour

There's plenty of sundials to check out (https://londonist.com/london/great-outdoors/sundials-of-london) though pity about the lack of sun!

 

FWIW
Greenwich is about a 20 min train ride from the City .(less from London Bridge). The observatory does an incredible job of explaining the history of clockmaking with some great exhibits .
There's also a nice market in Greenwich including a Camden Watch storefront.

If it's not raining, a trip to Greenwich is worth it .

 

Might try to take a look then. Thanks!

 

Whether you care for the explanation or not, just BEING there and gawking at the site (at the precise location of the G in GMT) is pretty amazing all by itself.

Assuming you're already to the way-beyond-nerd point I fear many of us might be.

 

I totally agree. Seeing the very first chronometers by Harrison - a self educated genius - is well worth the effort.

 

I'm probably overstating this a tiny bit, but being able to see the transition from H3 to H4 in person was about as close to a religious experience as I've gotten. At the end of the exhibit is the watchmaker's shop where they maintain the pieces and they also have on display all of the ship's chronometers that were in for testing/maintenance but got decommissioned once GPS became the standard.

 

+1 for Greenwich...
The observatory has a nice museum and the historic onion dome houses the 71 cm Grubb refractor which saw first light in 1894.
Since 2014 this lens telescope on English equatorial mount can be used by the general public to observe the Moon & the planets
.