The Mehmet Çebi collection, exhibited in Istanbul, serves as an important archive that brings together the multilayered story of pocket watches. A special selection from the collection is presented in an exhibition at the Tophane-i Amire building, open to visitors free of charge until April 9, 2026. The exhibition gathers rare pieces from different periods and geographies, meticulously collected by Çebi over many years.

The watches in the collection stand out not only for their technical features but also for their aesthetic and historical value. Finely crafted cases, hand engravings, enamel decorations and complex mechanisms make each piece unique. In this sense, the exhibition reveals the artistic and aesthetic understanding of a period, as well as the works of European watch brands created for elite customers of the Ottoman market.

One of the most important aspects of the collection is that it allows visitors to follow the transformation of pocket watches through concrete examples. The evolution from early bulky models to elegant and complex timepieces can be traced step by step throughout the collection. Thus, visitors witness not only objects but time itself.

Journey through time at Tophane-i Amire

The exhibition at Tophane-i Amire transforms pocket watches from mere display objects into a narrative. It presents these unique items – where mechanical mastery meets art – within their historical context.

Visitors experience not only the watches but also the lifestyle of the past, the understanding of elegance and the perception of time. Particularly, examples from the Ottoman period and distinguished pieces of European watchmaking enhance the diversity and richness of the exhibition.

Built around the Mehmet Çebi collection, the exhibition powerfully demonstrates how pocket watches once stood at the center of daily life and how they have evolved into elements of cultural heritage today.

Featuring examples belonging to Ottoman sultans, the exhibition goes beyond measuring time and offers an impressive journey that tells "time itself.”

Mechanics of elegance

Throughout history, pocket watches have not only been functional tools but also unique objects where engineering and art intersect. From verge escapement systems to chronographs, from repeater watches to "hunter” and "half-hunter” cases, their various types reflect the technological level of their time.

Leading European brands such as Patek Philippe, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, Longines and Omega transformed pocket watches into true works of art. Decorated with gold, silver and enamel, these watches were often custom-made and reflected the social status of their owners.

Each example serves as a time capsule, carrying not only time but also the aesthetic understanding, technological capacity and cultural codes of the era in which it was produced.

Brief history of pocket watches

The story of pocket watches begins in the 16th century with the first portable timepieces developed by German locksmith Peter Henlein. Known as "Nuremberg eggs,” these early models were quite different from today’s elegant watches; they were large, cylindrical and rather crude.

With advancements in watchmaking during the 17th and 18th centuries, pocket watches became smaller, more accurate, and more refined in design. The 19th century marked their golden age: pocket watches evolved from mere timekeeping tools into symbols of status and wealth.

The transition from key-wound mechanisms to more practical stem-winding systems also occurred during this period. However, after World War I, the widespread use of wristwatches led to the decline of pocket watches in daily life, and they gradually became collectible and artistic objects. Do not miss the opportunity to visit this exhibition, which brings together rare pieces that are otherwise difficult to see.